Even amidst the crowded nightlife scene in Hong Kong’s Central district, The Pontiac stands out. Opened in 2015, the dive bar is known for its limited menu of nine inventive cocktails created by star mixologist and owner, Beckaly Franks. A regular fixture on ‘Asia’s 50 Best Bars’ list since the inception of the awards in 2016, The Pontiac’s retro rock-chick vibe with an all-female bar staff makes it a hotspot for the party-hardy Hong Kongers. Now, for the first time, you can experience that vibe right here in Mumbai as The Pontiac takes over Olive Bar & Kitchen for a two-night pop-up.
Dive in
In keeping with the Pontiac’s eye-catching décor in Hong Kong (complete with bras dangling from the ceiling), the bar at Olive will be completely transformed. Expect neon lights, feather boas, a disco ball, Pride flags, and more. “We will also be hosting our monthly LGBTQ bar night during the pop-up”, says John Leese, Beverage and Bar Development Manager, Olive Bar & Kitchen. This ties in with the theme of inclusivity that The Pontiac is known for. While Franks will not grace the bar at this pop-up, The Pontiac’s lead bartender Tink Aira Chan aka ‘The Slayer’ will be slinging out cocktails in her signature speedy yet elegant style. Accompanying her will be Arlene Wong, and together the ladies promise to throw a party to remember.
Drink up
Six of The Pontiac’s nine cocktails will be available at Olive, including the bar’s most popular cocktail to date – The Hobnail – a rye whiskey base mixed with house-made ginger syrup, lemon juice, Averna and Angora bitters. “Since we are a small venue with limited space (in HK) and no kitchen we try to focus mostly on terroir and backbar, using flavours that are already happening inside the bottle instead of what we can do to change them. Our Dope Slap is a great representation of that, with Pisco, Giffard banana liqueur, Laphroaig, lemon juice, lemon oil, and Regan’s Orange Bitters”, explains Franks in an email interview. Other cocktails on offer include My Name is Nobody, a spicy hot-take on the classic Negroni, the sweet & tart rum-based Snake Sour, a neon-blue gin & absinthe concoction called Heisenberg, and the Rainbow Maker with a shot of Jameson and Budweiser, infused overnight with pickle.
So what’s on trend these days in the cocktail world? “The global cocktail trend is refining the drinks ahead of time and making their presentation very simple. Drinks that actually have many different components but come across like they are effortless. Gin is still in. The creative evolution lies in the distillation these days. We forecast seeing bars that only use spirits distilled on premises,” says Franks.
Leese is understandably excited about the upcoming collaboration. “The Pontiac is such an amazing brand to introduce to India, a great cocktail programme and awesome bartenders and vibe. We want to introduce a different style of service not just to our guests but also to the staff, one which focuses on generating the buzz behind the bar,” he explains.
The Pontiac pop-up at Olive Bar and Kitchen, 14, Union Park, Khar; 43408229; August 2 and 3.
