Mai Bar’s vibrant atmosphere is perfect for the Malaysian pastime of ‘sembang’.
Embracing Malaysia’s lepak culture, Mai Bar at Aloft Kuala Lumpur is offering a new series of Malaysian-inspired cocktails for guests to enjoy as they relax in the evening.
From Oct 22, this limited-time offering will showcase five distinct cocktails under the “Sembang Sips” series, paying tribute to some of Malaysia’s favourite childhood snacks and beverages.
Guests can expect herbaceous and dessert-like cocktails that are familiar yet reimagined, said Mai Bar head mixologist Tanjir N.
“For example, Ha-Rhum-atic is a rum-based cocktail derived from Malaysia’s classic favourite, the Jungle Bird cocktail.
“The pineapple is smoked together with cinnamon before being caramelised with sugar, making it into a syrup.
“The base for the cocktail is Campari and Bacardi rum, topped with a spray of saline solution, salt, chamomile and Ricard liqueur, which give the drink added aromatics,” he said.
The Kelapa cocktail came about thanks to the Kadazan-Dusun Hinava.
The citrusy cocktail is pleasantly refreshing, with a mild hint of bitterness from the Campari balancing out the flavours.
Paying homage to everyone’s favourite “teh ais”, the Tea-Ki cocktail blends robust cold-brew black tea and zesty passionfruit with white rum and sweet vermouth.
The oakiness from the tea and the sour taste of the fruit create an unusual but interesting blend that pairs exceptionally well with the alcohol base.
Out of the five creations, this was my favourite.
The Kelapa cocktail is the only spicy drink in the series.
Tanjir whipping up the Ha-Rhum-atic cocktail.
“It is inspired by Hinava, a traditional Kadazan-Dusun native dish in Sabah made from fish, lime juice and bird’s eye chilli.
“In this cocktail, I mixed chillies, kaffir lime leaf, calamansi and coconut water with white rum,” said Tanjir.
I find the coconut-forward cocktail refreshing but the chillies are slightly too overpowering for me.
Next is the Lemak Manis cocktail, inspired by the Malaysian tea-time staple onde-onde.
The sweet Tea-ki is inspired by ‘teh ais’.
It features a rich blend of coconut milk, sweet pandan and Absolut vodka, creating an indulgent drink.
The Memory Lane cocktail, on the other hand, blends the sweet and tangy flavours of green guava, asam boi, Triple Sec and tequila.
This local flavour combination reminds me of the sweet-and-sour asam boi juice that I used to savour on a hot day.
Thirst-quenching and sweet, this nostalgic drink is easy to enjoy.
Perched on the hotel’s rooftop, Mai Bar boasts stunning views of the KL Sentral skyline, providing the perfect backdrop for sipping these creative concoctions.
With the Sembang Sips series, Mai Bar has crafted a unique cocktail experience catering to different palates.
Onde-onde was the idea behind the Lemak Manis cocktail.
Whether you’re a fan of bold, fruity drinks or prefer a more delicate, floral sip, the collection promises something for everyone.
MAI BAR,
Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral,
Jalan Stesen Sentral, Kuala Lumpur Sentral. (Tel: 03-2723 1154)
Business hours: 2pm to midnight
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
