Kirin Glamping Post-Event Report

(Warning, this is a picture heavy post. With loads of horribly taken pictures.)

Kirin ran a promotion through the month of September whereby with any purchase of their beer, you get a chance to participate in something called "Glamping" on 3 October.

Drink more Kirin.

If you're not too familiar with what Glamping means, it's actually a marriage of 2 words - glamorous and camping. So it's a form of camping where you spend some time away from the comforts of your own home in a sort of a retreat (mostly in the forest or nature reserve, like camping lah), but you don't forgo any luxuries like electricity, plumbing, the internet. etc (hence, glamorous).

Event: Kirin Ichiban Beer Garden @ Solaris, Publika

A few of us were invited for a media preview of Kirin's little pop up beer garden in The Square, Solaris Publika.

Welcome to the Ichiban Bar (Image: Kirin)

Kirin Beer, Kirin 18 years old Single Malt & Chichibu The Peated

Had the enormous luck to have had the opportunity to sample these 3 Japanese beauties. My thoughts as follows (need to profusely apologise for the lack of quality of these photos. taken from a phone with bad lighting and zero photo skills. Bad blogger, bad blogger!):

1. Kirin Ichiban Beer

Image credit: Kirin Malaysia FB Page

This was quietly introduced last year by our friendly neighbourhood brewery, GAB (Guiness Anchor Berhad) and I believe the brand was re-launched this year in April 2014.

Kirin Ichiban, simply translated means Kirin No. 1. This basically means that when the beer is brewed, only the FIRST (hence, No.1!) extraction of the product is bottled - which is usually the least unadulterated. You can read about brewing beer here, should you like to geek out a little bit more.

This is the first time I've had a taste of Kirin. I've had experience with Sapporo and Asahi before (which I both enjoy) but Kirin, while less crisp & refreshing (than the Asahi, for the sake of comparing) is smooth, satisfying, full-bodied and less dry.

This beer is love at first taste. If you've never really had a fondness for lager (specifically this in the style of American Pale Ale Lager) before, you might change your mind with this. 

The biggest drawback for me (be forewarned) is the price of this bottle at the outlet. The pub I visited charged me a really painful RM20++ per 330ml bottle. I'm pretty sure you're able to get at your local hypermarket for much less. 

I believe we only get the bottles and cans for now, and at 5.0% ABV, I believe it is available at your local stores and favourite drinking places. :)

Found out more on kirinichiban.com.my

The Great Brew Fest 2018 by Heineken Malaysia

October is here. Which also puts us to the month that is beery important ....... in Germany.

Over here in sunny Malaysia, Heineken has launched their very own answer to the globally popular Oktoberfest - the Great Brew Fest.

Tap ALL the beers at the mobile tap bar

This is probably a great opportunity to finally do a side-by-side tasting of the wide range of brands under their belt and to take on the journey of how each brew was made (differently!) and how it should rightfully be served to preserve its different flavour qualities.

Did you know that Heineken Malaysia (formerly known as Guinness Anchor Berhad) produces not only Heineken but also Tiger , Guinness, Kilkenny, Kirin Ichiban, Paulaner, Strongbow cider, Apple Fox cider and Anchor?

FA not doing so well with tapping beers.

While beer is essentially made with just 4 ingredients (grains, water, hops, yeast) but each beer is different because they can be made with so many types of grains, hops, even yeast strains. Even the production for each beer can be different. While cider takes only 3 to make (apple juice, water, yeast)  their ciders also tastes different from one another.

Jiri Rakosnik Marketing Director (left) and Roland Bala Managing Director (right) wants you to have some fun with The Great Brew Fest 2018, and if you learn something from it, all the better!

Well, if you get to encounter Heineken's The Great Brew Fest pop up bar featuring taps of ALL its beers, you'll be able to find out more.

Throughout this Fest, you'll also be able to taste their "festival brew" - the Tiger Amber Lager which is available on tap and only until 10 Nov. A likely crowd-pleaser at 5% abv, this has the familiarity of the Tiger beer, with a hoppy note (that reminds me of Guinness), a malty sweetness (like the Kilkenny) and even a hint of citrus.

Hello Tiger Amber Lager!

There's also limited edition designer mugs for Apple Fox Cider, Tiger Beer, Guinness, Kirin Ichiban and Paulaner München which was created with local artists (CLOAKWORK, Kenji Chai, Beautiful Machines featuring Sling, Jarold Sng and Lynda from Pink Tattoos) to collect.

To join the festivities, learn more about your favourite brews and taste the ones you're unfamiliar with, catch their mobile tap bar, promos and giveaways (RM250k worth of prizes to be won including vouchers fora  bottle/bucket of your favourite brew) at participating outlets around KL, Ipoh, Penang and JB 10 November 2018.  Selected outlets would even get a visit from the Great Brew Bus (featuring the Tiger Amber Lager) and the Great Brew Wall (to learn more about your favourite brews).

I was trying to learn about the beers, not check out the how brand ambassador, really.

Check out https://www.facebook.com/thegreatbrewfest and https://www.instagram.com/GreatBrewFest_MY/ for more info and their locations.

Don't say I #bojio!

- Jon

Insta Weekly: Kirin Beer Garden - GAB Oktoberfest 2015 - Free Whisky @ The Bar - Happy 3rd Birthday A&L

1. Kirin Ichiban Beer Pop Up Bar from 1 Oct to 10 Oct at @ Solaris, Publika.

I've mentioned this quite a few times on my FB, instagram and have even blogged about it already, haha. So why haven't you check it out with your friends and gotten hold of your own mini "slurpee" machine already? Hehe.

Launch: Ippudo (yes that yummy ramen shop!) Bar @ Bangsar Shopping Centre

Firstly, let me get this out of the way - I LOVE Ippudo ramen. It is the best after-drinks food EVER. Nothing beats a pipping hot bowl of noodles swimming in a pool of delicious broth of pork after you're high from slightly over-imbibing. So what I'm going to say after this may be SIGHTLY biased. :P

I was so excited to find out that Ippudo launched a new bar in BSC last week - especially since it's going to be a full-fledged Japanese concept bar.

Sure you say, BSC is FILLED with bars. Do you really need ANOTHER bar?

Yes I say. Hell YES. A million times YES.

Some psychedelic lighting was happening at the launch party - but we were assured that on normal non-event days, it will be cosy & non-intrusive.

Insta Weekly: DIY Moscow Mule - Ozzie wines - Mason Shaker - Botanist Gin - Marini's on 57 - Nobu KL - Sommersby's #thatweekendfeeling - Penang Trip

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. :)

Launch: Aka Chochin Izakaya @ Pavillion Kuala Lumpur

Aka Cochin wishes you Irasshaimase!

An Izakaya is a Japanese version of what we know as a pub or bar which has a decent accompanying food or snack menu. 

Izakaya literally translates as "to stay (in a) sake shop". It's historically derived from when the Japanese bought and drank their sake inside the sake shop. Today, this has become the Japanese version of a pub where people hang out after work to drink and unwind with food to snack in-between. 

Aka Chochin means "red lantern" - which is usually found outside an Izakaya.

Put these 2 words together and you have the name of the (relatively) new Japanese outlet in Pavillion, KL. Located at where Circus used to be, it's not too hard to find if you're familiar with Pavillion.