In conjunction with World Martini Day on 17 June 2023, The House of Suntory embarked on a month-long celebration dedicated to this legendary drink with Roku Gin and Haku Vodka. While martini is traditionally crafted with gin, using vodka is also common (for example, the James Bond "shaken not stirred" martini is famously made with vodka).
14 bars throughout Klang Valley, Johor Bahru, and Penang will showcase their own interpretation of the martini featuring Roku Gin and Haku Vodka from 12 June to 28 July. Check them all out and don't say bojio:
“ Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine”
That's Humphrey Bogart’s famous quote from the movie Casablanca. Before Marlon Brando and later James Dean perfected the art of mumbling while looking suave and sophisticated, it was Bogart that started it all.
The Bogart Spirits is a collection of 4 spirits - rum, gin, whiskey, vodka, by ROK Drinks Company (US) in collaboration with The Humphrey Bogart Estate.
The introduction of its gin, vodka and rum was held at the Majestic Hotel’s Cigar Lounge, a masculine, classy location truly appropriate for someone like Rick Blaine (Bogart’s character).
The gin is juniper forward with floral and fruity notes of lavender, citrus, macadamia cucumber and coriander. The rum delivers flavours of almond nuttiness and coconut. The vodka,
distilled 7 times, is clean and dry, with a light fruity body and spicy finish. I wished we could've tried the blended Irish whiskey which sounded like an interesting blend of single malt and grain whiskeys, matured for at least 3 years in ex-bourbon American oak casks.
To commemorate the launch, Johnny, the head bartender of The Majestic made 5 Hollywood cocktails - Ginger Rogers (gin based), Mae West (brandy based), Jean Harlow (rum & vermouth), Coco Chanel (vodka based) and The James Bond (aka Vesper) (a twist of the gin martini). With the exception of the ‘Vesper’ which is actually a classic cocktail, the other 4 named after actual famous icons of the past.
Jean Harlow, Ginger Rogers, Coco Chanel
The James Bond
Mae West
This collection is exclusively available at The Majestic's The Smoke House and goes for RM45 a glass and RM600 for a bottle.
Hoo boy. We've just come into the second week of November and it already feels like the end of it. Expecting a mad rush of parties and events towards the end of 2015 (to meet sales targets or to use up the allocated A&P budget I suspect, hehe). Here are 5 to start with:
Gyukingu Japanese BBQ's New Outlet + Wine Pairing
Congratulations on the opening of the second outlet in Hartamas (just next to Old Town Coffee)!
I'd like to share with you something interesting that happened to me last week.
I was at a bar for a quiet drink and bumped into some friends who knew that I enjoyed mixing drinks at home. Everyone was having fun and had quite a bit to drink... eventually I was asked to make a drink at the bar. Much to my reluctance, I did agree, but only after the bartender agreed to it as well.
Thinking back, I wondered how I could have handle that situation better. So many things could have gone wrong (since it wasn't a bar I was familiar with, and I'm actually not a bartender), but thankfully it didn't! Anyway, this experience made me realise a few things:
1. I really do enjoy working behind an actual bar - it's still such a thrill. How do I do something about that which is more feasible for my bank account? :P
2. I need to improve my mixing skills and confidence.
3. I need to learn up a wider repertoire of cocktail recipes.
4. I need to find a secret hide-away bar to drink in. :P
5. Don't get tipsy in a bar, just in case I ever get another opportunity like this again - since my "reputation" is at stake here haha!
That being said. Thank you all for the opportunity. You all know who you are! :)
Apologies for the tardiness! I was away in Penang for the weekend and back only yesterday. Let's quickly get on with last week's recap:
Homemade Moscow Mule with Russian Standard & Smirnoff vodka
I continue with my Moscow Mule madness from the previous week - trying it with the different types of vodka I have at home - this time with Russian Standard and Smirnoff. It all works for me, at least with ginger ale it does. I just found out that there's nothing russian about Moscow mule except its name. The cocktail was actually created by a Smirnoff distributor in America, who was trying to boost sales. Yes, the copper mug guy was in on the marketing scheme too. :)
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.
The Cosmopolitan here IS pink. Really. I've got bad lighting.
The Grandfather Story:
There are too many versions of its origins - so you gotta take your pick as to which one you'd prefer to believe:
1) The Cosmopolitan Daisy, found in a bartending book from the 1930s, could've been its ancestor. While a lot of the basic ingredients were not quite the same, the end product was characteristically what today's cosmo looked like. Jigger Gordons Gin, 2 Dashes Cointreau, Juice of one Lemon, Teaspoon Raspberry (syrup)
2) Ocean Spray printed its version of Cosmopolitan in the 1960s called the "Harpoon" to sell more of its juice: 2 oz. cranberry, 1 oz. vodka or light rum or gin, over the rocks or tall with soda, with an optional splash of lime or lemon.
3) Apparently it was created by the gay community in the 1970s, by adding cranberry juice into a kamikaze.
Not to worry, the Hawaiian girl's still in tact. It's so minor you won't even notice it, did you? So, instead of one single label, it's been split into 2. Just thought you should know so you don't suspect that it's fake when it's finally release in this market. Should be available from this month onwards.
Funny thing is that it's so new, that even their own website is still featuring the old label, lol.
Yup. It's yet another Absolut Limited Edition Bottle. Same ol' liquid, different clothes. But you just gotta get them all, right? I'm curious how you die-hard Absolut bottle collectors manage to keep up with the designs. Please, if you are one of them, I'm dying to know how your collection looks like. Hit me up!
I'm a fan of Maker's Mark. More often than not, I reach out for it whenever an recipe calls out for Bourbon. If there is only one basic bourbon you should have in your home bar, it is this. Not only does it taste yum, it is not too painful in the wallet. The cask strength is at an ABV of 56.6% and I would love to get my hands on this but unfortunately it's only released in small quantities and in the US... and apparently only in its hometown, Kentcuky. Not cool, Maker's Mark. Not cool at all. Sigh x 10000.
This is basically a vodka released by Queen (the band, not the monarch) as a tribute to their late lead singer, Freddie, who really enjoyed his vodka... and to celebrate the band's hit single of the same name - Killer Queen.
The Killer Queen Vodka is produced by Stoli, so you know it won't suck. I feel like getting one. Just because it's Queen... and because I'm a little bit of a sucker for the cool packaging... and it's because it's Queen! Check it out: http://www.killerqueenvodka.com/
This "so-called" crowd-sourcing whisky will be ONLY at selected countries... and NOT available via online purchase in Malaysia. Is that a bummer or what? If you ask me, it is a HUGE bummer. Vexed does not even describe how I feel about this. And I say "so-called" because apparently "members" of the public tested and voted for this whisky... but if you go to their website from Malaysia, there is no way you can sign up to be any part of this "club". Yes, I am being VERY upset and vindictive. And also quite high from my overly strongly made White Russian (I used 2 shots vodka, 1 shot Kahlua... I was asking for it)
Seriously, they unapologetically INFORM you that they don't have it "TO YOUR MARKET": https://glenmorangie.com/en/caskmasters
Glenmorangie, you snub Malaysia? I AM VERY ANGRY AT YOU. And if I find out that you are available for online purchase at Singapore, I would be even MORE ANGRY at you.
There is just not enough Rye whiskies in the market, IMHO. The closest one can get to Rye Whiskey in Malaysia is probably the Canadian Club (which evidently uses a whole lot of rye in their blending).
While not usually something you'd drink straight, it's the main ingredients for 3 classic cocktails - Manhattan, Sazarec, Old Fashioned (Mad Men, anyone?).
Unfortunately, we will not be to get our hands on it....because it's irritatingly only available in the US and in limited quantities. RAWR! SO ANGRY! WHY WHY WHY!
I'm a big fan of Speysides and Glenlivet is one of them labels I personally enjoy. I've had a tiny taste of Nadurra a few years ago and loved it (I think it was a 16 year old one) - but back then it was only released in batches as limited editions (please correct me if I'm wrong, but you can check out Master of Malt and see if my understanding is wrong). But now Glenlivet will be making it a permanent offering.
So, Nadurra means "natural" in Gaelic. It's named so because expressions in this range are non-chilled filtered whisky (hence, most "natural" as it goes through less processing). It will also feature a higher-than-average ABV of 48% and above (single malts are usually bottled at 40-43%).
2 permanent expressions were launched this year. First it was the the Nadurra Oloroso in April, and the second, recently launched in September, is the Nadurra First Fill Selection. Both are No Aged Statements whisky. You can readm about them at The Glenlivet website.
With these, it seems like they may be phasing out the age-statement bottles. ARRGHRGRH! Quick! Get your grubby hands on the 16 year olds before they are gone! Or better yet, DON'T so I can get my grubby hands on them!
"Guinness announces the release of two brand new beers - Guinness Dublin Porter and Guinness West Indies Porter. Inspired by authentic recipes, whose origins lie in the historic Guinness’ brewers’ diaries from the late 1700s and early 1800s, the new beers will be available in selected pubs and retailers from mid-September."
Of course when it says that it is available, it is only available in the UK. It is super odd that I can't find any info about it on its Great Britain website. But there are some mention of it on its Twitter acount via its #thebrewersproject hashtag. Hmm, interesting. I wonder if it'll ever reach our shores?
Well, if you're sore that the 2 Guinness porters are not in Malaysia (yet?), here's a consolation prize.
Introducing the awesome got-money-also-cannot-buy (unless you're in UK, or crazy enough to order it through Amazon) Burts chips in Guinness flavour!
To be horribly honest, these chips tastes nothing like Guinness... though I can't really explain how it tastes like on its own because I inhaled the whole packet in drunken hunger.
But just think about the novelty of having one of these babies! For FREE (well, FREE if you purchase a certain number of pints... tee hee)! It should be available in any outlet that sells Guinness. I believe there's also a promotion running for a bulk order of Guinness too so don't forget to ask for your pack!
Don't worry. It's the same old vodka, just with a bright new.... marketing gimmick to commemorate their 80th birthday.
It's basically a reminder to you, dear alcoholic, that Stoli is still a very relevant, very young-at-heart, old man.
If you're bored, hop on over to their Youtube channel and check out their 2 really odd, kitschy ads.
Or you could just hop on to their very eye-catching website at http://www.stoli.com/
5. Finally to End This Post - A Funny Wine Ad Poking Fun at Wine Snobs.
Check out this freaking silly and hilarious ad about wine snobs who act as if they know everything that is to know about wine, enjoy spitting out random "wine technicalities (aka random rubbish)" all over the place and think that everyone else who doesn't know anything about wine is beneath them. Do you personally know someone like that (not exclusively to wine snobs, but snobs of any other subject matter)? Don't you sometimes wish you could high five them.... in their face....with a chair? Hehe.
Anyway, always feel free to taste (or bond with) your own tipple in your own special way. It's a free world after all... as long as you don't mine me making fun of you!
I hope these ads made you smile. Have a great week ahead!
