Malaysia bar crawl: Searching for the best cocktail in Kuala Lumpur
A travel feature explores the cocktail scene in Kuala Lumpur, highlighting unique bars like Bar Trigona, Coley, and Three x Co. The piece focuses on local ingredients and the storytelling behind the city's mixology culture.
Why it matters
It provides cultural insight into Malaysia's growing hospitality and tourism sector, specifically the high-end beverage industry.
Our 30-minute car ride turns into an elaborate guest shift. We take off from the Four Seasons hotel set in the glossy heart of corporate Kuala Lumpur, with dramatic views of the iconic Petronas towers. Our guide for the evening’s bar crawl is the award-winning bartender who runs Four Seasons’ Bar Trigona, Rohan Matmary, and is friends with everyone behind a bar in the city. Rohan is generously willing to share his contacts and insider tips.
Which is how we get into Coley, set in the southwestern part of the city in Bangsar, a quaint, residential neighbourhood dominated by classic row houses. Sandwiched between two shops, Coley has an unassuming familiarity. The simplicity of its being reflects in its bestselling cocktail: gin blended with coconut water and served chilled in a mug.
Inside Coley | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in