Asia’s 50 Best Bars: The Old Man Hong Kong Cocktail Bar Opens in Singapore
Embark on the adventures of Ernest Hemingway one cocktail at a time at The Old Man Singapore cocktail bar. Named after Ernest Hemingway’s Pulitzer Prize-winning fictional work, The Old Man and the Sea, this quaint little bar lies along the bustling Keong Saik Road. Look for the door under a pineapple lamp and you’ll find this “hidden” bar right behind it.
The Old Man based in Hong Kong has won a string of awards since opening just two years ago. Most recently The Old Man Hong Kong clinched the top spot in Asia’s 50 Best Bars and #10 in the World’s 50 Best Bars. And now they’ve brought The Old Man brand to Singapore with their first overseas venture. Head Bartender and Managing Partner Andrew Yap, a seasoned industry veteran, leads the Singapore team.
Enter the bar and you’re greeted with a mosaic portrait of Ernest Hemingway and shelves of vintage crystal bottles and the writer’s novels. Sitting across the space is a I-shaped island bar, designed to enable mingling between like-minded tipplers and bartenders at work. To ensure consistency with every sip, a customised brass column runs across the center of the bar counter; with the temperature maintained at -35 degrees Celsius, cocktails can always be enjoyed at optimal density and dilution.
The Old Man Singapore is strongly driven by its concise and might I add very interesting cocktail menu. There are nine cocktails on the menu titled after Ernest Hemingway’s classic novels and revealing the cocktails sipped whilst writing his iconic works. Of course, I liked some cocktails more than others but there wasn’t one that I didn’t enjoy. Now that’s a real feat!
I’d start with the Islands in the Stream, a cocktail that’s easy to drink and has a simple but ingenious addition of a pinch of salt to the gin. Another personal favourite was The Sun Also Rises, an Asian twist on the classic negroni with an addition of pandan and curry leaves.
For cheese lovers like me, The Snows of Kilimanjaro topped with gruyere cheese shavings, is a real delight! Those who enjoy a hint of spice in their cocktails, the Papa Doble with its maraschino sous-vide jalapeno sure packs a punch.
Death in the Afternoon is a nostalgic cocktail for anyone who has grown up in Singapore and drank Yakult as a kid. While I was apprehensive of having absinthe at first, the coco-pandan yoghurt offsets the strong alcohol, and as it turns out, this cocktail is pretty yummy, much like a dessert!
For a combination of rosemary infused pisco, turmeric and tamarind cordial and citrus, the Green Hills of Africa, inspired by Hemingway’s book in 1935, is a refreshing treat.
I haven’t gotten to the best part. Apart from the fact that these cocktails are world-class, they are priced super affordably at S$17++!
The Old Man Singapore, #01-04, 55 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089158
The Sun Also Rises
coconut oil fat-washed applejack, curry leaf infused gin, sweet vermouth sous-vide pandan leaves and lime kaffir
Green Hills of Africa
rosemary infused pisco, turmeric and tamarind cordial and citrus
Death in the Afternoon
absinthe, sparkling wine, coco-pandan yoghurt, froth and nutmeg
Islands in the Stream
clarified pink grapefruit, salted gin, carbonated
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
marshmallows bulldog gin, lacto-fermented raspberry, citrus, gruyere
Papa Doble
pineapple sous-vide rum, clarified pink grapefruit and lime, and maraschino sous-vide jalapeno
Little Wax Puppy
beeswax infused Michter's Small Batch Bourbon with eucalyptus honey and bitters