Guiness Malaysia’s Perfect Pour Masters 2018 - Finale

Take a Guinness pint glass.
Hold it at a 45° angle.
Toggle stout lever until pour reaches the golden harp.
Stop.
Upright the glass and let it sit for about 119.5 mins until the cloud of gas (aka the surge) settles and the liquid calms to a ruby red (it looks black on the naked eye, but try holding it up against a bright white light and you'll see it!).
Top up the stout till the frothy head reaches the rim of the glass.
Stop.

This is Guinness's perfect serve, also called the ‘two part’ pour.

It takes more than 2 minutes for a perfect pint to be poured and the best of establishments make you wait for your pint. If your stout comes out too soon, especially in a busy establishment, you can be sure that it's not done the right way, and you should send it back.... or never go there again :p

 Bartenders at Guinness outlets are trained to get the perfect pour right with Guinness Malaysia through the Heineken Malaysia Star Academy. The trainers travel across the country to do this and over the past month, they have shortlisted 8 of the best perfect pint pourers from hundreds of trainees from Central, North, South and East Malaysia.

The 2018 finalists. (Image: Guinness)

4 winners were announced as winners on 21 June at the finale held in Publika were awarded with a tour to the home of Guinness in Dublin, Ireland.

Sales Director Mr Andrew Woon, Marketing Director Mr Jiri Rakosnik & Finance Director Mr Szilard Voros with the 4 winners: Alwin Goh,  Henry Lai, Julio Jeremy, Kenny Loo (Image: Guinness)

So the next time you are at any of these establishments, you have every right to expect your Guinness to be served in a perfect pour.

A post shared by Fireangel (@fireangel80) on Jun 21, 2018 at 4:18am PDT

FA says hi!

For more: www.facebook.com/GuinnessMalaysia.

- Jon

Tiger ROARS at the World Cup 2018

Tiger Beer will be hosting a whole slew of viewing parties this whole month at participating outlets.

A post shared by Fireangel (@fireangel80) on Jun 14, 2018 at 6:21am PDT

Expect large screen TVs, ice cold beer promotions, games and prizes to be won at their viewing parties.

While you're at it, grab a picture with the ‘Tiger Beer ROAR Machine’ and score a goal to win free beer!

If you're going to be consuming (responsibly)/buying loads of Tiger beer anyway, download the TigerMy app, earn points and redeem exclusive memorabilia such as jerseys, photo frames, football boots and balls which are autographed by legendary football stars.



Log on to http://tigerbeer.com.my/roarwithtiger/ for locations of their roving viewing parties and beer promos.

Or you could look up for them on FB for more info: https://www.facebook.com/TigerBeerMY/

Don't say I bojio!

- Jon

Except for the instagram image, all images by Tiger Beer.

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)

DIY Layered Shots

Have you heard about the Sand Mandala? Well, it's this ritual where Tibetan monks create an intricately designed sand art. Then once it's completed, they would just sweep it away. Those weeks and weeks of meticulous hardwork gone in a single sweep.

That's pretty much what layering is. You spend time agonizing over each layer of spirit to ensure that the layers mix into each other, only to have it downed in less than a second.

So then, why bother layering your shots? Because it's bloody pretty, that's why.

It's actually pretty damn simple actually. All you need is a shot glass, a teaspoon and a spirit or 2, your favourite liquer, or 2. So let's just say we're making something called a Quick Fuck (no kidding). You'll need 1 part Baileys, 1 part Kahlua, 1 part Midori.

1. Fill 1/3 of the glass with the Midori first. The first and bottom part of the shot should always be the "heaviest" drink. By heaviest, I mean with the highest content of sugar so that it stays at the bottom. So the theory is that you fill it up with the heaviest first to the lightest. To have an idea which spirit is heavier than which this drinks gravity chart is a decent reference.

2. Grab a spoon.  Front part facing up, touch the side of the spoon to the glass. Steady your hands. With the other hand, grab the Kahlua. Slowly, very very slowly, pour the liquid down the back of the spoon so that it flows to the side of the glass.

3. Do the same (and be EXTRA careful with this) with the Baileys.

TAH DAH.

Now enjoy how pretty it looks. Then proceed to down the shot.

The Chivas Regal Mizunara Comes to Malaysia

The Chivas Regal Mizunara is said to be the "the world’s first Scotch whisky" that is finished in  Japanese Mizunara oak casks. First unveiled exclusively in Japan in 2013, it was afterwards made available in France and Thailand - now it's come to Malaysia.

What goes in there? Selected Chivas Regal whiskies that get finished in  Mizunara oak casks.

If you're a Japanese whisky fan, the mere mention of Mizunara may get your mouth watering.

Mizunara is an oak tree which are indigenous to Japan. It is known to be extremely scarce (evidently, the tree needs to be at least 200 years old before it can be made into a cask) and has a distinctive porous nature.

While the latter makes the wood more difficult to work with, it also allows for imparting "more flavours" of the wood into the whisky at a shorter time - lending a whisky that's aged in it a distinct flavour profile of subtle vanilla, fruity and flower scents with a spicy finish - which you'll also find in the Chivas Regal Mizunara.

Official tasting notes of the Chivas Regal Mizunara:
Nose:    Rich and fruity, with pear and orange notes
Palate:  Smooth and rich with a honey sweetness and a trace of hazelnut
Finish:   Long, with a touch of Mizunara spice
Colour:  Warm amber

Image: PRM

You can experience the Chivas Regal Mizunara which will be available in limited quantities in selected F&B outlets, bars and supermarkets across Malaysia from March 2018. Prices start from the high side of RM3XX onward, from what we've observed.

Pernod Ricard Malaysia Brand Manager Benedict Yong and Sebastien Mouquet, Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Malaysia among the rest of the PRM crew, launching the new bottling at Pernod Ricard Malaysia's HQ bar - Bar des Embiez (Image: PRM)

FA and I enjoyed this so if you manage to get your hands on one, don't forget to jio!

- Jon

Mosto Wine Bar & Restaurant @ ONE KL

Porcinated joy and salutations! I found another porcine-friendly restaurant and bar in KL - or rather, they found me!

Located in Jalan Pinang and just a stone’s throw from KLCC, this nice cozy little hideaway is another brainchild of Cavaliere Modesto Marini’s himself. Now if that name sounds familiar, it's because he is the founder of Marini's and the Marini Group of restaurants.

While Mosto’s Wine and Restaurant Bar is not part of the Marini’s Group but the atmosphere and decor certainly has the same feel. Classy.

Cocktails and tap beers (Heineken Malaysia's triple threat - Guinness, Tiger, Heineken) are on the menu too but Mosto boasts about their extensive wine list. Their wine menu lists wines from all over the globe.

On the menu, Mosto’s signature - Italian themed cuisine and PORK. Pork is served in many ways, from the appetisers to the pastas and main dishes. However, there are also seafood options for those looking for something a little lighter.

Mosto’s is opened for lunch with happy hour wine prices till 9pm and friday happy hours that start from 12pm onwards!

You might like to know that parking is available and free (for now, perhaps as the building as new.).

For more: https://www.facebook.com/mostowinebarkl/ or https://mostowinebarkl.com/

Don’t say I bojio!

- Jon

Images: Mosto Wine Bar & Restaurant

A tapas trail with Campo Viejo wines

In an introduction of Campo Viejo to Malaysia, Pernod Ricard took us on a tapas trail right in the heart of Changkat Bukit Bintang, KL.

There's no other to enjoy drinking a Spanish wine the Spanish way, than to be on a tapas trail on a (always) summer Spanish  Malaysian weather. We were taken to Pisco Bar, El Cerdo and Havana Bar and Grill, where all were Spanish themed or influenced.

The wine and tapas trail was led by Darcy Wilkosz,
Wine Ambassador for global spirits and wine leader Pernod Ricard Winemakers

Campo Viejo wines hails from the Rioja region of the Rioja winery situated in the Ebro valley, north of Spain. Hosting us that evening was Pernod Ricard wine ambassador, Darcy Wilkosz.

Our trail started at Pisco Bar with a smorgasbord of charcoal grilled bone in rib steak. Here, the first of the series of three wines, Campo Viejo Tempranillo was paired with the scrumptious meats served.

I immediately took a liking to the first sip. On the nose, I had rich and deep aromas of dark fruits and on the palate came rich overripe grapes.

Half a bottle later, the second stop was a short 100m walk to El Cerdo’s. Famed for their porcine dishes, we had the Campo Viejo Reserva to go with a mushroom and escargo brioche and a chorizo slider.

The nose of the reserva was more intense and with more flavours coming through compared to the Tempranillo. If the former had dark fruits, the Reserva reminded me of preserved fruits. The Reserva had a nice balance of fruit and oak as it was matured for 18 months in American and French oak casks with an additional 18 more months aging in a bottle before being shipped off.

Lastly we finished off our trail at Havana’s bar and grill , up the road with the a light tapas offering of Spanish meatballs and the pairing with the campo Viejo Grand Reserva.

The grand reserva had all the signature nose and palate of the Reserva BUT with light tannin and a complex aftertaste of coffee, tobacco and chocolates. If you let it sit on the palate even longer, some hints of salty bacon comes through, but that could be from all the meat I had before that. I would want to savor this slowly. Aged for a minimum of 5 years, it spends 24 months in a mix of American and French oak casks with another 24 more months rounding in the bottle.

You can also hope on the tapas trail experience soon. For more information, visit www.campoviejo.com/cvtapastrail

Salud! ...and drink responsibly

- Jon

(Images from Pernod Ricard Malaysia)

Saro Lounge @ Pavilion Elite

There's a new hideaway lounge nestled on the 8th floor of Pavilion Elite - it's actually quite tricky to locate even if I've already told you the mall and floor.

Saro, which is Italian for “I will”, is more than just a name, it's also their commitment to provide guests with a memorable experiences and quality service.

From food to cocktail drinks and beers within a lounge setting, it could transform into a dance club if it wants too. Saro Lounge’s interior highlights is its state-of-the-art light feature that has been cleverly integrated into the ceiling – the first of its kind in Malaysia. The light feature boasts an impressive multitude of configurations to suit any mood, adding to the overall ambience of the main lounge area.

Saro Sour

The bar offers a range of cocktails inspired by Asian flavours. Saro’s signature cocktails bring their own unique twist on the classics, with drinks such as the Saro Sour and the Rum Negroni. A refreshing number is the Signature Monkey 47, which combines fresh and floral flavours into a simple yet flavourful cocktail.

Signature Monkey 47

From the kitchen, Head Chef Nopporn Nutto from Thailand along with Chef Faizal have conceptualised a menu showcasing a contemporary variety of small plates and main course dishes.

Saro Lounge can host private parties and events too. It is equipped with a quality sound system and LCD screens, with the capacity to accommodate events for about 130 – 150 pax. There is also a ‘Saro’s Private Room’, with karaoke facilities and its very own restroom which is only available for private bookings.

For more information on Saro Lounge go to sarolounge.com or its Facebook page.
For reservations, call +603 2110 4080.

- Jon

Images: Saro Lounge

Locker & Loft: 2 years and going strong

Happy 2nd anniversary, Locker & Loft!  Has it already been 2 years? These guys have been so busy!

There's a bunch of new cocktails on its list, such as the special for CNY 2018, Babi Lu Mary, a
twist on the Bloody Mary, with Don Julio agave tequila that's been infused bakwa, among others.

For the fearless, we would recommend checking the KING - their natural durian cocktail with vodka, Baileys, hazelnut liqueur, vanilla ice-cream, almond syrup and cinnamon powder. Absolutely YUM.

There's the low-calorie cocktails for those who wish to get wasted with less guilt, with drinks like LC1, Joozy and Kelapa Rock. Also new: bottled cocktails with fizz, like the K Rock.

For the party animals - there's the new shot 'glasses'  made entirely of ice which you can smash like a proper Asgardian.

They also have a cocktail-catering service where you can request for pop-up bar (can I take it home please) to be set up wherever your party is, complete with L&L bartenders shaking cocktails that you want.

They've also got a new food menu. So you'll see stuff like Tenggiri Quesadilla, Alfredo Catfish Balls, Peanut Sauce Pork Ribs, Sliders, Sardine-Bacon Pasta as well as burgers.

They'll be maintaining their regular crowd-favourite events like Shake N Take (make your own cocktails every Thursday), BBQ Sunday, Sake Sundays and Dames Night so fret not!

Deepak mentioned that they are thinking about opening another outlet... we're keeping an eye out for that.

Get updated with their activities and shenangians here: https://www.facebook.com/lockerandloft/

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.

Gekkeikan Sake Food Pairing X Poseidon Caviar & Seafood Bar

A post shared by Fireangel (@fireangel80) on Jan 19, 2018 at 4:18am PST

The good folks from Thirstmag very kindly extended their welcome for us to check out an exclusive seafood pairing by the newly opened Poseidon with Gekkeikan sake. And you know when there's booze, we're game.



The night featured a 4-course tasting menu by Poseidon's Chef Chris Tulseikrishnah Ramachandram and hosted by Cellar Eighteen’s Certified Sake Sommelier, Sebastian Chen. Sake and seafood are MFEO (made for each other), which makes sense because they both originated from and are abundantly found in Japan respectively.

The pairing menu covered:
-  Josen Karakuchi, a dry-styled sake was paired with some lovely fresh raw oysters.
- Traditional Sake, a full bodied spirit forward sake, was paired with hearty mushroom bruschettas with truffle oil.
- Cho-Tokusen with Gold Leaf, a little gimmicky (IMHO) sake which had gold flakes meant as a luxurious sake for gifting, was paired with savoury smoked trout

- Horin Junmai Daiginjo, made with the high quality Yamada Nishiki used for brewing premium sake, delicate and fruity, was paired with an exquisite royal fillet salmon. 

Credit: Thirstmag

We also had a taste of the Bizan Super Rice Shochu (25% ABV), which would've been a lovely as a highball, in my opinion. 

Being a seafood lover myself, we would have to make another trip back to Poseidon. They have a wide range of fresh premium seafood and being a caviar and seafood bar, its other highlight would be, you guessed it, its premium Beluga caviar, which is absolutely YUM.

As usual, we had a good time - made especially great with the usual media drunkards. Thank  you for the jio! <3

The Hidden Tropicana Bandar Utama trifecta: Maze, Lavo and Chaze

There is really not much to shout about for fun in Bandar Utama with the exception of the 2 malls, One Utama and Centrepoint. So where would you go if you’re knackering for an adult beverage? If you’d ask me that last year same time, I’d tell you to head to Taman Tun.

But much to my delight, there are now 3 legit watering holes at Menara Lien Ho, Tropicana Bandar Utama under the M Group of companies. They are:

Maze

In the afternoons, Maze is a chic afternoon hi- tea / Coffee saloon that resembles the decadent 70s and when the sun goes down and the lights go up it transforms into a gin parlour. Maze boasts 200 Gin focused labels and gin cocktails. The ambience befits the arrival of certain super spy in a dapper suit that would casually sit down on one if the plush couches and say, ‘Martini, shaken, not stirred”.

Maze got in Adam Westbrook, Esq, previously the head bartender of the Skullduggery group, to revamped beverage menu. So there's a new set of gin-based cocktails ranging from the fruity and easy-drinking to the spirit forward, featuring local ingredients and localised flavours.

There will over 200 available labels to try, and 70 labels to order by shot like whisky. If you order a bottle of gin, a push cart of cocktail condiments and garnishes comes with it for you to customise your own G&T.

Maze also has a not-so-secret door that leads you into...

Chaze

With Maze being chic, Chaze is the the masculine counterpart with its dim lighting, leather lounge and a back bar filled with whiskies. Bar bites, beers and signature cocktails are also served here but opening bottles is very common here too.

Different themes and DJs are the feature daily within a week. What's extra - a ping pong table placed smack right in the middle of the dance floor in the early hours of the night.

Lavo

Strategically located on the ground floor of Menara Lien Ho, Lavo is a resto bar that serves a delightful menu of western, local delights and bar bites while boasting an extensive wine list of more than 1000 labels. They also have brands from the Heineken Malaysia on tap, cocktails and spirits to boot.

While Maze seems posh, Lavo is the chilled sibling and is kid-friendly. Smoking is only allowed outdoors and a kids eat for free weekend promo is available.

Lavo also caters to events and special requests.

Stay tuned on this spot. As you read this, another outlet is in the pipeline to open soon. .....oriental style tapas anyone?

- Jon