The Old Man in Hong Kong has secured the No.1 spot in the 2019 edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, which were announced at the Capitol Theatre in Singapore earlier this month.
Described as an “elegant establishment” that pays tribute to Ernest Hemingway’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, The Old Man is helmed by Agung Prabowo, James Tamang and Roman Ghale.
The Old Man is recognised for its experimental cocktail menu inspired by Hemingway’s favourite ingredients and combinations – from butter-fat-washed gin to beeswax-infused bourbon.
Manhattan (Singapore) took out the No.2 spot and was once again named The Best Bar in Singapore – as well as being named the Legend of the List for its consistency in the awards – while the No.3 position went to Indulge Experimental Bistro (Taiwan), which was also named The Best Bar in Taiwan.
Singapore claimed the next two spots with Native (No.4) and Atlas (No.5).
This year marked the fourth edition of the annual list and saw 12 new entries into the Top 50, from a total of nine countries.
China claimed 12 bars on the list, followed by Singapore with 11, Thailand with seven, Japan with six and Taiwan with four.
The Asia’s 50 Best Bars list was introduced in 2016 as an extension of The World’s 50 Best Bars, which launched in 2009.
The list is created from the votes of the Asia’s 50 Best Bars Academy, an influential group of over 200 leaders in the bar sector across Asia, each selected for their expert opinion of the drinking scene, and comprises drinks journalists, bartenders and owners, and well-travelled cocktail aficionados.
The full list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2019 can be found here.
