a vodka moment

budget day in malaysia came and went.
we didn't get hit much this time. just 9 percent up for alcohol and 13 percent more for the smokers in the circle.
guess we can manage on our crummy stagnant pay by eating and drinking less outside the house. not that we did that last night.
the post-budget party was at 18-20th century restaurant in taman tun dr ismail, now under new management that had opened up the first floor for some funky fusion food and dynamic drinks.
anyway, we had an absolut raspberri bottle and the only bottle of stolichnaya elit in malaysia, or so the word was at our table. anyway, was too busy to take a photo of it, so can only offer my hoard of vodka.
first off, the absolut raspberri smelt and tasted like cough syrup but after liberally splashing in some sprite and a couple of ice cubes, it turned out to be a refreshing thirst-quencher and a great party drink.
several tumblers made its way past my lips, for sure. it was nice but i was looking forward to something better.
and after all that, food was the only thing on my mind. a quick look at the extensive menu - that spans dishes from all parts of the world and a combination of cuisines - pointed me the only thing that i love - beef.
sizzling ribeye in garlic olive oil. that sounded scrumptious and soon, it made its way to me on a hotplate. with the usual garnishing of cilantro, the thin slices of ribeye combined well with deep-fried garlic flakes and olive oil to provide a tantalising and appetising dish.
it whetted my appetite enough for me to order a mee siam. simple and nice. and spicy too.
the spotlight then went on to the star of the show - the stolichnaya elit or fondly known as the stoli elit.
introduced in october 2004, stoli elit comes in a tall torpedo-shaped bottle that contains a premium vodka similar to others that have appeared in a club near you.
the makers say stoli elit is filtered at sub-zero temperatures to help release impurities and just like other other premium vodkas, it is clearly smoother than traditional vodkas.
still, it gave a creamy kick down the gullet despite just having a standard 40 percent alcohol by volume. every drop and drip of the little water was a dewdrop from heaven. well, quite like it anyway.
the night continued and we decided to see what else 18-20 century restaurant could offer us. out came bottles of coopers sparkling ale beers that made the laconic loquacious for once.
18-20 century restaurant is at 52, jalan datuk sulaiman, taman tun dr ismail - that's the main road perpendicular to plaza ibm in taman tun dr ismail.

no small beer

hic. 'twas a cheery and beery week.
in between some wines, beer cooled an otherwise sultry week in kuala lumpur this past seven days, from local brews to some fine amber liquid from down under and the caribbean.
started with a carlsberg draught - the mild and sweetish pale lager and ended with bottles of tiger beer - a bit bitter but insipid, could be the bottles. then again, maybe the fa cup match between manchester united and arsenal was far better.
that was that. let's now enter the chamber of the amber.
plonked - hey! another usage of the word - my butt down at chinoz in klcc and ordered an ice-cold bottle of bucanero fuerte. the head disappeared quickly but this full-bodied cuban export - with 5.4 percent alcohol by volume - kept its promise to chill the evening.
i could taste the hops but sweetness dominated the palate, understandable as it is brewed with fine cuban sugar, the major ingredient for rum - the major drink in that region.
the next beer was cuba's cristal beer. it was pee-yellow in colour and the head disappeared as quickly as it came. at 4.9 percent alcohol by volume, the beer was very light and almost shandy-like in taste with citrus notes dominating the malt. finished it in double-quick time and sought a carlsberg to maintain alcohol volume in the body.
men at work - the band, not the phrase - came to mind as bottles of australia's coopers beers surrounded our wine glasses last friday.
i was thinking of a snatch of the lyrics - i come from a land down under, where beer does flow and men chunder, can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder? you better run, you better take cover. - from down under when the first bottle popped open.
the first bottle was the coopers pale ale and it looked like an albino but the cloudy appearance suggested in-bottle fermentation. google-driven research revealed it as the burton-on-trent style fermentation.
that explained the need to roll the bottle before opening it. it was light and fruity, and had some head to whisker the lips. at 4.5 percent alcohol by volume, this ale was just a precursor for a heady night.
the next beer is called the coopers sparkling ale but it not only sparkles, it packs a bitter punch too. again, we conducted the bottle rolling ceremony to stir the cloudy sediment of this beer, first brewed in 1862.
the dark gold beer - with 5.8 percent alcohol by volume - kept its head and taste throughout, leaving a filligree of lace as i slowly sipped and savoured the taste. more was to come.
we were on a roll, so to speak.
night was falling and out came the coopers dark ale. performed the standard bottle-rolling and opening act, and creamy beer foamed at the glass like the sea, disappearing soon after.
hot chocolate and coffee came to mind as the dominant taste as we quickly quaffed the 4.5 percent alcohol by volume beer.
it was time to join the dark side by the time coopers best extra stout came to view. the force was pretty strong in this one as the blackness spread through the glass with a bit of head making an appearance.
a good stout effort that tasted like carbonated coffee, albeit a strong and robust espresso but a shade less than the best irish stouts. still, a satisfying stout, bitter to the end at 6.3 percent alcohol by volume.
that's enough beers for the week, i guess. cheers!