Larissa Ping enchanting the audience with the soothing melody of the sape
Cover Miss World Malaysia 2018 Larissa Ping entertaining guests with the sape

The local distillery celebrates Sarawak and its rich culture with a captivating night of traditional music, Ngajat dancing, and premium quality tuak

Honlynn Distillery has been bringing the best of Sarawakian spirits and wines to the peninsula since 2008. Its latest product, Kaban Tuak, is a native rice wine brewed and fermented with techniques carefully passed down through generations of the Dayak community. 

In December 2021, Kaban Tuak landed in Kuala Lumpur in style with an unforgettable launch party, kickstarting its mission to shake up the capital city's F&B scene. Held at SPG by Bijan in Bukit Ceylon, friends of the brand were welcomed with a curated menu of cocktails created by the modern Malaysian tapas bar and grill's expert mixologists, starring Kaban Tuak, as well as other Sarawakian spirits Sangkoh Langkau and Ohha Party Langkau.

See also: Award-Winning Whisky Timah Officially Launches in Malaysia

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Photo 1 of 2 Kaban Tuak and Sangkoh Langkau cocktails
Photo 2 of 2 Kaban Tuak, Sangkoh Langkau and Ohha spirits

Guests were also invited to learn more about the importance of tuak in local and indigenous communities in Sarawak as a symbol of gayu, guru, and gerai nyamai, translated to mean longevity, health, and prosperity respectively. They were also given an insight on how Kaban Tuak is made, from sourcing rice from local farmers in the region to observing taboos to ensure the most authentic taste during the fermentation and ageing process. 

A truly immersive experience of Sarawakian culture, there was also a display of handwoven crafts by Tanoti, a social enterprise honouring the traditions and heritage of the Penan community, as well as a traditional sape performance by model and Miss World Malaysia 2018 Larissa Ping, during which guests spontaneously joined in with lively ngajat dancing.

See also: Oh Apong Serves Treats Infused with Sarawakian Gula Apong

True to its name, derived from the word for 'friend' in the Iban language, the night was a true celebration of togetherness, fortifying relationships and forging friendships with good food, drink and music. 

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Photo 1 of 19 Keelan Woon, director of Honlynn Distillery
Photo 2 of 19 Larissa Ping
Photo 3 of 19 Eddy Yap, Elaine Ho, Karen Wei and Jeremy Sim
Photo 4 of 19 Simon Tnay, Keelan Woon, Gordon Chung and Eric Lim
Photo 5 of 19 Geraldine Sim, Wafa Syed Salehuddin and Yeoh Way Cheng
Photo 6 of 19 Geraldine Sim, Ida Rahim and Shireen Zainuddin
Photo 7 of 19 Karen Wei and Ngooi Poh Lin
Photo 8 of 19 Memed Casmad and Elyna Effendi
Photo 9 of 19 Arthur Tan and Dato AJ Ubrani
Photo 10 of 19 Ravin Sachithananthan, Arthur Tan, Kyan Yap, and Andy Lim
Photo 11 of 19 Artisanal handwoven baskets by Tanoti
Photo 12 of 19 Shamin Yusof
Photo 13 of 19 Santiago Lozano, Andrew Wong, Cristobal Alvear, Maxime Pfister, and Dr Mohamed Siddique
Photo 14 of 19 Saiful Riza and Awangku Irawan
Photo 15 of 19 Shaun Ho and Allan Bungan
Photo 16 of 19 Ngajat dancing
Photo 17 of 19 Veronica How
Photo 18 of 19 Adib Badrul Asri, Geraldine Sim and Yacub Taha
Photo 19 of 19 Lissa Yeoh

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