Penang Marriott Hotel’s The Great Room has richly symbolic CNY tipples like (clockwise from top left) Fire-Cracker Chili Margarita, Dragon’s Breath, Red Envel Old Fashioned and Mandarin Prosperity Highball.
THE Year of the Fire Horse sets a dynamic tone for Chinese New Year and Penang’s hotel bars are serving festive cocktails to match its spirited energy.
Citrus fruits, pineapple and red dates feature prominently, their brightness representing the vitality that a new year brings.
Vivid colours, aromatic infusions and playful garnishes further amplify the celebratory mood, turning each tipple into a toast to cultural symbolism.
From spirit-forward pours that forge ahead to delicate serves that uplift, these celebratory creations invite guests to welcome the Lunar New Year at full stride, with glass in hand.
The Great Room
Level 1, Penang Marriott Hotel
Gurney Drive
Business hours: 9am to 1am daily
Tel: 04-566 1888
The bar’s Prosperity Cocktails are packed with bold flavours and symbolic ingredients.
Get into the spirit of the season with cocktails like the Dragon’s Blessing (right) and Indigo Harmony at The Reserve at The Prestige Hotel.
Dragon’s Breath sets the tone with vitality and power – using yuzu and roselle to temper the intensity of vodka, while cucumber bitters bring a cool herbal finish.
The Mandarin Prosperity Highball embodies luck and auspiciousness, pairing gin with mandarin oranges, oleo saccharum made from its peel and jasmine soda for a refreshing floral sparkle.
Fire-Cracker Chili Margarita will ignite the palate with explosive Sichuan pepper heat delivered via fat-washed tequila. Yuzu, lime and orange add balance to each smoky sip.
Red Envel Old Fashioned has toasted sesame bourbon, red date syrup and spiced bitters, creating an Asian richness that evoke the joy of receiving an ang pow.
The Millen Penang’s Good Society offers (clockwise from top left) Tea-Riffic, OOH! Long Iced Tea and B.O.W.
These drinks are available until March 3 and priced at RM49nett each.
Good Society
Lobby, The Millen Penang
Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah George Town
Business hours: 11am to midnight daily
Tel: 04-565 8888 / 012-201 6988
Oranges and tea are central to Chinese New Year traditions and here, they shine in a trio of festive cocktails.
B.O.W. blends bourbon with orange juice, watermelon syrup and bitters, resulting in a fruit-forward drink that balances smoky warmth with gentle sweetness.
The cultural significance of tea is celebrated with Tea-Riffic, a highball-style concoction with cherry blossom tea-infused tequila, gently muddled with lime, brown sugar and grapefruit juice, finished with refreshing soda.
Ooh! Long Iced Tea is a playful yet polished alternative, mixing tea-infused bourbon with lime juice and pineapple puree.
The creations are available till Feb 28 and priced from RM48+ onwards. Enjoy a buy-one-get-one-free deal at RM88+.
The Reserve
Ground Floor, Arcade, The Prestige Hotel
Church Street Ghaut, George Town
Business hours: 2pm to 11pm weekdays, 2pm to midnight weekends
Tel: 04-217 5888
Potent Chinese baijiu, traditionally taken as shots at festive reunions, take centre stage in a festive selection.
Spring Lily and Indigo Harmony softens the spirit’s distinctive character with citrus, tea and floral elements – the latter with butterfly pea flowers – for delicate, refreshing sips.
Mandarin Fortune leans into celebratory symbolism, uplifting the high-ABV liquor with mandarin oranges, honey and soda for auspicious toasting.
For deeper exploration, try Golden Prosperity which has bak kwa (Chinese dried meat) fat-washed baijiu, ginger-infused whisky and red date syrup, a truly unique twist on the classic Old Fashioned.
Dragon’s Blessing closes with a bold mix of bitters and longan syrup, creating a layered, spirit-forward profile similar to a Negroni, but with distinctive Oriental flair.
They are priced at RM38+ each and available till March 3.
