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.