COCKTAILS can be great expressions of place, telling stories about the land and its produce through every glass.
At the Good Friends Club, a craft cocktail bar in George Town, Penang, provenance is more than just a gimmick; it is the soul of every creation.
While the establishment previously built its menu on local food culture, it now goes a step further by bringing it to life using locally-sourced ingredients.
Founder Lorraine Tan and bar manager Wong Kelvin said that up to 85% of their produce comes from dedicated growers across the northern region.
“Many people do not realise just how amazing our local fruit, vegetable, herb and spice crops can be.
“Such collaborations allow us to showcase this produce and bring a distinct Malaysian identity to mixology,” said Wong.
He said the bar team regularly visits farms to see how ingredients are cultivated, learn the stories behind each harvest and deepen their own connections with the land.
This “soil-to-glass” philosophy results in drinks that express flavours with clarity and respect, while celebrating the unheralded farmers whose tireless work sustains society.
“Every sip becomes a meaningful act of support.
“When there is demand for their crops, these growers can scale up and reach a broader market.
“This reflects our belief that good drinks should go hand-in-hand with ethical practices,” said Tan.
To complement this new direction, the bar’s interior received a facelift, including adjusted lighting and reworked bottle displays.
The new two-chapter menu is presented as the “Good Friends Mart” – a curated marketplace where guests choose concoctions as they do with fresh produce.
Chapter One, or “The Signature Selection”, offers drinks that distil the flavours, culture and heritage of Penang.
A highlight is ABC Fizz! which reimagines the beloved ais kacang as a creamy Ramos Fizz, using organic corn from Balik Pulau.
Whiskey, amaro, rose, peanut butter, condensed milk and local lemon also go into this playful yet nostalgic, souffle-like treat.
Meanwhile, the Chowrasta Bookstore draws inspiration from the iconic market’s secondhand bookshops.
It features Liberica coffee from Sik, Kedah, alongside rye whiskey, cognac, herbal liqueur, honey and smoked agarwood.
“Anybody who has visited the old bookstores above the main market will remember that distinct scent.
“We wanted to recreate that sensory experience in a glass,” Wong said, noting the drink was a local take on the classic Vieux Carre.
The Banana Index echoes the spirit of the Boulevardier, with bourbon whiskey and Campari, though pisang berangan from Air Itam gives it local nuance.
Various parts of the plant – from flesh to the peel and leaf – are processed to bring out the fruit’s soft tropical sweetness and caramel-like complexity.
That desire to harness all of nature’s gifts is also seen in the Rojak Platter, a refreshing tequila and mezcal-based sipper that also has jicama, calamansi, peanut and chilli. A shrimp paste powder goes on the rim and ties everything together.
“We work with a popular rojak stall at the Esplanade and collect unwanted mango and pineapple peel, which we turn into an oleo saccharum and soda for the cocktail,” Wong said.
There is also Tropical King, an Old Fashioned variant for those sceptical about durian in a drink yet game for a surprise.
Perak cempedak mellows the pungency, while nutmeg and clove – spices typically grown below durian trees in plantations – add warmth as well as a deeper, ecological narrative.
Leftovers from making these signature drinks, such as peels, pulps and trimmings, are further repurposed into house-made liqueurs and mixers.
These form the backbone of Chapter Two’s “The Local Classic Selection”, which reinterprets more timeless favourites.
The fruit-forward Nutmeg 75 riffs on the French 75, swapping regular champagne for a house-made nutmeg sparkling wine infused with local floral honey from Ipoh, Perak.
The Sazerac has the usual rye whiskey and bitters, but the absinthe is made with fresh pegaga leaves sourced from Perlis instead.
Such libations represent more than a clever cocktail menu; they offer a reminder that the most memorable drinks are produce that give a place meaning.
Good Friends Club
No.39, Jalan Gurdwara, George Town, Penang. (Tel: 010-568 0527) Business hours: 8pm to 1am, (Sunday to Thursday), 8pm to 2am (Friday and Saturday).
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
