In search of The Old Man, I kept my eyes peeled for the single pineapple lamp outside (thanks Google) & when I found the wooden doors, I pushed them open carefully.
As I peered behind the black curtains, I was warmly welcomed into the dimly lit premises. Was ushered to a bar seat, being a convenient party of 1 & the tables mostly had groups of 4 pax at least.
I was handed a nice tight menu of 9 cocktails. I read through them & was impressed by how thoughtfully crafted this menu is. While mostly gin-based, other cocktails use unique bases like Vermouth, Absinthe, Pisco & White Rum.
The ingredients of the cocktails here are also very bespoke, with infusions & sous-vide ingredients. & a lacto-fermented raspberry (what!). If you’re someone who loves trying unique drinks, you might have difficulty choosing which ones to have. They all sound great.
One of the guys, Louis, saw that I was alone & came over to chit chat for a while. He was very friendly without bordering on intrusive. Made me feel very at ease. He also offered to explain the menu to me if I wanted, but I was in quite a mood, so I wanted some time to myself & that was cool with him too.
I got lucky & was here just before peak period hit. It got real crowded by the time I left, such that many were standing & drinking – not that they seemed to mind, though.
My first drink, The Sun Also Rises #1926, mixes curry leaf infused Bulldog gin with copra fat-washed applejack. While gin infusions aren’t new to me (I loved this one btw), fat-washing is.
Fat-washing is a technique that infuses a fatty flavor into an alcohol. I’m not sure if you’re supposed to taste the fats (in this case, coconut oil – I could only smell, not taste it), but I couldn’t & I hope it stays that way. Because I am very fat-averse 😂
I liked the flavours of this cocktail. The well-balanced tartness & sweetness of the applejack was lovely. On top of this, the layered fragrance of the lime kaffir & sweet vermouth sous vide pandan leaves were somewhat comforting.
Before my drink even arrived, I was served a glass of cold water that was regularly topped up throughout my evening. As a perpetual thirsty hippo, I appreciated this so much. & the tidbits, dare I say, are very addictive.
I intended to have just 1 drink, but was impressed by my 1st one that I had to order another. I chose the Green Hills of Africa #1935, which has a base of rosemary-infused pisco. A refreshing turmeric & tamarind cocktail, it had citrus notes as well, which I thought was a great drink to end my night with.
I am excited to return to try the rest of their cocktail menu. Good cocktails are really growing on me lately, especially those with unique flavours which look & taste like much research, thought & effort have been put into them.
All cocktails on the menu at The Old Man are $17+.
💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🙋🏻♀️ Service charge applicable
🚫 No GST
💦 Water is not chargeable
🍍 Look for the pineapple lamp – under which that’s the entrance!
Bui Bui Eats 