Hello 1664 Brut!

Carlsberg Malaysia recently introduced 1664 Brut in KL and in Penang - making Malaysia the first Southeast Asian country to launch this new 1664 variant. 

Carlsberg's CNY Bazaar

Carlsberg is ushering in the Year of the Dragon with two CNY Bazaars at Gurney Paragon, Penang and 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya until 4 Feb.

At the bazaars, you get to enjoy food, cool collaborative merchandise by partners (TNTCO, Dissyco, Gumme), workshops, games and of course the most important thing – perfectly chilled Carlsberg.

Carlsberg Smooth Draught's ‘Real Spicy, Real Smooth’ returns

Returning for its second year, this spicy food and beer event will be held at the JioSpace, Petaling
Jaya until 2 September.

 

Sabah & Sarawak Exclusive: "Tattoo-ed" Carlsberg Smooth Draught

Carlsberg Smooth Draught celebrates the traditional tattoo designs of Sabah and Sarawak with six beautiful designs on its packaging curated by tattoo artists Sarawakian Ernesto Kalum and Sabahan Carlos Benny Majakil.

Carlsberg's New Look for Its 50th Anniversary

Wow! Did you know that Carlsberg Malaysia turns 50 this year? And in conjunction with their 50th birthday, they've launched a brand new look.

Image: Carlsberg

The font on its label is now bigger and bold - perfect for old foggies like me to identify it from a mile away on the shelf.

Image: Carlsberg

The bottle cap has also been re-engineered to better seal in the beer, thus making the beer fresher on the pop. Now I can buy Carlsberg in bulk during CNY and store it for longer!

Also, the 6 pack packaging has been udpated so that you can tear one beer easily from its 6-pack packaging without damaging your car keys or finger nails.

Image: Carlsberg

Lastly, they also redesigned their glass. At the bottom of the glass, there's a laser-engraved, hop leaf-shaped logo that agitates the beer to allow more bubbles to float to the top and maintain the foam head for longer, like magic!

I took a closer look at it at home:

Can you see the laser engraving?

Compared it against a normal stemmed glass - can you see that the new Carlsberg glass on the left is agitating the bubbles to rise upwards?

Like magic!

50 years old and looking good Carlsberg - I hope to look as good when I hit my big 5-0 next year!

- Jon

Carlsberg Red Barley

As a proud supporter of Liverpool FC and a long time sponsor since 1992, the Carlsberg Group decided to create a special brew to celebrate their 25th year in partnership.

Carlsberg Red Barley is a limited-edition 4.5% ABV pilsner that gets its distinctive colour from a barley variety that is specially curated and bred by the scientists at Carlsberg Research Laboratory.

This brew, according to the official tasting notes (because if nobody got to taste this unless you're one of the lucky 9 winners in Malaysia), is suppose to have clean, crisp and slightly hoppy taste expected from a traditional pilsner. Due to the barley’s rarity, Carlsberg Red Barley was produced in very limited quantities.

Carlsberg Malaysia only managed to get a few bottles (9!) into the country which they decided to give away during the long-awaited showdown between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur at the Thirsty Bar, PJ  Two Square during the Champions League finals on 1 June.

Some of the lucky Red Barley winners.

Now, if only they had opened their winnings to share. :(

- Jon

Images from Carlsberg.

Carlsberg CNY 2019 campaign ‘Pops’ lots of luck and prosperity

Managing Director Lars Lehmann, Chairman Datuk William Toh flanked by the management team of Carlsberg Malaysia officiated Carlsberg’s CNY campaign “Prosperity Begins With A POP!” which runs till 17 February 2019 nationwide.

Carlsberg Malaysia’s 2019 Chinese New Year campaign kicked off with a grand opening dinner on the 8th January 2019 at the Hao Xiang Chi (HXC) Grand Ballroom in ICC Pudu.

We feasted on beer infused CNY-themed dishes! Hic. 

Themed “Prosperity Begins with a POP!” wishing us an abundance of Prosperity, Happiness, Wealth and Good Luck in vibrant red, green, pink and blue colours across its limited-edition packaging, promotions and campaign activities.

Dato Joey Yap who is also part of Carlsberg Malaysia’s “prosperity’ campaign. You can check your chinese zodiac forecast for 2019 on CarlsbergMY’s Fb page as Dato’ Joey Yap unveils his predictions for the 12 Chinese Zodiac signs in relation to the elements of Prosperity, Happiness, Wealth and Good Luck. Get them on www.facebook.com/CarlsbergMY or www.probablythebest.com.my

Joey Yap wishes youy luck you luck everyone luck!

By now, the CNY Carlsberg festive promo would also be carried out across pubs, restaurants, food courts, coffee shops as well as super-and-hypermarkets. On top of that and back by popular demand for its third consecutive year is the “Probably The Best CNY Shopping Experience” where you have the opportunity of winning the Grand Prize of a trolley full of groceries paid for by Carlsberg.

There are lots more of prizes to be won, like the e-mahjong table set, angpows, all their range of beers - check out their facebook or website (link above) for more.

My prediction? It is going to to be a hot Chinese New Year, so everyone's going to be drinking a lot! Ong Ahhhhhh!

Gong xi fa chai everyone!

- Jon

(Images: Carlsberg)

Carlsberg Malaysia Launches the Somersby Elderflower Lime

Somersby launched its latest flavour to their line up - the Elderflower Lime.

Weighing in at at a respectable 4.5% abv, the alcohol content for Somersby is not for lightweights. As a comparison, Carlsberg’s Smooth Draught, while tasting light and smooth, tips only a little higher at 4.8%.

But what the heck is an Elderflower and how does it taste? It's a white-coloured flower of the Elderberry tree (found in the US and Europe) that imparts a flowery herbally taste - some have describe it as having a lychee-ish taste.

Managing Director Lars Lehmann & the management team of Carlsberg Malaysia
for the launch of Somersby Elderflower Lime at Morganfield’s Da Men Mall USJ.

I personally find the Elderflower Lime served in a tall glass packed with ice very  refreshing and thirst quenching with a slight bubbly tingle on the tongue.

Instead of a dessert wine like a Moscato that may bleed your pocket, the Somersby Elderflower Lime and even the rest of its sister products (Apple cider, Pear cider, Blackberry cider,  Sparkling rose) would be an awesome alternative.

It's available in both bottle (330ml) and can (320ml) at major hypermarkets and supermarkets nationwide.



Carlsberg Malaysia's running a few promos in conjunction with the launch of this new variant, check them out:
- the Somersby Kombi mobile bars will be roving around in September to local tourist spots, night markets, supermarkets and hypermarkets around Peninsular Malaysia offering consumers a chance to sample Somersby Apple, Blackberry, Sparkling Rosé and the new Elderflower Lime.
- Get a can of Somersby Elderflower Lime FREE with every purchase of a 4-can or 4-bottle pack at participating hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenient stores from 27 August to 30 September. This deal is also available for the 6-can pack Carlsberg or Carlsberg Smooth Draught.
- Special food promotion at 100 participating F&B outlets from 1 September to 31 October where the Somersby Elderflower Lime will be offered at a discount.
- Also check out Morganfield’s for the mouth-watering Baby Back Ribs promotion perfectly
paired with the Somersby Elderflower Lime.
- Visit www.winetalk.com.my to get the Somersby Mystery Box set worth RM50 comprising all 4 flavours at only RM35!

For details, follow Somersby Malaysia on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SomersbyMY.

- Jon

(Images: Carlsberg Malaysia)

Carlsberg's Probably The Best Football Beer Contest for World Cup 2018

If you're a Carlsberg and World Cup 2018 fan, you stand to win a tonne of prizes. Let me count the ways:

Managing Director of Carlsberg Malaysia, Lars Lehmann, wants you to win lots of stuff from Carlsberg!

1)  At coffeeshops, foodcourts and F&B outlets
Collect the Carlsberg green bottle caps or the Smooth Draught POP Big bottle caps (remember to insist on them at the outlet!) and you might just win yourself limited edition jerseys, football umbrellas, and more beer

2)  At home
Receive the limited edition can or bottle cooler sleeve when you purchase your football-themed Carlsberg or Carlsberg Smooth Draught from super/hypermarkets and convenience stores.

Play their online game and win an all-expense paid trip to watch a Liverpool FC match LIVE in the UK with a friend at Anfield Stadium!

3) Online at www.probablythebest.com.my/football

Play “Probably The Best Football Beer Game" and use your football knowledge to predict the scores to win an all-expense paid trip to watch a Liverpool FC match LIVE in the UK with a friend.

Win all the World Cup 2018 merchandise (girls not included)! 

4) At any of the 3000 viewing parties nationwide

Participate in any of their games at the viewing party (like the “Probably The Best Foot Pong”, nd Football Trivia Challenge) and you could win an exclusive “Probably The Best Football Kit” consisting of jersey, umbrella, limited-edition Carlsberg and Smooth Draught with bottle and can cooler sleeves. There’ll be Bonus Codes giveaways to earn extra points for the online game and successful participants can also stand a chance to walk home with either a Hisense 39” LED TV or a Vivo V71 Smartphone.

Play and win lots of stuff at viewing parties!

5) "Buy and Win" & “Swipe and Win” at hypermarkets
Buy a carton of Carlsberg or Carlsberg Smooth Draught, deliver your best kick and walk away with football merchandise and score exclusive party passes.

If you're a hoarder, you could also collect the limited-edition cans and bottles featuring flags of Brazil, Germany, Spain, England, France and Portugal. 

Don't say I bojio!

- Jon

(All images provided by Carlsberg)

Carlsberg's Probably The Most Victorious Year

Image: Carlsberg Malaysia

Once again us alcoholics kick off our yearly CNY celebrations with the annual Carlsberg Chinese New Year party. This year’s big bash was held in One Utama, High Street ground centre court accompanied by everything that makes it an awesome CNY celebration - an acrobatic lion dance, giant drum performances and lots of not-halal Chinese food.

Carlsberg Malaysia MD, Lars Lehmann all smiles while "drumming" off the Carlsberg CNY promotion.
Image: Carlsberg Malaysia

This year also marks their half a BILLION ringgit fund-building milestone for their Top Ten initiative, an effort with China Press and Nanyang Siang Pau, that funds the development of Chinese education and schools in Malaysia. Keep up the good work, guys!

Carlsberg Malaysia's CNY theme for 2018 is inspired by the Chinese saying Qí Kāi Dé Shèng (齊開得勝) which means “flagging off to successful ventures” or “together, we succeed”. Well, 2017 was a humdrum on the economy, so 2018 being ‘ye leng yat fatt’ it can only be better, right?

 Image: Carlsberg Malaysia

In conjunction with Carlsberg's Probably The Most Victorious Year promotion this year,  there's a whopping RM6 million worth of prizes up for grabs from Jan 1 to Feb 28 across so many campaigns that basically, everyone that drinks or buys Carlsberg can be a winner!

For more: https://www.probablythebest.com.my/cny2018 or www.facebook.com/CarlsbergMY

So go forth, drink a Carlsberg and HUAT AH!

- Jon

P/s: And here's a whole bunch of hashtags:

#carlsberg #Carlsbergmy #probablythebest # probablythebestcnybeer #probablyhemostvictoriousyear #probablythebestbeerintheworld #victoriouswithcarlsberg #smoothdraught #drinkresponsibly #probablythebeerbrandwiththemosthashtags #probablygettingsorethumstyping

Okay, the last 2, I made it up.

Brooklyn Lager and Brooklyn East IPA Launches in Malaysia!

Image: Carlsberg

With craft beers in the rage both internationally and domestically, Carlsberg joined the party with the launch of Brooklyn Lager and East IPA through a partnership with Brooklyn Brewery an award winning brewhouse in New York.

An intimate launch by Carlsberg Malaysia was held at the MEJA Kitchen and Bar at TREC on the 14th Dec 2017, with food pairings that went well with the two new beers.

Here are the official description of the two beers:

Brooklyn Lager, 5.2% ABV
Amber-gold coloured with a firm malt centre, refreshing bitterness and a  loral hop aroma. The aromatic qualities of the beer are enhanced by “dry-hopping”, the centuries-old practice of steeping beer with fresh hops as it undergoes a long, cold maturation. 

With a slightly higher ABV than the usual Carlsberg Green Labels (CGL) at 5% ABV and the Carlsberg Smooth Draught (CSD) at 4.8% ABV, the product is a punch more flavourful, smooth, refreshing and very versatile with food.

Brooklyn East IPA, 6.9% ABV
A pale ale that offers a bold balance, with a bright piney aroma, and the taste of stone fruits yet a firm bitterness from IPA's ancestral British home. It's higher ABV and packed flavours are best paired with rich and spicy food. 

If you are not accustomed to drinking IPA beers, you’d need to know that its is awfully strong (bitter from the hoppiness) in taste. I find letting it sit for a few minutes allows more flavours to be released when its less chilled. So do take this one slow. Perhaps start with the lager, then finish with this.

Image: Carlsberg

Thanks for the jio!

- Jon

Say hello to Somerby's Sparking Rose

Image: Carlsberg Malaysia

There is new sparkling Rosé newly launched that feels like bubbly, looks like a Rosé wine but priced like a apple cider - say hello to the new Somersby Sparkling Rosé cider!

Launched recently, launch party was held at Roofino @ Trillion, Jalan Tun Razak which saw a venue decked to look like a stunning orchard.

So how does this new bubbly hold up? You have the flavours of the acidic but sweet apple mixed with berries and a floral aroma on the nose.

With 4.5% alcohol, it really feels like a sparkling wine but still has the familiarity of apple cider.

If you’d like to sample this brand new bubbly, Somersby will be running sampling activities at leading restaurants, concept bars, hypermarkets and supermarkets from December 2017 to February 2018.

Image: Carlsberg Malaysia

Somersby Sparkling Rosé will be available across Peninsular Malaysia for a limited period of 6 months in individual bottles (330ml), 4-bottle pack and 2-bottle pack at leading hypermarkets and supermarkets, 100 premium restaurants and concept bars. 2-bottle pack will only be available in 7-Eleven convenient stores. Somersby Sparkling Rosé will retail at a similar price point to Somersby Apple and Somersby Blackberry for this 6 month period.

Lars Lehmann, Managing Director of Carlsberg, at the launch. That lucky fella's forever surrounded by hot chicks.
Image: Carlsberg Malaysia

If you ask me, I actually think this is quite a perfect gift for X’mas and CNY parties.

For more: www.facebook.com/SomersbyMy or www.carlsbergmalaysia.com.my.

- Jon

Tap-it-Out: Malaysia’s First Self-Tapping Beer Bar

Wish you could have the experience of tapping your own beer? Wished you could sample just a bit of a strange new beer you've never had before committing to a full glass of it? Now you can with the launch of Tap-it-Out.

A post shared by Fireangel (@fireangel80) on Nov 22, 2017 at 5:37am PST

Nestled in Solaris month Kiara, this is the first self serving tap beer in Malaysia with 10 types of beer for under RM50 per litre.

The grand opening of Tap It Out was officiated by its founders Ethan Yoon, Ryan Foo and Joltan Ng, in attendance of their key business partner from Carlsberg Malaysia represented by Managing Director Lars Lehmann, Managing Director of Luen Heng F&B Sdn Bhd Datuk Kenneth Soh, and their shareholders. Image: Carlsberg

Opened in August this year and officially launched in November, Tap-it-Out is a business collaboration between 3 main partners with Carlsberg Malaysia and Luen Heng. Carlsberg Malaysia supplies of course Carlsberg, Asahi, Connor’s and Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc while Luen Heng is the official distributor of Lowenbrau, Erdinger, Hoegaarden, Stella Artois and Leffe.

So how does the self serving tap concept work?

1. Buy an ATM beer pass card (it works like a Touch N Go card BUT BEER). Minimum load is RM50.

2. Choose your poison from the multiple taps on the wall and place your card on the slot.

3. Tap your beer! Note, you can stop at anytime you want, which means you don't have to fill up your whole glass. There is a metered reading that tells you how much (in litres) has been tapped and the remaining value left available on the card.

Sounds like fun, eh? The prices and discount offers will be displayed either on the overhead telly or on the taps itself so you’d know the best buy for your buck. At the time of opening, prices per litre were as follows:

Carslberg - RM33.50
Connor's - RM39.00
Asahi - RM46.50
Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc - RM52.00
Hoegaarden - RM54.50
Lowenbrau - RM56.50
Stella Artois - RM56.50
Erdinger - RM58.00
Leffe - RM58.50

Worth to note that apart from the 10 beers on tap, there's a couple of beer pong tables inside and a selected offering of whiskies.

For a very limited time a free 10% additional credit will be given to all top up reloads. Tap-it-Out opens from 4pm-2am every day. For more information go visit their Fb page:
https://www.facebook.com/tapitoutmsia/

Don’t say I bojio!

- Jon

Tags: #tapitoutmsiagrandopening #ProbablytheBest

Draught Anywhere with the New 325ml Carlsberg Smooth Draught

The first thing that will come to mind when you hear "Carlsberg Smooth Draught" is probably, "Oh, it’s Carlsberg Draught, like from a tap".

A post shared by Fireangel (@fireangel80) on Oct 3, 2017 at 5:08am PDT

Well, not quite, but you won't be too far off from the truth.

Carlsberg Malaysia introduced Carlsberg Smooth Draught last year with the intention of replicating the "smooth feel" of a draught beer in a can/bottle via a different brewing technique (and based on my personal observation, I think the slightly lesser ABV also contributes to the smoothness).

Carlsberg Malaysia’s Managing Director Lars Lehman wants you to enjoy (what is) Probably the Smoothest Beer In The World anytime, anywhere - be it in a plane, out in the desert or probably at the peak of a mountain.

Unveiling the smaller 325ml sized bottle was great excuse (hurrah!)  to throw a party earlier this month at the Eight Gourmets Gala (EGG), Pinnacle Sunway.

The introduction of the 325ml bottle completes the brew’s existing portfolios of the 580ml bottle, 320ml can and 500ml can, to make it even more accessible to outlets that prefer to offer the small-sized bottles in their outlets (like nieghbourhood bars, modern F&B outlets, golf clubs.... ).

In conjunction with this launch, if you purchase 1 bucket of Carlsberg Smooth Draught in 325ml bottles, you'll get a free retractable USB cable all October. In November, if you purchase 4 big bottles of 580ml or 2 buckets of Carlsberg Smooth Draught in 325ml pint bottles, you get a free multipurpose lighter.

In addition to that, golfers can get a sleeve of TaylorMade golf balls with the purchase of 2 buckets of Carlsberg Smooth Draught in 325ml pint bottles across all participating golf clubs.

For more - check out www.facebook.com/CarlsbergMY or www.probablythebest.com.my.

Meanwhile, I came across this funny little video by MGag about how times have changed, complete with a feature of Carlsberg Smooth Draught, of course.

Thanks for the fun party, Carlsberg. Until next time!

- Jon

#ProbablyTheBest
#DraughtAnywhere

Win: Probably the Best Brewery Tour by Carlsberg

DRINK ALL THE BEER!

FA used to live just a mere 3km from a beer brewery and now after moving in (to, what seems like, another "continent") with me, we live 7km away from another. I’ve been to both countless of times but never have had the participate on a brewery tour... until recently.

Carlsberg 2015 CNY Celebration - A Smooth Sailing In the Year of the Sheep

5  clear signs that Chinese New Year is upon us:

1. McDonald's Prosperity burger set is available
2. Eu Yan Sang runs their cheesy hamper radio ads
3. Banks start giving out empty angpow packets
4. Malls put up loud red decorations and/or loud chinese new year songs
5. Beer boys organise Chinese New Year parties and start dropping prices of their 24-can packs in hypermarkets, coupled with chinese new year themed gifts.

Item #2 is what we're going to talk about today....... No I kid. of course I meant #5. Surprise surprise. It's the only sort of thing I'll ever talk about, on this blog, anyway. So let's go go go!

Did you know that Carlsberg was born in the year of the sheep waaaayyy back in 1847? Well, this 168 year old young man brand celebrated its zodiac-versary, with a HUGE party. And by huge, I mean, a 18 ft Chinese ship (sheep, ship, lol) in the middle of Ara Damansara Oasis HUGE.

See how BIG the ship was. I placed the entire Carlsberg management team, 2 lion dancers, 7 chinese drummer boys and 8 gods of prosperity there just for scale..

The 2014 Oktoberfest Is Upon Us!

Yums!

More Yums!

What is Oktoberfest? It's technically a 16-day festival running from end September to early October. Historically, it originated as a celebration of the wedding between King Ludwig 1 and Princess Therese of Saxony back in 1810 in Munich, Bavaria.

Fastforward to today and what does that mean to us?  We're in Malaysia and that's thousands of miles away from Germany! Well, really, it's just an awesome nearly-month-long excuse to drink and party with awesome German beer and food. :)

Shots!

Hmm. I think wrapping up the week on a Friday would be a better idea than starting the week with old news, kan? Bear with me while I tinkle around with this for a bit m.

1. Glass moulded from a famous PERSON'S boob

Image source: Greatideas.people.com

This is not a hoax. While ordinary plebs like you and me celebrate special occasions with a glass of champagne, Kate Moss celebrated her 25th anniversary of being in the fashion industry by imprinting her LEFT boob (see how specific she was?) on a champagne glass. Apparently this is also an ode to the first champagne glass from the late 18th century which was modelled after Marie Antoinette's boob.

I'm not sure whether to feel disgusted, laugh or cry, but I'll leave it to you to feel your range of emotions privately. That awkwardness aside, the glass itself looks pretty elegant.

If you had all the fame and money in the world, I guess nothing really holds you back from wanting to immortalise any part of your body into glassware. What's next? Naomi Campbell launching a shot glass modelled after her nose? Heidi Klum's teethmarks on the rim of a rock glass? This world can never be a dull place to live in. More on our local daily at The Malay Mail Online.


2. Heineken's Cities of the World.

Image Source: theheinekencompany.com

Heineken wants to give you the opportunity to win some prizes and an awesome holiday to New York for you and a friend! To get that chance to win anything, I'm pretty darn sure that a bottle purchase is required somewhere.... and a quick check on their website confirms that yes, it does!

There will be SIX limited edition designed bottles with special codes included into the bottle caps. Make sure to collect your bottle caps and participate between 1 Aug to 15 September. If you enjoy your Heineken, this an added bonus to you! For more info, check out their website at www.heineken.com/openyourcity



3. Guinness' Amplify

Image source: facebook.com/guinnessmalaysia

16 acts. 6 live shows. 1 finale. Guinness wants you to have a taste of our local band music, and their stout (of course) at an awesome promotional price (of course) at these concert venues.

This will happen from 6 September onwards and the gigs will travel from KL to Johor, to Penang and then the finale will be at a yet to be disclosed venue in KL.

Gigs are free but on a first come first served basis. Acts include big local names like Kyoto Protocol, Paperplane Pursuit... etc. So since September is the month of Malaysia Day, be patriotic and show your support to our local bands and (sort of) locally brewed stout by showing up at these concerts. Find out more at www.amplify.com.my




4. Carlsberg's BPL Trophy Tour

Image source: https://www.facebook.com/CarlsbergMY/

Carlsberg used their magical powers to bring the actual BPL trophy for a tour around Malaysia - specifically to KL, Penang and JB.

This tour will happen from 29 August to 31 August 2014. So if you're a die-hard English League football head, you're totally peeing your pants right now and you would wanna check out their FB page at  facebook.com/CarlsbergMY/ for more details on the trophy's tour schedule.









5. Patrick Stewart does the ALS Challenge right.


If you have no idea what this is, you've likely been on the moon in the past month. Or not have the internet for a month. Or had no contact with people.

While the concept is a noble one, the execution leaves me cringing. Here we are, praying that the next round of water rationing won't befall onto us, while people all around the world are pouring buckets of ice cold water on themselves, for charity, apparently.

Well, Patrick Stewart jumps on the bandwagon too, but not like how you think. He shows you how to classily play along while defying the game and still be altruistic all at the same time.

And he managed to pull through all that without wasting a single drop of water. Or ice. He is so the man of the moment.

How is this relevant to booze? Well, <Spoiler Alert> he is seen pouring himself a glass of Chivas, he he.

Have a great fun-filled Merdeka long weekend!
Make merry, safely!

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