The Old Man HK
The Old Man HK is an award-winning Hemingway-themed cocktail bar in Soho, Central, Hong Kong, serving literary-inspired cocktails crafted with culinary techniques such as rotovap distillation and sous-vide infusion to sophisticated drinking enthusiasts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersCentral, Hong Kong SAR China
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Old Man HK does
The Old Man HK is an award-winning Hemingway-themed cocktail bar operating since summer 2017 from a single physical location at 37 Aberdeen Street in Soho, Central, Hong Kong. The bar serves sophisticated adult consumers — cocktail enthusiasts and drinking connoisseurs — by offering inventive libations named after and inspired by Ernest Hemingway's novels, history, and folklore. It is positioned as the first Hemingway-themed bar in Hong Kong with a distinctly Asian touch, and it has expanded the concept through a wholly-owned Singapore branch opened in early 2018.
The Old Man HK's core product is a curated cocktail menu featuring techniques borrowed from culinary practice, including rotary evaporation (rotovap) distillation, sous-vide infusion, cold fermentation, copra fat-washing, and 24-hour carnauba and cheesewax infusions. These techniques are applied to signature cocktails such as True at First Light #1953, Men Without Women, The Sun Also Rises, A Day's Wait, and Garden of Eden. The bar also offers private venue reservations handled directly through management. The underlying "technology" is craft-based mixology rather than software or platform architecture — there are no proprietary digital products, APIs, or applications.
The business model is direct-to-consumer and transaction-based: revenue is generated almost entirely from in-person cocktail and beverage sales at menu prices, supplemented by private event bookings. The bar is privately held with no disclosed investors, no parent company, no funding rounds, and operates with a small team of approximately eight employees including bar manager Nikita Matveev. Marketing is driven by industry awards (Asia's 50 Best Bars, World's 50 Best Bars, Tatler), word-of-mouth, an email newsletter, and a Facebook page. There is no online ordering, delivery, or distribution beyond the two physical storefronts.
The Old Man HK firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Old Man HK
- Legal name
- The Old Man Hong Kong
- Website
- https://theoldmanhongkong.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Old Man HK is an award-winning Hemingway-themed cocktail bar in Soho, Central, Hong Kong, serving literary-inspired cocktails crafted with culinary techniques such as rotovap distillation and sous-vide infusion to sophisticated drinking enthusiasts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Old Man HK industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cocktail Bar Hospitality
- NAICS
- Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cocktail Bars & Lounges (CRANACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Bars & Pubs (Non-Music) (MPAGAIAC)
Keywords
Where The Old Man HK is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Central
- HQ country
- Hong Kong SAR China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Old Man HK business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Cocktail and Beverage Sales: Direct sales of cocktails and spirits to consumers visiting the bar. Revenue generated from individual drink purchases at menu prices.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard cocktail menu pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
The Old Man HK product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Old Man HK is an award-winning Hemingway-themed cocktail bar located on Aberdeen Street in Soho, Central, Hong Kong. It serves inventive cocktails inspired by Ernest Hemingway's novels, history, and folklore, employing novel ingredients and culinary techniques such as rotovap distillation, sous-vide infusion, cold fermentation, fat-washing, and wax infusion. The bar also accepts private venue reservations and offers bar management and consulting services led by bar manager Nikita Matveev.
Product overview
The Old Man HK operates as a single-location cocktail bar concept offering inventive libations inspired by Ernest Hemingway's literary works. The bar's portfolio consists of the core cocktail bar experience at Aberdeen Street, private venue reservation services, and bar management consulting led by bar manager Nikita Matveev. The cocktail menu features literary-themed drinks using innovative ingredients and techniques. No separate product modules or platform architecture exist—the offering is a unified bar and hospitality experience.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Old Man HK Cocktail Bar Experience
- Private Venue Reservation
- The Old Man Singapore Cocktail Bar
Quantifiable outcome
- #1 Best Bar in Asia 2019, #2 in 2020, #9 World's 50 Best Bars 2019
Companies that use The Old Man HK
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Old Man HK technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
The Old Man HK partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- KonsistminorKonsist is credited as the design/build partner for the bar's website (theoldmanhongkong.com). They are a design agency providing web development services for the bar's digital presence.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Old Man HK competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Dead Rabbit: New York literary/historical-themed cocktail bar (Irish-American history concept) ranked in World's 50 Best Bars. Most comparable global peer given the literary-thematic bar concept and award pedigree.
- Employees Only: NYC speakeasy-style cocktail bar ranked in World's 50 Best Bars, with locations in multiple cities. Comparable premium cocktail positioning, multi-unit ambition, and global brand recognition.
- Speak Low: Shanghai speakeasy-style cocktail bar repeatedly ranked in World's 50 Best Bars, run by Shingo Gokan. Operates in a similar premium cocktail space with creative, technique-driven drinks targeting international cocktail tourists.
- PDT (Please Don't Tell): Iconic NYC speakeasy cocktail bar with a unique entrance concept and themed drinks. Comparable experiential, storytelling-driven premium cocktail positioning with strong international brand recognition.
- 28 HongKong Street: Singapore speakeasy cocktail bar that has featured prominently in Asia's 50 Best Bars and World's 50 Best Bars. Direct competitor within The Old Man's Singapore expansion market.
- Atlas Bar: Grand, art-deco-inspired premium cocktail bar at Park Hyatt Singapore, ranked in World's 50 Best Bars. Competes in the same Asian premium cocktail segment with strong brand equity and event-driven traffic.
- Quinary: Hong Kong molecular mixology bar led by Antonio Lai, known for innovative techniques (spherification, foams, etc.) applied to cocktails. Targets the same cocktail enthusiast segment with similar experimental preparation methods.
- Coa: Hong Kong-based award-winning cocktail bar repeatedly ranked in Asia's 50 Best Bars and World's 50 Best Bars, serving agave-spirits-focused cocktails to a similar cocktail-connoisseur segment. Directly competes with The Old Man in the same city and on the same ranking circuits.
- Native: Singapore cocktail bar known for using regional/foraged Asian ingredients, ranked in Asia's and World's 50 Best Bars. Operates in the same technique-driven, storytelling-focused premium cocktail niche.
Emerging players
- Bar Trigona: Kuala Lumpur-based cocktail bar at Four Seasons that has appeared on Asia's 50 Best Bars lists, focused on local Malaysian ingredients. Comparable technique-driven, ingredient-led premium mixology positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Old Man HK social profiles
Digital presenceThe Old Man HK financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Old Man HK leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Old Man HK subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
The Old Man HK funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Old Man HK M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Old Man HK
What does The Old Man HK do?
The Old Man HK is an award-winning Hemingway-themed cocktail bar located on Aberdeen Street in Soho, Central, Hong Kong. It serves inventive cocktails inspired by Ernest Hemingway's novels, history, and folklore, employing novel ingredients and culinary techniques such as rotovap distillation, sous-vide infusion, cold fermentation, fat-washing, and wax infusion. The bar also accepts private venue reservations and offers bar management and consulting services led by bar manager Nikita Matveev.
Is The Old Man HK a public or private company?
The Old Man HK is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Old Man HK founded?
The Old Man HK was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Old Man HK based?
The Old Man HK is headquartered in Central, Hong Kong SAR China, in the Asia region.
How does The Old Man HK make money?
One revenue line is on record: cocktail and Beverage Sales.
Who are The Old Man HK's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Dead Rabbit, Employees Only, Speak Low, PDT (Please Don't Tell), 28 HongKong Street, Atlas Bar, Quinary, Coa and Native. Bar Trigona is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Old Man HK have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Old Man HK.
What industry is The Old Man HK in?
The Old Man HK's product category is Cocktail Bar Hospitality. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANACAD, Cocktail Bars & Lounges, with a secondary code of MPAGAIAC, Bars & Pubs (Non-Music). Its NAICS code is 7224 and its SIC code is 5810.