Margaret River Tours Kuala Lumpur

When in Perth for the first time, what would you do? Well if you love your wines, it's got to be a visit to Margaret River. It has built its reputation as Australia's "mecca" of premium wines. While the region produces less than 3%  of Australia's wine, it accounts for more 1/5 of its premium wine.

Margaret River on Tour made its debut in KL at the newly revamped Pullman KLCC on the 24th of August.

It featured 10 brands including Cape Mentelle, Churchview Estate, Flametree, Howard Park, Pierro Margaret River Vineyards, Vasse Felix, Voyager Estate, Woody Nook, and Xanadu for wines, and the Margaret River Distilling Company for a selection of whiskies and gins.

We got to meet winemakers, owners, and producers and VIP guests could also attend the masterclass hosted by a panel of winemakers to learn more about the quality of wines from Margaret River and what makes them unique.

The place was really packed! No surprises there because the entry price was a well-priced RM120 (RM100 for early birds.

Let's all hope they'll be back again next year, and make it bigger!

Thanks for having us, Thirstmag.

For more: https://margaretriverontour.com/

-Jon

(Images from Thirstmag)

AD Ratttray Whisky X Mooncake Pairing

Thanks to Thirstmag, we had some whisky and mooncake fun at Pullman KLCC's Blu Bar & Cigar in conjunction with the upcoming mid-autumn festival.

AD Rattray is an independent company that bottles whisky ans has been around since 1868. AD Rattray buys spirits and whiskies in casks, then age and blend them into their own label's expressions.

Ben Ng of Drinks Alliance (Also Dram & Leaf, also Mish Mash) took us through the tasting.

His advise for a good pairing is to pick mooncakes which are not too sweet, has subtle flavours, and the texture shouldn't be too wet or sticky.

We sampled:

• Stronachie x lotus paste mooncake - the whisky is like a blank canvas that intensified the sweetness of the mooncake
• Cask Orkney 18YO (Limited Edition) x roselle and berry mooncake - surprisingly, this combination of the tart and sweet mooncake with the salty slight peatiness of the whisky
• Cask Islay x green tea mooncake - FA's favourite, the combination has a creamy toasty ice cream flavour that works so well.

Thank you Chef Jeffrey of Red Chinese Cuisine in Pullman KLCC for showing us some love in your handmade mooncakes.

- Jon

Launch of Cigar Bar KL @ Naza Tower

If you’ve been stalking us on instagram or Facebook,, you’d know that we're starting our cigar appreciation journey. Well, should't really come as a surprise as whisky and cigars go together like cheese and crackers... or rum and raisin... or steak and wine.. .. you get the drift!

We were recently honoured to witness the launch of The Cigar Bar KL which is located on the ground floor of Naza Tower Platinum Park.

Image: Cigar Bar KL

Image: Cigar Bar KL

The bar’s co-founder and director Jay Walia is an avid cigar enthusiast.

The bar stocks many Cuban and non-Cuban options including new world special editions as well which are available by the stick.

What makes Cigar Bar KL different from other cigar lounges? It’s not just a lounge, it's also a bar and what Jay wants you to experience is not just cigars but a curated experience marrying cigars with the flavors of whisky or rum, chocolates and salt to bring you a whole different flavour experience through his curated pairing menus ranging from RM55 to RM130.

Cigar Bar also offers a variety of whiskies, rum, brandy, wine and beer too.

For more: https://www.facebook.com/cigarbarkl/ and http://cigarbar.my/

- Jon

Kronenbourg's Dinner in Blue

On 12 July 2019, French wheat beer, Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc, celebrated Bastille Day in Kuala Lumpur. The Frnech National Day, also known as Bastille Day, actually  falls on 14th July.

In conjunction with the celebrations, an opulent “Dinner In Blue” dining experience in true blue fashion was held at Chateau de Caffeinees. Celebrating all things French, the dinner included a fashion show as Kronenburg 1664 is also the official sponsor of the upcoming KL Fashion Week 2019 (KLFW 2019) which takes place from 21st to 25th August.

To conclude the meal, we were served a decadent dessert by Nathalie Gourmet Studio for a excellent finish. The evening was accompanied with French music and ended with a spectacular display of fireworks in celebration of Bastille Day.

In addition to the celebration, limited-edition designer merchandise up for grabs in the September campaign - enjoy Blue Happy Hours from now till end August to get a FREE half pint of 1664 Blanc! Simply spend RM50 and above every Friday when dining at participating modern bars, cafes and restaurants nationwide.

Carlsberg Team in Blue: Ted Akiskalas - MD, Gary Tan - Sales Director, Caroline Moreau - MD, Lim Chee Kaet - CFO, Pearl Lai - Corporate Communications & CSR Director, Lew Yoong Fah - Government Affairs & Duty Free Director, Felicia Teh - HR Director

For more, visit www.facebook.com/KronenbourgMY or www.carlsbergmalaysia.com.my.

- Jon

Images by Carlsberg.