The Old Man Singapore: A Cocktail Bar Inspired by Tales of Ernest Hemingway
Internationally acclaimed Hong Kong-based bar, The Old Man, which ranks number 1 on Asia's 50 Best Bars and number 10 on World's 50 Best Bars, has unveiled its first overseas branch in Singapore. Located on the super happening Keong Saik Road, The Old Man Singapore pays homage to Ernest Hemingway’s Pulitzer Prize-winning fictional work, The Old Man and the Sea.
Led by Founder and Managing Partner Andrew Yap along with owners Agung Prabowo, James Tamang and Roman Ghale, The Old Man Singapore presents nine innovative cocktails inspired by Hemingway's libations of choice and titled after his classic novels.
Each cocktail is an experimental concoction exuding a distinctly Asian touch, combined with culinary techniques to enhance classic recipes and tease out the best possible flavours, whether through processes like fat- washing utilising a centrifuge, rotary evaporation or sous-vide cooking.
Here are our cocktail picks:
1. Islands In The Stream - An Easy Drink
Kick off a night of drinking with this smooth cocktail that’s perfect - simple yet delicious. Islands In The Stream, inspired by the posthumously published Hemingway novel, is a carbonated drink that is made up of clarified pink grapefruit with salted gin.
2. Death in the Afternoon - A Delightful Surprise
If you’re a fan of Yakult, this may just be your drink. Death in the Afternoon brings forth the passion in Hemingway’s novel on bullfighting and packs a punch with its interesting mix of unusual components. A bold cocktail featuring absinthe, sparkling wine, coco-pandan yoghurt, froth and nutmeg. While we were apprehensive about having absinthe at first, we were delightfully surprised with the tasty concoction!
3. The Sun Also Rises - An Asian Twist of a Negroni
Titled after Hemingway's novel written in 1926, The Sun Also Rises puts a uniquely Asian spin on the classic Negroni. It features the tropical concoction of coconut oil fat-washed applejack, curry leaf infused gin, sweet vermouth sous-vide pandan leaves and lime kaffir. A unique drink that brings the best of Asian flavours to a popular Italian classic, this is a must-try for those who love classic Asian flavours with a twist. One sip and the taste of pandan brought back sweet memories that anyone brought up in Singapore will be able to relate to.
4. Green Hills of Africa - Refreshing with a Dose of ‘Healthy’
One for those who love a good pisco sour! The Green Hills of Africa, written by Hemingway in 1935, is a refreshing combination of rosemary-infused pisco, turmeric and tamarind cordial, and citrus. Turmeric has been long known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It is also believed to help improve the condition of the liver, which may help offset some of the alcohol you have been downing all night!
5. Papa Doble - A Spicy Kick
Using the sous vide technique to impart bold flavours to a classic Hemingway drink, the Papa Doble is a cocktail with pineapple sous-vide rum, clarified pink grapefruit and lime, and maraschino sous-vide jalapeno. A popular modern culinary method, the use of sous-vide elevates the art of bartending. Not for the faint-hearted, this fancy cocktail is a hot treat for fans of spice with its maraschino sous-vide jalapeno.
