FIP Lounge’s cosy interior lends to the admiration of beautiful artworks while sipping cocktails.
COCKTAILS and art may seem disparate things but they actually derive from the same spirit — creativity.
Mixologists craft unique experiences using alcohol and infusions, in much the same way artists captivate our imagination with pigments and composition.
Each triggers different senses, so pairing them together leads to a heightened experience as one can discover at Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Penang’s trendy FIP Lounge.
Located on the ground floor of the Feringghi resort’s Garden Wing, its name is an acronym for “fun, interactive, play” due to its immersive offerings.
Recently, the space was transformed into an art lounge.
Its inaugural exhibition, called “Echoes of Her”, features 31 paintings that touch on powerful themes of hope, nostalgia and resilience.
The artworks are by 12 Malaysian women artists and one Taiwanese who calls this country home.
Guests can kick back on comfy sofas and admire the artworks while sipping on cocktails from a limited-run menu called “A Palette of Flavour”, available from Nov 22.
Palette of the Senses.
Resort assistant F&B director Aries Boo said the lounge aimed to allow guests to feast their senses with creative expression, both the edible and visual kind.
“People normally associate drinking with raucous places and loud music.
“But why not enjoy it in a peaceful environment with something uplifting like art?
“For the cocktails, we looked at certain paintings to understand their narratives, then created the flavours around it,” he said.
Among the concoctions is Turtle’s Journey Home inspired by Yew Soo Cheng’s emotive portraits of sea turtles and their hatchlings, titled Love – The Unbreakable Bond.
Turtle’s Journey Home.
Coconut rum, pineapple juice and lime juice give it a distinctly tropical character and bluish-green hues reminiscent of local waters, while basil leaf adds an olfactory tease.
The colourful Palette of the Senses mirrors the kaleidoscopic hues of Loo Ley See’s Invisible Blessings 2, and is ripe for social media flaunting.
Layers of aged rum, Blue Curacao, pineapple, cranberry and mango juices just beckon to be stirred. Sweetness from the mango comes through and plays off the rum’s vanilla and caramel notes.
“This drink celebrates the diversity and talent of Malaysian women artists, whose works fill our world with colour, life and meaning.
“Each sip honours their creativity and allows guests to not just appreciate their art visually, but also feel a connection through taste and sensation,” said Boo.
Hope and Harmony is a twist on the classic negroni, using red apple-infused gin as a nod to Ng Kim Heoh’s paintings Releasing Love and Bowl of Happiness.
The artist often uses red apples as a metaphor for love and hope. And in this particular libation, its tartness is balanced by Pinot Gris, Campari, lemon juice and orange marmalade.
The Peacock’s Grace.
The Peacock’s Grace is inspired by Jade Beh’s Willowy Nyonya, which depicts a Peranakan woman in traditional clothing with peacock embroidery.
Vodka, pineapple juice, lime juice and elderflower liqueur are its constituents, while edible gold dust adds a sprinkle of feminine elegance to the decidedly floral sipper.
After gazing upon Ung Mooi Leng’s painting Morning Market, Boo and bar supervisor Faiz Taufik immediately knew they had pay homage to the local favourite, teh tarik.
Hence the emergence of Pulled Spirit, made from clarified milk tea, black sugar, lemon and grapefruit.
It has the familiar pungency of tea and sweetness of condensed milk, but without the cloying creaminess.
The final cocktail, Petals of Remembrance, mixes gin with passionfruit and fresh orange.
Pulled Spirit.
It takes from Teoh Siew Choo’s painting To Those We Loved, which uses face masks as a substitute for wilting flower petals in tribute to people lost during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The gin’s bittersweet botanicals represent fading yet beautiful memories, while the citrusy elements remind us of the vibrancy of life and mankind’s capacity to endure,” said Boo.
The selection of cocktails will be available until the exhibition ends on March 31, 2025; 10% of sales proceeds from the artworks sold will be donated to Penang Shan Children’s Home.
FIP Lounge also offers a good variety of spirits, beers and wines.
Guests can look forward to more new concoctions inspired by artworks at future exhibitions.
FIP LOUNGE, Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, Batu Feringghi, Penang.
Business hours: 6pm to 11pm (weekdays), 6pm to midnight (weekends). Tel: 04-888 8788.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
