Drink in Focus: Hobnail at The Pontiac
The Pontiac just celebrated 10 years on Old Bailey Street – and we break down its most iconic drink, the Hobnail
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!”
Based on the Rusty Nail classic cocktail, the Hobnail’s appeal is anchored by its ginger syrup. “The Hobnail prep starts with ‘rich b**** ginger’,” Queen explains, “a 1.5 to 1 ginger syrup using [sugar and] fresh pressed ginger juice that’s never diluted.” The drink is then built in a glass with whiskey, fresh lemon, Amaro Averna, Angostura bitters and orange oil. The result is a fortifying, refreshing drink that’s easy to make and throw back.
The endurance and simplicity of the Hobnail is refreshing too amid a bar scene that’s often ephemeral, saturated and sometimes overengineered. Polished, meticulously developed concepts rise and fall in a matter of months, but Queen is adamant to preserve its essence. “[Both] the Hobnail and the rich b**** ginger are the same as day one. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it right? Part of the beauty of our programme is that we don’t overcomplicate anything.”