Mixologist Ariel Hou’s top bars in Taipei

Everyone recalls the tastes of their childhood. Maybe it’s the oily crunch of the youtiao you used to have for breakfast, washed down with sweet soymilk at the shop around the corner. Or perhaps it’s the steamed fish that your mother would make after picking out the freshest catch at the local wet market. 

The way that taste shapes our experiences and conjures distant memories is at the heart of Bar Pine ’s experimental mixology. “Our philosophy is that flavour comes from life and memory,” the Taipei bar’s founder, Ariel Hou, tells me after being named Asia’s most creative bartender at the prestigious Cathay Members’ Choice Awards 2025. The mixologist dazzled this edition’s panellists and Cathay members with her innovative cocktails, which elicit complex sensorial experiences and often blur the lines between food and beverage.

“There’s been this trend of bartenders creating cocktails based on local delicacies, such as a bubble tea drink that has milk liqueur and tapioca pearls in it. At Bar Pine, we also have a milk tea-inspired cocktail, but we made it a little different and elevated it by incorporating elements of traditional Taiwanese breakfast culture, such as fermented red rice and scallions. So our cocktail evokes the complete experience of dining and drinking milk tea at a traditional Taipei breakfast shop. It’s all about the memories.” 

Established in 2022, Bar Pine has gained a loyal following for its unconventional cocktails and warm hospitality. But the road to opening this beloved spot has been circuitous for Hou, who started in front-of-house roles at restaurants in Brisbane and her hometown of Kaohsiung before moving to Taipei to forge a career in bartending. Hou’s innovative take on mixology is all the more impressive considering she is self-taught, relying on books and social media in the early days of her training. 

Hou’s approach to mixology draws on her own memories, notably wandering the famed markets of her hometown. “Kaohsiung has a rich traditional culture, and I realised that was what I really loved,” she says. “So when I opened Bar Pine, I decided to have a menu that changed every six months, with each ‘season’ representing a different type of market – such as fish, flower and night market.” Seasonal ingredients have included mushrooms, plums, fried shallots, sarsaparilla and even pork floss. “We also try to use different parts of ingredients, like the white bulb of green onion,” Hou adds. “Typically only the stalk is used because the flavour is more complex, but we fermented the white part to bring out the acid for a slightly sweet, fruity flavour.”

Despite the rotating menu, you can still try the very first concoction Hou crafted for Bar Pine: a signature sake-based cocktail with bitter gourd and homemade plum and cedar liqueur, topped off with yuzu oolong soda. The drinks are perfectly paired with appetisers that showcase Hou’s penchant for distinctive flavour combinations, such as the French fries with fermented bean curd and pickled pineapple sauce.

For Hou, Bar Pine’s appeal goes beyond its unique approach to flavour – what sets this place apart is the sense of community and care. “I’m really attached to the symbol of the pine tree, which grows to a huge size and has very deep roots,” she explains. “I want to be like a giant pine tree that has deep, sturdy roots and grows high above everyone – my team, my customers – keeping them sheltered and cared for.”

Fantastic drinks, moreish bites, and thoughtful service that makes you feel like a regular – what more do you need to add Bar Pine to your Taipei bucket list? And if you want to make a night of it, here are Hou’s four favourite spots to go bar-hopping after Bar Pine.

unDer lab

I’m close friends with unDer lab’s founder and creative director, Pei Liu, and I think we’re quite similar in terms of what we’re trying to do for the food and beverage industry in Taipei. We’re all about bucking the trends through our unique flavour combinations and local ingredients. Pei was among the first to introduce savoury cocktails to the Taipei mixology scene – and customers loved it!

The Public House

A great bar is all about connection, and The Public House is where people go to relax and meet friends after work. It’s an English-style pub with such a happy, chill vibe, and it’s open ‘til late. The staff really care about you and make sure you’re well looked after. The bar’s name can also be interpreted as “everyone’s house”, and that’s exactly how it is.

ODD Bar 

I’ve actually never been to ODD (bartenders spend a lot less time drinking than people think) but this place is recommended by some of Bar Pine’s regulars. The two bars aren’t that far away from each other, so our customers will often visit ODD and then Bar Pine, or vice versa. Like us, ODD creates Taiwanese-inspired cocktails with local ingredients. 

Hidden City

Hidden City is the second bar I worked at early in my mixology career. It’s an elegant speakeasy serving great classic cocktails as well as Japanese-style tipples. Japanese cocktails are notable for tasting very “clean” and not as sweet as the kind of drinks you’d find at an American or British-style bar. Taipei’s mixology scene is very influenced by Japanese cocktail culture, and you can experience that here.

Want to see who else was in the running to be Asia’s most creative bartender? Explore all the Cathay Members’ Choice Awards 2025 nominees here.

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