Magners in TDH, TTDI

This is a terribly taken picture of a glass of Magners cider taken from TDH TTDI's bar top yesterday evening (Sunday).

The point of this was just to inform you that for some reason, Blackthorn cider, which TDH was infamous for, has been replaced with Magners.

Slightly curious but no complains though. Magners, actually goes down easier than Blackthorn and doesn't leave that strong metallic tangy aftertaste like its predecessor does.

Personally not a fan of cider to begin with. After one drink and it hits my knees. I actually feel it softening my bones and cartilage, eventhough it's just in my mind. And there's this tingling sensation that runs through my arms too. So cider is something I really rather stay away from, or drink very sparingly.

Cider's crispiness is still good for a hot summer heaty day though. With loads of ice.

On a wet, cold Sunday evening however, I would recommend a good book, in a shaded al fresco pub, by a clean river (say, a Singapore one), with a glass of single malt of whisky that never stops topping up until you're done. But that's just me. YMMV.

All I Want for Christmas

I don't celebrate Christmas, but I celebrate getting presents ANYTIME of the year - Christmas time included. So, without further ado:

1. Ice Shooter Mould

Product Source: Fred & Friends

More novelty than functional because you'll spend hours freezing this up only to have it melt in your hands after a few minutes probably. But how frggin' cool is it to be drinking shots from a shooter glass made out of ice? FIFTY shades of cool! 

And you know what else I can do with this? JELLY SHOTGLASSES that's what. Now tell me your mind isn't already blown. Mine is.

Look At All the SMWs I can't Afford

Had the privilege to try all these beauties at an impromptu, casual, whisky tasting session among very good friends.

From the left:

Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Gran Reserva
Glenfiddich 19 Year Old Age of Discovery Bourbon Cask
Glenfiddich 19 Year Old Age of Discovery Madeira Cask
Glenmorangie Signet
Glengoyne 24 Year Old Single Cask


All 3 Glenfiddich had a lovely, sweet aroma, and it goes down smooth and sweet too. Definitely more flavourful and character than the original Core Collection (the 12,15,18...) which were just plain and oakey. 21 is of course, the strongest smelling and tasting one being 2 years older than its two other younger siblings. Call me a cougar but my penchant was towards its younger brothers. :) It's milder and more fragrant on my very delicate nose & palate.

The Glengoyne was exceptionally fragrant, except because it was much older, the spirit from the whisky felt like it could burn off your nose hair, no joke. It was like sniffing perfume, almost impossible to drink it neat because it was so damn strong. Having a go at it while it's neat is too much for me but it tastes slightly different with ice. Actually it IS great with a piece of ice, and the whisky turns cloudy with it (don't panic, it's normal).

Signet was really odd one. It has a hint of coffee smell and it has a very bitter, coffee aftertaste. It did not go down easy for me. But  it's great if you're a coffee lover/addict - not for me. But it does have a lovely, sturdy, casing which makes it look really atas though.

Sigh, how am I ever to go back to those affordable ones I have no idea. Perhaps I'll stick to water.

Heineken Thirst 2012

It's back!

Date: 8 December 2012, Saturday
Time: 5PM till late
Venue: Sepang International Circuit

Obsessed with Obsession

This is a rather popular wine (among my friends, at least). Very simple reasons why:

1. At RM48 bucks (retail price - it goes even lower during promotional periods) it's quite easy on the wallet

2. When chilled, it's goes down very, very easy. Does not leave that usual bitter taste in your mouth. It's all fruity sweet with a hint of sour tanginess. But would personally recommend that the wine to be VERY chilled before serving. Not very nice when it's not chilled enough.

3. Hardly any tannin  - you know the "dry" feeling you get in your mouth after consuming some wines? This one hardly has any of that.

4... 3 reasons is really enough. :)

Read through some articles on this wine and it seems that it's a hybrid of some muscat - which means it's pretty much akin to dessert wine.

You can get your grubby little hands on them at:

Harrison's Wine

9 Jalan 222,

46100 Petaling Jaya

Operating hours:  

11am-8pm from Mon-Fri

12pm-6pm on Saturday

A little bird told me that there's going to a promotion going on in November - so you might want to wait for that. Apparently it gets sold out really quickly as this wine is bought by the CARTONS for festivities. So don't wait too long!

Osipseju

Korean food is delicious. The Kimchi, the ramen, the bbq-ed meat. Deeelicious. And frightfully expensive. But there's definitely one thing which may numb your senses a little bit when the bill comes: Osipseju.

Osipseju in a small kettle

Osipseju is an equal serving of Baekseju  and Soju. It is usually served very cold in a small metal kettle, and you drink it off tiny cups (like shot glasses, or teacups). Let's quickly explain what Baekseju and Soju is.

Guinness St. Patrick's Party @ Changkat

Guinness took over the ENTIRE Changkat street to celebrate St Pat's day. It's freaking insane, the amount of work that went into this.

 

Suanie, KY and myself were there a little too early. Which was a good idea because once the sun set, every road leading towards to Changkat was filled with cars.

Once Upon A Milkshake

Tuck in a little corner of Tanjong Pagar, Singapore lived Once Upon a Milkshake. My friends introduced me to this shop during my trip last year and said I HAD to try it. I wasn't sure why at first, but went along anyway.

The shop itself has a totally so-cuddly-cute-can-die-dot-com design concept. Clean, minimalistic, with its mostly white furnitures punctuated with some purple-coloured walls, and it really was a warm, sweet, cozy hang-out joint. I know it was cozy because an angry, heavy thunderstorm took us all by surprise and we were stuck there for nearly an hour. I can't get over how cute the ambience was in this place - it's like it popped out of an Enid Blyton book cute, not the annoying Hello Kitty cute. Just to get things straight.

It's Beerday, Everyday

For some of us, there's nothing better than looking forward to an ice cold mug of  refreshing golden liquid goodness to wind down after a long, hard, tiring, shitty day at work.

Just look at the frost on the glass tempting you.

Now tell me you don't look forward to a taste of THAT.

Love in an ice cold mug. Nothing can ever substitute that satisfaction. Not a nice warm hug from your partner who smells so intoxicatingly good, or even a silly little overly-eager dog wagging its tails at the first sight of you at the door.

Because Cold beer will always love you. Cold beer never needs you to love it back. Cold beer is easy to get. Cold beer makes you happy. Cold beer will never cheat on you or lie to you. Cold beer will always be there for you. Through thick and thin. For better or for worse. For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. Until death to us part.

Stop wars and famine. Have a cold beer.

Pictured above is a cold one from 42East at TTDI. 3 pints of Tiger were going at around RM50+ for 3 after 9pm. (RM40+ during happy hours starting at 4pm). 

Grimbergen's In Town!

Here's a blonde with good head - Grimbergen Blonde (6.7%)

Did you know that Luen Heng Sdn Bhd. (a subsidiary of Carlsberg) was the champion that had the foresight to bring in Hoegaarden into this market eons ago when it was literally unheard of in this market? While it has now become a very popular, hip, drink to be seen with these past few years,  it is THE BEER that made me change my mind about beers almost 10 years ago. So that's my way of saying, I liked it before it was even cool to like it (/kiasu).... and also indirectly admitting that I'm kinda.... old. :(

So, these guys at Carlsberg and Luen Heng have been very busy bees. Over the past couple of years, they've been bringing in other really awesome imported beers like Kronenbourg 1664, Kronenbourg Blanc, Asahi, Little Ceatures, among others, and just last week, Grimbergen ..... on TAP. YEAY!

DIY Pina Colada (Cheat One)

L to R: "Pina Colada", Bacardi, Pineapple Juice, Malibu

The mere mention or even thought of the name of the drink always reminds me of this cute oldie by Rupert Holmes' called Escape. Oh, you know... the one that goes like:

"If you like Pina Coladas
And getting caught in the rain
If you're not into yoga
If you have half a brain
If you'd like making love at midnight
In the dunes on the Cape
Then I'm the love that you've looked for
Write to me and escape".

.... and I always remember how it had this really funny but totally weird ending because the singer finds out that his blind date was....[SPOILER ALERT: SKIP THE NEXT LINE IF YOU LIVED IN A CAVE ALL YOUR LIFE OR ARE TOO YOUNG..AND THUS, DON'T KNOW THE LYRICS TO THIS SONG]....

Victoria Bitter, Revisited

A Bottle of Victorian Bitter, All By Its Lonesome.

Studying in Sydney, Australia (a shout out to all the crew from IHMA, Sydney!) was when I truly had my first real experience of alcohol - Toohey's, shitty cheap wine from a carton boxes, whiskey Coke, Kahlua milk, XXX, Victoria Bitter and a taste of some other cocktails and shots.

Don't need to say how I felt about the shitty cheap wines because I believe it's a universal understanding that they truly SUCK, but I can tell you back then I had no love for beer in any form. It won't be an exaggeration to even say I hated it. My virgin tongue couldn't stomach the bitter after-taste at all. I especially hated Victoria Bitter because it was especially ... bitter.

However, fast forward (more or less)10 years to today, you can safely say that I now drink pretty much anything - beer, wine, spirits. But I'm using the words "pretty much" very, very loosely (give a girl her artistic license can ah? :p )

True Story, Bro

Seen on the back of a Craftbrews' staff's tshirt:

Love Yourself. Stop Drinking Crappy Beers.

Word.

Happy new week!

Brothers Cider is Yum!

5 Brothers In a Row

I have a confession to make. I actually do enjoy Singapore. At least, some aspects of it. One of the biggest reasons why I enjoy Singapore is the fact that it's a treasure trove for all sorts of booze brands.

Introducing Brothers cider - a brand of pear cider from England which I've had the privilege to savour at my short visit to Singapore.

Ice Cold Taps

Brussels' Ice Cold Taps

If I were the king of the world, I would mandate all draught taps AND glasses be frozen. Simply because everything tastes heavenly that way.

I know a place in Singapore that does this - Ice Cold Beer (specially the one along Emerald HIll). My second home while I was there. Every other day, I would park my butt at the bar and order myself an ice cold Hoegaarden just to wind down, washed down with their delicious chicken wings or hotdog. Do you have any idea how good ice cold beer in an ice cold mug feels after a long, long day at work in Singapore? Words can't describe. And oh how much I miss it!

Back in Malaysia, we do have some places that HAS frozen taps. The taps illustrated above are from Brussels. It really makes a difference to my drinking experience. But I haven't had the chance of coming across bars that serves ice cold beer in ice cold mugs. It's usually one or the other and the experience is just NOT COMPLETE.

Please god! Bring Ice Cold Beer to Malaysia! Please please please!

GAB's Special

The Tavern's Special

Man, I hope I'm not breaking any rules here by sharing this.

This awesome testing concoction is made out of..... half a pint of Cider mixed with....

Guinness.

And did I say that it is awesome? It's awesome!

The cider's sour acidity is balanced out by Guinness's bitterness. So it's really easy to drink.

This easy to drink smooth, slightly malty and tangy mix is something the guys at GAB like to call  "The Special".

If you ever get the privilege of checking out the Tavern, try to ask for one at the friendly bartender while you're there.

It's a glassful of Yum!