NEW BAR OPENING: The sea by the old man
Following a triumphant year of recognitions and awards for Soho cocktail bar The Old Man (#10 on World’s 50 Best Bars, #5 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars and winner of DMBA 2018’s Asia Bar and Bartender of the Year Awards), founders Agung Prabowo, James Tamang and Roman Ghale have unveiled their second venture, THE SEA.
A spin-off concept of sister venue The Old Man, The Sea by The Old Man continues to build on the theme of iconic writer Ernest Hemingway’s 1952 hit novel. Nestled within the quiet enclave of Sheung Wan’s Po Yan Street, The Sea by The Old Man is a relaxed neighbourhood bar serving up world-class cocktails fashioned after Ernest Hemingway’s extraordinary mind. Here, the cocktails highlight the most innovative methods in modern mixology, including culinary techniques such as fermentation, sous-vide cooking and rotary evaporation. Despite the complex techniques behind the creation of each drink, the cocktails are presented in a humble and unadorned style.
The rustic interior is inspired by Pilar, Ernest Hemingway’s beloved 38-foot boat, which he rode through three marriages, a Nobel Prize and his ultimate ruin. Hemingway’s time spent on Pilarinfluenced much of his written works, including Pulitzer Prize-winning The Old Man and The Sea. The mahogany bar exudes the interior of a cosy boat, further accentuating the feeling of an intimate drinking atmosphere.
Signature “Minerality-Style” Cocktails at The Sea:
The Sea’s ten signature cocktails focus on simple, mineral flavours derived from natural elements such as rock, sea, peat and soil. Health-conscious guests will be pleased to know that the lightly alcoholic cocktails contain no sugar, and are transparent in their nutritional value, antioxidant level and caloric density. Each cocktail is priced at HK$90+10%, and is identified by number rather than by name. COCKTAIL #1 captures the soul of The Sea, created with seaweed gin and lacto-fermented pineapple rind soda – a favourite of Head Bartender Agung Prabowo. COCKTAIL #2 is a heady blend of homemade honeyed dashi vodka and rectified mango sticky rice, a liquor created from the Thai dessert. COCKTAIL #4 is made with kiwi rye whisky and sour sherry solution, and COCKTAIL #5 is an intriguing balance of peanut milk rum, pineapple kombucha and banana wine.
Introducing The Sea’s Non-Alcoholic Cocktails:
For guests wishing to abstain for the night, The Sea has curated three non-alcoholic cocktails, “Alcohol You Later”. Summer in Bimini, named after Hemingway’s frequent escapades to the lush tropical islands in the Bahamas on Pilar, is a fresh carbonated concoction of clarified pink grapefruit and salted Seedlip Garden 108. African Safari is an antioxidant-loaded mix of rosemary, Seedlip Spice, homemade turmeric-tamarind cordial and citrus. Last but not least, Cucumber Lemon Shrub is mixed with salted Seedlip Garden 108, cucumber lemon shrub and lemonade. Each non-alcoholic drink is priced at HK$85+10%.
“We present to you the final chapter of our journey with The Old Man and The Sea. The Sea is a distinctly different concept from The Old Man, as we hope to provide Hemingway fans with a new and almost immersive experience of the book,” say founders Agung Prabowo, James Tamang and Roman Ghale. “Expect a more rustic and down-to-earth vibe, somewhere you can come by after a long day and feel right at home.”
Bar Details – The Sea
Address – 2 Po Yan Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Tel – 852 – 2307 0030
Opening Hours – Monday – Saturday, 5pm – midnight
