#mytipsyturvy

I love coffee and I love cocktails, and Dissolved Solids (@dissolvedsolids) is one place that ticks both these boxes perfectly for me. It’s a bar/cafe that serves great coffee and great cocktails, and of course some great coffee cocktails as well. I was there earlier this week on a whim for a revisit, and was happy to see they’ve got a CNY cocktail menu right now, and you get some cool angpau packets for free with every order from that menu. I tried the Drunken, Panda (made with a Scotch + bourbon blend, soy, marula cream, liqueur, gоії, and grass jelly), and it was a lovely desserty drink. I especially liked the edible goji and glass jelly in the drink, so yummy! And of course, I also had to have an Espresso Martini, which I havr to say is one of the best I’ve had in KL. The creamy, caffeine-soaked power of the coffee is balanced nicely with the vodka and also allows just a smattering of sweetness to come through to add some depth. If you love coffee, this is a must try cocktail here. If you’re not in the mood for cocktails, their coffee is pretty good as well, and I love the fact that you get both a cafe AND a bar vibe here at the same time. Dissolved Solids is one of those places I would definitely visit a lot more if they were closer to me or easier to get to via public transport. But don’t let that stop you from checking it out if you haven’t already. #dissolvedsolids #cocktailbar #cocktails #coffeecocktail #coffee #cafebar #klcocktailbar #tipsyturvycocktails #tipsyturvybars #mytipsyturvy #barreview (at Dissolved Solids) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnTQn3kJWIl/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

It’s been a good day. Time to end it with arguably the best Kilkenny I’ve had in years, at @arthursstorehouse. #beer #beers #guinness #arthursstorehouse #ale #kilkenny #tipsyturvybeer #mytipsyturvy (at Pavilion KL) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClVsdxXp0gj/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

VESAPPLER 3 parts Le Gin de Christian Drouin 4alvados Cask Finished Small Batch Gin, 1/2 part vodka, 1 part Lillet Blanc. Had a little bit of this brilliant Calvados Cask Finished gin left so decided to use it in a Vesper riff. This is a gin that is good enough to drink on its own, so I didn’t want too much vodka to dilute the subtle appley notes from the Calvados finish. It’s definitely boozy af, the way I like it lol. But it lets the gin shine while still tasting vaguely Vesper-y. #tipsyturvycocktails #cocktail #cocktails #mytipsyturvy #vesper #Martini #legindechristiandrouin #calvadosfinish #smallbatchgin #gin #gincocktails #lillet #lilletblanc https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck5TEoVJkbO/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

For me, the main reason to pay Moon Bar a visit is its head bartender, none other than Ash (@ash_arsenio) himself, a veteran of the KL bar scene and IMHO one of KL’s best bartenders. I’ve known Ash from the very beginnings of Tipsy-Turvy and have always learnt very useful things from him everytime we speak, so it’s great to see him@back behind a bar again. Anyway, the bar itself is a small cozy area that shares its space with the diners of DC Restaurant, but it’s still relatively “bar-like”. Almost all the drinks are named after the phases of the moon, or are just moon-related. Full Moon was a delicious mix of Le Domfrontais Le Calvados, Heart of Darkness IPA beer reduction, and Yuzu, while the Waning Gibbous is made from peanut butter fat-washed Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, Angostura Cocoa Bitters, and figs whey syrup. Then there’s the Third Quarter, which uses Ki No Tea gin, Crème de Cacao, Giffard Menthe Pastille, Angostura Cocoa Bitters, a homemade barley almond mix and a float of laksa leaf oil for a lovely chocolate/mint drink with layers of flavour coming through with each sip. I’ll have to be honest, Moon Bar is a little… pricey for my budget. Then again, it IS oart of acclaimed chef Darren Chin’s DC Restaurant after all, so you know that you’re going to be getting the highest quality drinks there. If you’re in TTDI looking for a good drink, do check it out, and don’t wait till the blue moon. #moonbarkl #dcrestaurantbydarrenchin #cocktailbar #barreview #mytipsyturvy #tipsyturvybarreview (at MoonBar at DC Restaurant) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci2KLMKJ7R9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Another dram I've not had in a while: Glengoyne Cask Strength Batch No.001. 58.7% ABV. I haven't opened this bottle in almost 4-5 years, it's somewhat mellowed out a little from what I remember, but atill packs quite the spicy kick up front, a creamy enveloping sherry-ness with a really long spicy nutty finish. #singlemalt #whiskey #whisky #tipsyturvywhisky #mytipsyturvy #scotch #glengoyne #caskstrength

Every once in a while you get to go to an event where the star isn’t just the product that is being launched, but the entire event is just as memorable as well. So it was with the recent Ki No Bi event I went for af Sushi Taka, St Regis Kl, where we got to try the Ki No Bi G Edition gin, and enjoyed a most delicious, sumptious, delectable omakase sushi meal paired with Ki No Bi gin cocktails. Ki No Bi’s @marcysakuma was there to talk us through the Ki No Bi gins - the highlight of which was the G Edition, which is aged in ex-Henry Giraud champagne casks. What a gin it is too. Fragrant, floral, fruity and bright, it has a nose you could sniff all night long. But at one point you need to taste the gin to and wow. On the palate, that effervescent bright floral note strikes you up front, with more balanced juniper, white wine, floral notes coming mid-palate, finishing with a lovely streak of bright fruit notes and lingering juniper. I live the fact that unlike many aged gins, the cask doesn’t completely overpower the base Ki No Bi notes, allowing for a more balanced spirit that you can just sip on its own all night long. Oh, and the dinner was fabulous as well. The uni sushi was perfect, the sweet shrimp was creamy and decadent, the Drunk Crab was so sweet and succulent, the Firefly Squid Smoke was superb… you get the point. The combo of great gin and great food really made this one of the more memorable events of 2033 so far. Whee! #gin #ginlovers #kinobi #kinobigin #mytipsyturvy #tipsyturvygin #sushi #sushitaka #stregiskl (at Taka by Saito Sushi, St Regis) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqaXoIEJ8P-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Launched in 2012, Bruichladdich Distillery’s Black Art series has produced some of the most intriguing expressions from the distillery yet. The whole idea of the series is the complete opposite of what Bruichladdich is well-known for – its transparency. Unlike the other official bottling, where Bruichladdich tells you everything about what is in the bottle, from the barley they use to how peated it is, the Black Art series is completely shrouded in secrecy. In fact, supposedly only its Head Distiller, Adam Hannett, knows the recipe to Black Art 10 the latest in the series. We recently got to try the Black Art 10 at an event at Anjo (@anjo.kl), along with a pairing of some of Bruichladdich’s more unique whiskies along with Anjo’s bites. Now, the only things we know about the Black Art 10 is that it is unpeated, has an age statement of 29 years, and is made up of whiskies from 1993. It was created using casks that were produced by Bruichladdich before its so-called ‘renaissance’, in which it was rebuilt, refurbished, and reborn on 2001 after being closed for seven years. Since we don’t know anything else about the whisky, let’s move on to the tasting notes! On the nose, lots of bright fruity and sweet sherry notes, but not Oloroso or PX, more like… amontillado. Also hints of nuttiness and barley, and a little bubblegum On the palate, more of that lovely sweet sherry note, with a flash of honey, biscuity, with some vanilla and chocolates, ending with a medium length with musky sherry and a little metallic tinge of ginger. As far as Bruichladdich whiskies go, this is definitely one worth trying, with that extra secrecy adding some mystery and intrigue to the expression, making you want to rally analyse it more. #whisky #whiskey, #Mytipsyturvy #tipsyturvywhisky #bruichladdich #scotch #islaywhisky #singlemalt #bruichladdichblackart (at ANJO) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqC0VbUJ4rh/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Reka (@reka.bar) has just launch another new Spotlight Menu, called Unseen Beauty. Comprising 5 drinks and 3 dishes, the menu pays homage to “the beautiful cultures of our brothers and sisters from near and far who have come to make their home in Malaysia in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones”. In a nice meaningful touch, Reka will also be donating a portion of the proceeds from this menu towards supporting a local refugee non-profit. On to the drinks. Each drink highlights a particular food or ingredient from countries like Bangladesh, the Philippines, Nepal, Indonesia and Cambodia. My personal favourite was the Bor-Honey (Ocho Blanco, Ginger-Honey, Mint Lassi, Black Salt, Calamansi), a perfeftly balanced drink of distinct parts that still serves to highlight the mint lassi that is a popular drink in Bangladesh, where former Reka bartender @bengali_tapster is from. The Mocha Java was an interesting Negroni twist with Appleton rum, Indonesian coffee and ginger (which I’m not really fond of tbh), and the Yangon Pale Ale (YPA) was a kombucha-esque tipple with a hoppy IPA-like finish. The last two drinks were the sweet, yam-my Halo-Hello (based on a Filipino deasert) and the nice warm Nomadic Breakfast, a hot buttered rum-like drink inspired by the hot beverages Nepalese sherpas drink in the mointains. There’re also three dishes paired with the menu, one a yummy snacky Pakora (Jackfruit Seed Pakora, Green Chili Pesto), the delicious Lahpet (barramundi fillet with Lahpet Thoke Salsa), and Cassava dessert (Cassava Cake, Burnt Miso Corn, Coconut Ice cream). All in all, a pretty unique new menu that has the added bonus of letting you drink for a good cause! #rekabar #mytipsyturvy #tipsyturvybars #tipsyturvycocktails #cocktails #cocktailbar (at Reka:Bar) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpxK_2VpRSb/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=