When Bar Leone in Hong Kong was named No. 1 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list, the recognition affirmed something industry insiders had sensed for months: Lorenzo Antinori had shifted the center of gravity in contemporary cocktail culture. His Roman-inflected neighborhood bar in Hong Kong had managed, in an industry one might argue was becoming increasingly fond of theatrical excess, to turn understatement into a competitive advantage. “Simplicity can produce the finest results,” Antinori says. “I do think there was an ‘over-theatricalization’ of cocktails, with an emphasis on elaborate machines and intricate techniques, making the craft a bit too complicated for many to appreciate. My goal was to create drinks that are approachable and accessible when designing Bar Leone, without the need for overly complex concepts.” As I had just recently tried a few of said approachable and accessible drinks, like the sublime Margarita de Maiz (a cocktail made..
