AlcoHall by Wholly Spirits
Words: Alicia Kennedy
Photos: Monica Tindall
Looking for a satisfying beverage after a busy day of grocery shopping? Or the perfect bottle of wine or spirits to go with a special home-cooked meal? Look no further; AlcoHall by Wholly Spirits in Qra @ Arcoris, Mont Kiara has the knowledge, creative talent, and worldly recommendations to personalize your experience and purchases.
It may surprise you to find a bar tucked within a grocery store, but just think of how much more pleasant your chores could be! A low ABV bevvie to warm you up, a craft cocktail to keep you going and perhaps a classic to wind down and congratulate yourself on a task well done – all are options here.
AlcoHall by Wholly Spirits
AlcoHall by Wholly Spirits is attached to a high-end grocery store inside the Qra @ Arcoris, Mont Kiara complex. You can try before you buy many of their spirits, and they have wine by the glass (or bottle) as well as craft beer on tap. We like the seats at the bar so we can chat with the bartenders, but there’s also a semi-alfresco area outside. Food from other outlets within the grocery store is available, too.
No-Lo Cocktails at AlcoHall
No-lo cocktails at AlcoHall include almost no alcohol or limited alcohol and sugar. They were designed to provide customers with a healthier alternative. We love our sangrias full of fruits and wine, and the Kombucha-Sangria (RM 25) is the perfect choice as an afternoon drink. The healthier twist to this drink is that it includes a smooth and tangy kombucha and a fruity wine. Adding the kombucha offers the punch without much alcohol. This ruby red beverage is energizing and thirst-quenching.
A Garibaldi (RM 25) is a simple two-ingredient drink. It is a combination of Campari and orange juice. AlcoHall’s take on the Garibaldi is inspired by the award-winning Dante’s Bar in New York City. It has “fluffy” or foamy orange juice that gives it a fresh, simple, yet almost cappuccino smoothness, while the Campari is bitter. The combination makes this drink bittersweet. The trick to keeping this drink high-quality and balanced is to serve it “pour to order” using a high-speed juicer. On top is a slice of burnt orange, gifting a slightly charred flavour to this drink.
Keto Cocktails at AlcoHall
For those unfamiliar with the ketogenic diet, it is a diet very low in carbohydrates and high in fat. Although bartenders are constricted by the sugars and liquors they can use to make keto-friendly cocktails, the bartenders at AlcoHall have been able to curate and create five delicious cocktails that meet these criteria.
Coming in at only 100 calories is a cocktail that cannot be missed- the Reverse Star Fruit Daiquiri (RM 40). A traditional daiquiri is made using rum, citrus juice and sugar. Still, for this Cuban-inspired drink, the Malaysian star fruit offers a bright and refreshing kick. This light yellow number is well balanced with sweet and sour notes, while this superfood star fruit or carambola presents tropical flavours and finishes that boost immunity and weight loss. You are practically becoming healthier as you drink, right?
AlcoHall’s Kukri (RM 40) plays homage to a Nepalese bartender and is named after a Nepalese machete-like blade. This cocktail consists of coconut water, homemade liquors and lime juice. At first, it is light and earthy, but as the drink lingers in your mouth, the different layers of the cocktail reveal its hidden treasures and complexities. It has more complex flavours of juniper, pandan, kaffir lime, supasawa (a mixer adding acidity to drinks) and saline. The Kukri is more than meets the eye.
Contemporary Cocktails
This one-of-a-kind bar serves a wide range of contemporary cocktails with its own twists on our all-time favourite cocktails. White Lady Cocktail (RM 45), a crowd pleaser, is light, easy to drink and versatile with a velvety lemon spin. It contains gin with a dash of Curaçao. An egg white substitute is added called Aer. Aer is a stable aeration beverage enhancer used in several of AlcoHall’s shaken cocktails as it is free of gluten, dairy and nuts. Retail manager and bartender Koh Kay Kim understands the necessity of a vigorous shake and has learned several shaking methods during his years of bartending. A White Lady requires a spirited shake, so make sure you watch Kim while he gets things moving behind the bar.
If you need an energy boost, you would definitely benefit from an Espresso Martini (RM 45). This cold caffeinated concoction is topped with salted chocolate and nutmeg and the body is a velvety brown. Kim let me in on a well-known secret on how to make the perfect Espresso Martini. Instead of using hot freshly brewed espresso, use high-quality instant espresso in replacement along with high-end vodka, coffee liquor, and just a touch of gum syrup. Gum syrup is like cornstarch as it thickens and stabilizes flavours in beverages.
House Wine & Beer
After tasting a variety of cocktails from their highly experienced staff, the bartenders continued informing us of their house wines, the collection of beer they have on tap and bottled and of special recommendations. Their house red wine is Lapostolle Apalta, a blend of Carmenere, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Their Pinot Grigio, Torrontes, is by Fuzion Alta from Mendoza, Argentina, and their Prosecco is by Ca Di Rajo.
Specialty beers change frequently. However, on top during our visit was Brewlander Singapore, which is an extra pale ale. They also had a hazy IPA and a milk stout from Beer Farm in Australia. Guests may also purchase a bottle to be enjoyed on the premises for a minimal corkage fee (RM 22).
Reasons to visit AlcoHall by Wholly Spirits: a talented team ready to recommend something to quench your immediate thirst or something to take home; good variety of beverages, even including keto-friendly options; Mon & I are fond of the fruity Kombucha Sangria, loved their Reverse Star Fruit Daiquiri, and very much enjoy the versatile White Lady.
AlcoHall by Wholly Spirits
Qra @ Arcoris, LG5-3A, Lower Ground 5 Level, 10, Jalan Kiara 4,
Mont Kiara, 50480, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
https://www.facebook.com/AlcoHall.my/
Instagram: @AlcoHall.my
AlcoHall by Wholly Spirits Opening Hours
Monday-Wednesday 1:30-10pm
Thursday-Friday 1:30pm-12am
Saturday 12pm-12am
Sunday 12-10pm
Find more KL bar recommendations here, and stay up-to-date on the latest gourmet and travel happenings around Malaysia here and here.
I like that shade of blue, the Kukri.