Inside Wynn Palace Macau’s Defining Moment as Asia’s Cocktail Centre

Long after the final cocktail shaker has been rinsed and set aside, and the crystal rock glasses returned to their immaculate shine, memories of five remarkable days at Wynn Palace, Macau, continue to linger. For a brief but brilliant moment, the resort became a nexus for Asia’s cocktail community where bartenders, journalists, and guests gathered to celebrate creativity, connection, and a shared devotion to craft.

– Featured image credit: Wynn Palace – 

Marking the 10th anniversary of Asia’s 50 Best Bars on 15 July, the venue drew together some of the world’s most influential figures in mixology. Instead of scattering events across the city, the entire programme unfolded within the resort, transforming it into an immersive, day-to-night playground, a self-contained world of flavour, flair, and all-day revelry.

Between Wing Lei Bar and the Palace Reserve Club, the resort’s theatrical architecture became an integral part of the story — a stage, not a mere backdrop. Beneath the glow of an 18th-century Italian chandelier, Wing Lei Bar exuded an intimate, burlesque allure, the ideal setting for a clandestine rendezvous or a tête-à-tête curated by Head Mixologist Mark Lloyd.

Meanwhile, the Palace Reserve Club unfolded as a chic, kinetic playground: a sleek bar framed by sweeping fountain panoramas and the languid glide of cable cars overhead. Here, the rhythm of the night belonged to the turntable, with the DJ’s pulse dictating the tempo.

What Went On

At the Palace Reserve Club, a “Best of British” takeover delivered a surge of London cool, pairing legendary New Romantic soundtracks with pours from Manchester’s SCHOFIELD’S BAR, Edinburgh’s Hey Palu, and London’s Kwānt. Across the property at Wing Lei Bar, Asia’s and the World’s best bar, Hong Kong’s Bar Leone joined forces with Milan’s Moebius, delivering Bar Leone’s signature martinis paired perfectly with Moebius’s memorable Parmesan cheese snacks.

True to the spirit of hiruzake, the Japanese tradition of day drinking, festivities began mid-afternoon, a gentle reminder that one should never wait for great cocktails.

A Culinary Counterpoint

The culinary lineup was an elegant counterpoint to the bar programme, unfolding in tandem with the cocktails rather than in their shadow. At Seasons, Chef Tam Kwok Fung partnered with Taipei’s Bar Mood to present a refined lunch, pairing Cantonese finesse with contemporary cocktail craft. A white oolong tea pairing spoke to the rising appetite for mindful drinking without compromising on sophistication.

India was represented through Masque restaurant and cocktail bar Sidecar, whose collaboration with Seasons by Chef Tam resulted in a thoughtfully composed cross-cultural menu, rich in both flavour and narrative.

At Lakeview Palace, Chef Kevin Zhu delivered a harmonious blend of Huaiyang and Cantonese traditions. From jewel-toned purple cabbage salad to steamed snow crab crowned with an indulgent lobster bisque, lunch here was the ideal prelude to the cocktails that were to follow. Japanese dining, meanwhile, took centre stage at Mizumi, where Chef Hironori Maeda transformed dinner into theatre with tableside presentations of A4 Wagyu and Hokkaido uni.

The Spirit of Togetherness

It may have only been a few days, but it was enough to reaffirm that when fine cuisine, exceptional cocktails, and strategic, like-minded partnerships come together, a special global community can be forged and, more importantly, meaningful friendships can endure long after the final toast.

The writer was an invited guest of Wynn Palace Macau.
Opened in 2016, Wynn Palace holds more Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant ratings than any other individual resort in the world.