Ten years is a long time in any nightlife scene. Some of Hong Kong’s earliest innovators and concepts have celebrated a decade or more in the game, and despite the closures of Stockton or The Envoy, establishments like Quinary, Lobster Bar and Mizunara are still going strong against younger and stiffer competition such as Bar Leone, Coa, Socio and Penicillin.
The latest to reach the milestone is The Pontiac on Old Bailey Street. It’s long held its reputation as one of Hong Kong’s most raucous dive bars, but also one of its strongholds of the LGBTQ community. To celebrate, the bar hosted the 10th edition of Pontypalooza on October 10 and recently unveiled its Talking Walls menu – an homage to the memories scrawled on its busy walls.
The new menu is full of winners. It also includes a subtle nod to a drink that’s been there through it all: for the remainder of the year, The Pontiac has elected to roll back its Hobnail to its original auspicious price of HK$88.
“The Hobnail has been a catalyst for connection for 10 years,” says general manager Jen Queen. “She’s been to more countries [via guest shift menus] than we have, and she is one of those iconic recipes that connects with so many different types of drinkers. We often hear responses like ‘I’m not a whiskey fan but I love this cocktail’ – everyone loves a Hobnail!”
