Prabowo needs little introduction, but we’re going to give him one anyway. The man has been a mainstay of the Hong Kong mixology scene ever since the Mandarin Oriental Jakarta sent him here to assist with the opening of the Landmark Mandarin Oriental in 2005. In the years since, the Indonesian import has worked at and headed some of Hong Kong’s most notable nightlife names including the Mandarin’s MO Bar, Shangri-La’s Lobster Bar & Grill, and Lily & Bloom, before opening The Old Man in 2017, a revolutionary concept that topped the Asia’s 50 Best Bars ranking two years later. Just as daring were Prabowo’s subsequent concepts – the sustainability-focused Penicillin and the paradoxical upscale dive bar Dead&.

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At his previous concepts, Prabowo tackled various different styles of drinks, from high tech rotovaped creations to simple slushies. At Lockdown – co-founded by Agung and his wife Laura – the focus is on classic Prohibition-era cocktails reinvigorated with contemporary means and methods, an approach reaffirmed by bar manager Lee Morris, previously of Kyle & Bain, who will handle much of the day-to-day operations.

“These forgotten classics are good and we use them as the base of our own recipes, but we want to elevate their flavours,” says Morris. “Basically, we’re using the ingredients, the tools and the knowledge that we have access to now that they didn’t have back then, to update these cocktails to modern standards.”

Lee uses the Scofflaw as an example of how Lockdown will do just that. Although invented in Paris, the cocktail’s name is a reference to the speakeasy denizens of America, individuals literally scoffing at the law while continue to booze throughout the long years of Prohibition, between 1920 and 1933.

Primarily a mix of bourbon, dry vermouth and grenadine, Lee describes the traditional Scofflaw as “cool as an old school cocktail but a bit uninspired these days” before going on to reveal how he and Prabowo have modernised it: “It’s still bourbon-based but we’ve added some maple syrup, a bit of miso, a bit of lychee and some blueberry. It’s acidic while still being a fruity and approachable whisky cocktail.”

Prabowo insists that the drinks at Lockdown will be a little less high tech than in most of his previous concepts – prep time at Penicillin can take up to seven hours before opening – but hasn’t been able to shake off his mad scientist’s lab coat entirely.

“We’ll still use some of the laboratory gadgets because it’s part of our concepts’ DNA and it helps us to boost the flavour a little bit,” he says, before admitting he recently bought an ice cream maker to play with despite not knowing how to use the machine or what he’ll use it for.

As well as remastered classics, the Lockdown menu also features more experimental creations and a special section devoted to vintage offerings. In contrast to the other parts of the menu, these cocktails will adhere strictly to classic recipes and will be made using spirits produced decades ago, from the 1950s or 60s according to Lee, depending on supply and what the team can source.

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“We’re thinking things like: could get our hands on some old Chartreuse for a Last Word, or older cognac for a Vieux Carré?” explains Lee. “We’ll see what interesting stuff we can find and what we can offer.”

Whatever the drinks taste like, the choice of name hasn’t passed without raising a few eyebrows. Lockdown’s namesake was a deeply traumatic experience for millions of people on all corners of the globe, and some may wonder whether it’s not a little too soon to make light of that era. Prabowo is understanding though.

Prabowo pauses before continuing. “But even though people don’t want to remember the bad things – those bad times made everyone stronger. For me and all of us here, lockdown was a time for to learn. We don’t want to think too hard about that period but still, there are similarities. Just like during lockdown people would invite friends over for drinks, the idea here is we want to invite people to come and drink with us again.”

With drinks priced at an introductory HK$100 – a bargain in today’s world of high-end mixology – Hongkongers are sure to be keen. Here’s hoping the cocktails are up to Prabowo’s usual exceptional standard. That way, the porcelain throne in the window will serve as a memorable indicator of location rather than a comment on the quality of what is found inside.