Cover Photo by M.S. Meeuwesen via Unsplash
Photo by M.S. Meeuwesen via Unsplash
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Part of the team behind the KLCW, taking place from April 24 to 30, share the highs and lows of planning an event of this scale
Kuala Lumpur Cocktail Week (KLCW) aims to elevate the local cocktail and spirits landscape by fostering a vibrant community of enthusiasts, bartenders, and spirit brands. A host of activities are planned throughout the week and spread across five zones, from global guest bar takeovers featuring local talent as well, to food pairing sessions and masterclasses.
But of course, an event of such scale and magnitude involves a lot of planning, time, and energy. We speak to three individuals, Angeline Tan, the co-founder of Three X Co, Jon Lee of Penrose, and Nicholas Ng the founder of Food for Thought, who are part of the committee that helped kick off KLCW to find out more.
Also read: What’s going down at the KLCW
Angeline Tan, co-founder of Three X Co
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What’s the inspiration behind launching KLCW?
Angeline Tan (AT): The main goal is to shine a spotlight on the Malaysian cocktail culture, which is comparable on a global scale. Our local talent and craftsmanship, plus communal spirit within the industry, often go unnoticed and deserve to be put on a pedestal. The main aim of KLCW started with the need to celebrate the local bar community and to showcase this community to a much wider audience.
Jon Lee (JL): If I had to sum up my inspiration in one word, it would be “Community.” In my experience attending cocktail festivals across South East Asia, what truly stands out is not just the industry gathering, but the community-building aspect that involves people from all walks of life.
Our primary goal is to expand the cocktail market in Malaysia significantly. Through heightened awareness and investment in top bartenders from across Southeast Asia, we aim to showcase the true art of cocktail-making, emphasising its fusion with hospitality. And ultimately, we seek to influence a broader segment of consumers in the Malaysian market. Plus, it helps foster a more cohesive and trusting community among bar owners and bartenders, which is essential to collectively pursue this vision.
Nicholas Ng (NN): We spoke about it nonchalantly about a year ago, about how Singapore and Bangkok have their own iterations of the festival, and we thought it would be good to highlight what KL has to offer as well.
We each have a different vision for the KLCW, but the common consensus is for us to grow the cocktail culture of KL and educate the public on spirits and mixology. For me, it has always been about nation-building. To go fast you go alone, to go far you go together, as the saying goes.
What were some of the challenges of organising the KLCW?
AT: While there was a general grand vision of how the week is going to unfold, getting sponsors on board was difficult. I had a meeting with Ben Ng from Drinks Alliance to talk about this, and he was a great help. He organised a cocktail week back in 2011, spanning five days across five outlets, but at that time the landscape was very different, and bars were mostly gastro bars, restaurant bars, and hotel bars. Today, the bar industry is more specialised, we have world-class bartenders, craft cocktail bars, and more spirit brands available. He advised that the vision and objectives have to be very clear to call it the first KLCW that brings together and helps the community. With this clarity in vision and objectives, we are very grateful for the sponsors who share the same vision with us.
JL: The most significant aspect for me would be the organisation itself. It involved combining numerous great ideas from industry experts, committees, and bar owners within a limited timeframe to ensure maximum impact while navigating various directions. Despite the challenges, I'm pleased that we reached a consensus on prioritising long-term goals over short-term self-interest.
NN: I concur with Jon. And would also like to add that we could not have pulled this together without the help and kindness of those within the industry and dear friends of the media. Everyone has been so supportive by helping us spread the word for our very small country.
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How have other industry players helped out with the organisation of KLCW?
AT: It has been super crazy organising everything in three months with so many moving parts. I am especially very grateful for my committee members like Nicholas [Ng], Rohan Matmary from Bar Trigona, Jon [Lee] and Matthew Goh from Penrose, Jin Boone Ooi (JB) from Wholly Spirits, and Nick Choo from Reka for always checking in and taking whatever ball I throw at them and run, amid their busy schedules. The local bar owners are very supportive to offer help whenever we need it. And, I am most grateful to Trisha Toh for art directing the whole KLCW for us and NZ Phang for taking all the portrait shots you see in the magazine. We had a lot of pro-bono help and love.
JL: In numerous ways; we leveraged our diverse expertise and pooled resources to ensure the success of the event. Whether it was coordinating logistical transport, expediting venue processes through favours, or efficiently managing budgets for talent and operations, each team member played a crucial role in bringing KLCW 2024 to fruition.
NN: The committee is made up of mainly bartender-bar owners such as Junglebird and Reka for their business perspective, Rohan (from Trigona) for his hotel bar specialisation, Jon and Matthews for their youthful energy and work ethic, Angeline [Tan] for her business experience, JB for his experience in running the Gin Jubilee and myself for my writing and PR experience. It really takes a village; but in addition to that, the whole city has been supportive, we couldn’t have asked for more encouragement.
What were some of the highlights of putting KLCW together?
AT: We are also overwhelmed by the overseas support from our bigger bar community. We have 14 international bars featured in this KLCW and the attendees are all owners and head bartenders. We are most grateful to them for their support. This KLCW is a true community effort and we applaud all of them. And not forgetting, the magazine we created for KLCW, instead of a simple leaflet. This magazine is a labour of love as we want to shine a light on some of Kuala Lumpur’s best bars, spirit brands, ingredients and businesses that makeup the city’s cocktail culture.
JL: One of the most fulfilling experiences for me has been gathering the key players in Malaysia’s cocktail industry to strategise on how to elevate the guest experience. Collaboratively discussing and planning to make this event the best it can be has been a source of immense pride for me within the Malaysian cocktail scene.
NN: For me too, it has been the coming together of the community to support what we’re trying to do in a country that may have its challenges when it comes to alcohol. But it is also seeing the support from the local and global industry who didn’t even ask what was going to happen and just said “tell us how can we help.”
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Credits
Images: KLCW
If tall, dark and handsome is what you're looking for, Aaron Pereira ticks two out of three. This fine chocolate man (that is, a connoisseur of fine chocolate), enjoys the theatre, futsal, real-life conversations and of course, the English language. He believes that language should first be used to express, but the business of a sub-editor is to impress.
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