Hi! Sorry about the silence. Lots been happening lately and I find myself updating my other social media platforms more frequently than the blog. By other social media platforms, I mean my personal Instagram and Facebook Page. It's filled with booze-reated stuff, so feel free to follow them (just click on the links) if you're inclined to that sort of thing. :)
I really love updating stuff with these 2 platforms. You see, with instagram, I get to grab a quick picture of what I'm doing/where I am, and write a short explanation of what's going on. With Facebook, it's pretty much the same but instead of just personal experiences, I use it to update whatever booze-related stories I come across at a click of a button and a few type-written lines on my phone.. and it's out there. It's so fast how I can churn stuff out.
With the blog however, as much as I still enjoy it, takes more time. The crafting of copy, the editing of pictures, the re-editing of the entire post, and actually having to type in coherent, as-grammatically-correct-as-possible content. It's definitely not something I have the luxury of time to commit to on a frequent basis - though I still aspire to update it at LEAST once a week.
What I'm trying to say is this - I intend to do a weekly updates of what I've posted on Instagram. My gut feeling (haha) tells me that there are more people on the internet universe than there are on Insta (and even Facebook), so summarising the week on my blog makes sense (to me). It also makes my experiences more permanent and accessible to everyone else not on Instagram.
So, say hello to Insta Weekly posts!
Attempting to make a Moscow Mule.
A Moscow Mule is made with vodka, ginger beer, lime juice and crushed ice. But because I didn't have ginger beer in hand, ginger ale will have to do. Most people don't know the difference and most commercial brands don't differentiate them either.
But if you DO want to know what the difference is, beer = goes through a fermentation, usually less gassy and more ginger-y. Ale = soda with ginger juice/flavour.
With this homemade cocktail, I discovered that I actually like ginger-based cocktails. I've never had a penchant for ginger (I always take out the strips in porridge) - so this was quite a surprise. Very refreshing and a great relief for this insane Malaysian heat and humidity we've been recently facing.
An Experimental Cocktail for a Rainy Day.
Something I made up with stuff I had laying around.
Bailey's + Bailey's Luxe + hot milk + brandy + Hershey's chocolate syrup + cinnamon stick + nutmeg powder.
Was feeling under the weather that night (TMI - 1st day girl-y problems) and wanted a hot, comforting drink. Someone told me that a hot chocolate could work, but being the alcoholic that I am, decided to come up with this.
May have put too much brandy in it - but I'm pretty sure that I slept like a baby right after!
Kronenbourg 1664 Wednesday.
Their "work-life balance" campaign was launched 2 weeks ago. What happens is this, for the rest of the year:
1. Every Wednesday, Kronenbourg will be running promos & discounts at participating outlets. Sometimes, there will be free booze offered at these outlets too!
2. Also, on the last Wednesday of every month, expect big fun parties or activities with exciting prizes to win. 2 weeks ago, they held an Office Chair Fun Race (it's exactly what you think it is) with RM50k worth of prizes up for grabs.
Follow them on their Facebook page to keep updated on their fun stuff: https://www.facebook.com/KronenbourgMY
The Dark and Stormy.
I made a Dark & Stormy cocktail twice during the week. The first time I made it, it was the first time I've EVER made it.
The Dark & Stormy cocktail is dark rum + ginger beer + lime juice + some bitters. I used Mount Gay for the rum.
Again, no ginger beer so I substituted it with ginger ale. Made it twice to make sure that I actually do like it and it wasn't fluke. After 2 times, I still enjoy it.
I'm going to hunt me down some actual ginger beer and see whether I'll change my mind on this.
Glengrant Tasting Session.
There was some sort of a casual Glengrant whisky sampling session which happened last week for the 10 & 16, and it was only for RM30.
It's a good effort, Sunrise.
Any brand (or distributor) that tries to reach out to its consumers via nominal entry charge (or better yet, FREE) events deserves a shout out. I wish more brands would hold such events.
Distributors or brands, if you don't already know this, events like these allow consumers to try your wares without being forced to purchase a full bottle - which is usually why they wouldn't do it for something that they are unsure of as we ALL know how crazy expensive alcohol is in Malaysia. #justsaying.
For my own personal reference, 10 smells better than it tastes, and 16 was a complex little fella. It does not follow the current trend of being unchilled filtered, so when you add water or ice into it, it doesn't cloud - if that sort of thing matters to you.
Obsessed with the Spanish Gin Tonic.
If you follow me on Insta, you'll know that this is my current obsession.
A Spanish gin tonic (yes, there is NO "and", amigo) is simply a sexed up GnT. Unlike your usual English GnT served in a highball with a wedge of lime or lemon, it's served in a big red wine balloon glass (to encapsulate the aramos of the gin), garnished with herbs, spices, fruits and anything that would bring up or complement the flavours of the gin base. Usually done with NOT London Dry gins where the juniper is usually the champion.
The Spanish have been mad about this in the past half decade - there are gin bars dedicated to this with menus as thick as textbooks. But really, it's so easy to make you can give it a go at your very own home!
Best Oxtail Soup in Town (IMHO).
Spent some time winding down at this neighbourhood dive bar called "Rennie's House of Oxtail" in PJ, Jalan Gasing.
Whenever I have a hankering for oxtail soup, THIS is my go-to place. It's been around since the early 1970s. The first time I tried this just last year, there's no where else I wanna go. You enter this place, and you're instantly transported back to the 70s.
Served in a claypot bowl, the oxtail soup is priced at RM24 now. It's definitely not the cheapest, but I'm pretty darn sure it's the BEST. So if you find something else better for cheaper, PLEASE let me know.
Try their other stuff too. Their sambal sandwhich, fried ikan bilis and chicken wings are NOT bad at all but be prepared to spend some good money. It's a Guinness bar so you will be able to get your Guinness and Tiger draught fix here (at full price only, no happy hour prices).
Ginourmous Gin Tasting Session.
A good friend had a bunch of gin to try and coupled with some of mine, we held a casual gin tasting session of Tanqueray London Dry, The Botanist, No.3 London Dry, Ungava Canadian Dry Gin, Broker's London Dry, Caorunn, Bombay Amber, Hendrick's.
There's nothing that I didn't like with tonic and lemon but I wanna highlight the following:
- The Botanist was very flowery perfume-y.
- Caorunn was sweet apple
- Hendrick's was unmistakably cucumber.
- Bombay Amber's cinnamon, you cannot miss it.
- Ungava is from Canada and the liquid is actually yellow - not sure from what.
This is Not a Good Idea.
Tried this concoction which someone was telling me about.
It's a mix of beer + brandy in a champagne glass and it's meant to be a shooter/chaser. I was told that it will not taste bad, but if you trust my palate, it's actually quite foul.
In its defense, I was also told that this is not a drink to sip slowly and enjoy. It's meant to, well, get "there" quicker for cheaper. If you must try it, please do it at home. It DOES get you high REALLY fast.
Responsible drinking always ok? :)
Hope you enjoyed this week's 1st instalment of Insta Weekly. Do tell me if you like/dislike this idea - or if you have any feedback. And feel free to share with me how your week was in the comments!
Until next week, drink safe!
P/S: I want to give ParisB from http://www.mywomenstuff.com/ a shout-out, as this weekly instagram posting idea was actually inspired by her. I've been following her for YEARS and she is usually the reason why I rush out to the nearest skin care/cosmetic store to get something. <3
