‘Go Lokal’ Cocktail Menu – Blue at EQ Kuala Lumpur
Words: Jacob Weber
Photos: Han Sen Hau
The term ‘elevate’ is getting seriously overused in food and beverage these days.
But when we’re talking about a classy cocktail bar that towers 51 stories above the heart of Kuala Lumpur, I hope you’ll forgive the pun.
And when it’s introducing a signature cocktail menu that masterfully blends local flavours with modern mixology, I hope you’ll forgive me when I say that Blue at EQ has really elevated their experience.
‘Go Lokal’ Cocktail Menu – Blue at EQ
‘Go Lokal’ highlights the range and diversity of Malaysian tastes and textures, from across the Peninsula to east Malaysia and back again. It’s been personally designed by Blue’s Head Mixologist, Mohd Norfazryne Bin Mazlan—otherwise known as Boy Fazy—and every handcrafted sip tells a story of Malaysia’s rich culinary traditions. Some of these creative combinations will transport Malaysian taste buds back to their childhood. (I’m talking about the garnishes, not the booze!).
There’s also bonus Yum List points for sustainability. Many ingredients are sourced straight from Cameron Highlands. Some of these recipes recycle fruit skins for syrups and garnishes. And celebrating local produce can never be a bad thing in supporting Malaysian farmers.
You can settle down in the indoor lounge by the main bar, complete with comfortable sofa seating and a stage for live music. Or, grab a table outside at Sky51, the duplex-level rooftop bar area, which offers some of the best skyline views of any bar in the city. Try to time your visit for sunset on a clear day, and drink in the atmosphere as the sun goes down, and the lights of KL start to twinkle beneath you.
Modern Malaysian Mixology at Blue
There are eight ‘Go Lokal’ cocktails to choose from (all RM68), each celebrating Malaysian flavours in a different way. We start light and bright and work our way towards the stronger options — pacing ourselves like professionals, naturally.
Kantan Kick is inspired by laksa, a dish beloved by Malaysians from Borneo to Johor Bahru. This delicately balanced cocktail features Absolut vodka, langkau (Sarawak rice spirit), Aperol, grapefruit juice, aquafaba, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf. It’s a sweet, sour and refreshing tribute to the complexity of laksa and all its regional varieties. The dehydrated local ginger garnish pays a colourful and creative homage to this heritage.
Furiosa stands out with its smooth texture and sweeter profile, thanks to the perfect blend of homemade yuzu soda, calamansi, and coconut lime leaf cordial with Absolut vodka. The yuzu has a zesty freshness, and the calamansi has a sharp edge that cuts through the rich coconut, creating a subtle complexity that lingers nicely.
Verdant Valley is inspired by leng chee kang, a traditional lotus seed dessert featuring fresh fruits and syrups that is said to have healing and cooling properties. Boy Fazy’s version, which features Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve, Amaro Montenegro, oolong-infused red dates and pandan, white peach and citric acid, is perhaps less about healing and more about indulgence, but that just makes us more excited to try it. It’s a fascinating, complex cocktail served in a tiki bowl, which makes us like it even more.
Monica particularly likes Flowerescent, and I can see why. This recipe of Monkey 47 gin, coconut water, tamarind distillate, elderflower, Bentong ginger, and basil lime oil has a punchy opening followed by a well-balanced sweetness. But it’s the texture that’s the most captivating; I promised I would never use the word ‘mouthfeel’ in a review again, but I have to admit there’s no other way to describe this. There’s a deeply rewarding depth to every sip in this tropical, floral number. Not too sweet, and extremely satisfying.
A Land of Rice takes inspiration from hinava, a native dish from Sabah’s Kadazan-Dusun population. It’s made with fish and mixed with lime juice, chilli and ginger. Thankfully, Boy Fazy’s recipe doesn’t feature any fish. Still, it offers a nostalgic nod to traditional flavours, right down to the Wong Wong cracker garnish that many Malaysians will immediately recognise. A Land of Rice features Havana rum, tuak (rice wine), pineapple and calamansi cordial, Sabah chilli tincture and celery bitters. It’s a playful cocktail with sweet-sour-spicy profiles and subtle umami undertones.
I’m not usually a fan of sweeter cocktails myself, but Jack and Honey is one of my favourites. It’s a creamy, sweet cocktail that features kelutut honey harvested from stingless bees and is said to have many health benefits. This blend of Maker’s Mark-infused jackfruit, Malibu, coconut milk, and health-boosting honey is served in a charming traditional wooden bowl; close your eyes and take a sip, and for a second, you can see yourself in some kind of ceremony – certainly, a happy occasion, judging by the luxuriously rich taste of this.
Finally, the Murraya Melange (we decide that one tiki bowl cocktail is enough for today, so we’ll try Take Me to 51 another time). Like many others on the Go Lokal menu, this is an intriguingly complex cocktail; a base of Chivas 12 with layers of fruity flavour from lemongrass shrub and cantaloupe, topped with a curry leaf garnish and cayenne pepper. Bold, and quite brilliant.
Blue at EQ Menu & Prices
We’re here for the cocktails, but very grateful that Blue at EQ has a strong selection of sharing platters and bar snacks to soak up the booze.
We get a Meat Platter (RM218), a generous helping of Grilled Angus striploin, chicken thuringer sausage, chilli con carne with nachos and chimichurri sauce. All the meat is cooked beautifully, and goes down nicely hot or cold (as we learn once we’re distracted by the cocktails).
The Chicken Quesadillas (RM48) are also highly recommended. Speaking from personal experience, this is exactly the kind of food that one tends to seek out after a few alcoholic beverages, and these hit the spot perfectly.
If you want something sweeter, try the Burnt Cheesecake (RM28): a creamy, dreamy slice topped with fresh berries, mascarpone orange cream, and ‘snow powder’.
A final toast to Boy Fazy and the excellent team at Blue, who have been attentively keeping us fed and watered all afternoon, and it’s time to head home.
Reasons to visit Blue at EQ: the new ‘Go Lokal’ cocktail menu highlighting Malaysian flavours and ingredients; an extensive drinks menu of premium spirits and classic cocktails; a stunning 51st-floor lounge and rooftop bar with some of the best views of Kuala Lumpur; friendly and attentive service.
Blue at EQ
Level 51, EQ, Equatorial Plaza, Jalan Sultan Ismail
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Link to Blue at EQ on Google Maps
*vegetarian options
**pork-free
Blue at EQ Opening Hours
Daily 5 pm – 1 am
Find more KL bar recommendations here, and stay up-to-date on the latest gourmet and travel happenings around Malaysia via The Yum List on Instagram here and The Yum List on Facebook here.