GIN AND SHARE IT
The cat’s out of the bag! Broadbeach’s new gin bar is a dark and decadent den devoted to pleasures of the palate
THERE’S a new bar in Broadbeach that’s proving you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but you can teach an old cat.
US expat Gavin McDougal has unveiled Old Tom, his first Gold Coast project, named after hard times made easier by a helpful wooden feline.
“There was a bit of a gin crisis in the 1700s,” Gavin says.
“In 1736 the government came out with a liquor act that was supposed to tax alcohol so highly it’d stop people from drinking.
“They had legitimate health concerns about the amount of gin being consumed, but that just pushed it underground.
“There was a guy who owned a pub in London called the Puss and Mew. He had a wooden carving of a cat outside that apparently people would approach and whisper ‘puss’ and if there was gin available they’d hear a ‘mew’ in reply.
“So they’d put a coin in a drawer and out came their gin.”
Fortunately for gin lovers, the cheeky drop is not as hard to come by these days. In even better news, it will be handled by one of the best on the Coast – former Kiyomi bar manager Tom Angel.
“He’s an award-winning bartender,” Gavin says proudly.
“His focus is on classic cocktails and making them even more beautiful.
“Then on the other side he wants to have fun and do crazy stuff, like our Black Cat Tom Collins. Visually it’s jet black but the drink is a light and fruity Tom Collins.
“We’re going to have a focus on gin cocktails and the venue itself is modelled after an old, decadent gin house from the 17 or 1800s.”
While the site’s former occupant Hank was by no means run down, Gavin’s team has given it an elegant makeover to fit the aforementioned brief.
“The restaurant is now divided into two sections. There’s the formal dining room, which has your lush booths, a big bar and fine dining set course menus of three, six, or nine.
“The outside area is the lounge and library for more casual dining – lots of cocktails, curved banquettes, a fireplace, bar snacks, share plates – more casual but still intimate.”
Gavin describes the fare as “modern Australian” and focused on finding the best of the best to lead his kitchen.
“For me, finding a chef that would be able to reach a really high standard of cooking and presentation and taste was so important, and that’s our head chef Dayan Hartill-Law,” he says.
“He was at Vanitas, Versace previously and before that was at The Press Club, George Calombaris’ Melbourne restaurant.
“Our chefs and bartenders are using a lot of local products, foraging, finding local farms.
“They’ve spent a lot of research and time running around Queensland and northern NSW finding local ingredients to create cutting-edge cuisine.”
Each dish is intricate though hearty, and many may include ingredients diners haven’t tried before, such as the pork with cultured cream and rappe leaves, or the Wagyu beef with Davidson plums, sunflower seeds and wagyu fat.
With a passion for the Gold Coast and the “boom town” it’s become, Gavin says he hopes Old Tom will help our city continue to build and become a foodie destination rivalling the capitals.