“Jakarta is officially sinking, but there’s another side to it that is rising,” expressed Silvio Daniele, General Manager of the newly-opened bar, Cosmo Pony. “That’s the dining and nightlife scene. It’s undeniable that it is buzzing here.”
This very potential is what sparked the exciting collaboration between Singapore’s Jigger & Pony and Jakarta’s own The Union Group. Situated at The Grand Hyatt, set in a grand living room-esque space with a locked-in view of Bundaran HI, the two players are showing exactly how to make drinks that capture the bustling essence of the cosmopolitan city.
Presented through a comprehensive menu-zine, titled ‘Rising City’, drinks are compartmentalised from light to heavy and arranged into chapters that unfold like themed stories—an easy read that would entertain the curious drinkers. “We make drinks like martini, Long Island—the party cocktails of the 90s. Perhaps, if you order the original drinks now at a bar, the bartender would look at you and be a bit sceptical [laughs]. But we think these drinks are very important, and we want to treat these drinks as they are,” Silvio further explained.
Such treatment to a drink is what makes this collaboration a natural fit. Both establishments are known for their craft approach to cocktail making, as evidenced by their respective achievements and recent rankings in the Asia’s 50 Best Bars awards. Joined together, a natural excitement brews of what the two well-known establishments can bring to the table.
The Ugly Bananas is a good example. Growing ideas from the fact that Indonesia is one of the top banana-producing countries, the bar team has taken the overripe fruit and infused it with whisky, while the peels are baked and turned into jelly garnish; the addition of aromatic jasmine tea amplifies the concoction into a fruity delight. Their signature cocktail, the Tequila Cosmo, is a twist on the classic Cosmo, where the vodka is swapped for blanco tequila, giving it a crisp agave flavour. Roselle and lime add vibrant flavours, while a brush of flamed orange paint gives hints of citrus and hibiscus tea.
One can enjoy other cocktail creations like the whiskey-based Chrysanthemum Iced Tea or the soju bomb-reimagined Korean Boilermaker in between munching the highly addicting local crackers rengginang. For something more filling, there are heartier bar snacks like beef tongseng croquettes with red chilli dip and beef pastrami with charred sourdough.
In the thrum of the city’s nightlife scene, where modern-day drinkers are much drawn to the relaxed atmosphere of gathering over easy-drinking cocktails and food, Cosmo Pony enriches the city’s bar scene with a mindful awareness of quality offerings and environment. Despite being located in an intimidating hotel space, the bar has made sure it is anything but—and it’s this convivial energy between patrons and the people behind the bar that has inspired and breathed life into Cosmo Pony.