Get ready to raise your glasses as Kuala Lumpur Cocktail Week (KLCW) is set to return for its highly anticipated second edition this April 22 to 27, 2025. With a dynamic lineup of international bar takeovers, curated dining experiences, industry talks, and a festival finale, KLCW 2025 promises to elevate Malaysia’s cocktail scene and introduce a wider audience to craft cocktails and fine spirits.
The week-long event will take place across multiple venues around Kuala Lumpur, dividing the city into five zones: Bangsar, Petaling Jaya/Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, Damansara Heights, Chinatown, and Kuala Lumpur City Centre. Each zone will host its own events, culminating in the Festival Village celebration at Sentul Depot on April 26.
Exclusive bar takeovers
This year, KLCW will bring 27 international bars to Kuala Lumpur for exclusive one-night bar takeovers. Headliners include Handshake Speakeasy (The World’s Best Bar 2024), Bar Leone (The Best Bar in Asia 2024), Jigger & Pony (No. 5 on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024), BKK Social Club (The Best Bar in Thailand 2024), and Vender (The Best Bar in Taiwan 2024). These guest shifts will showcase innovative cocktails, cutting-edge techniques, and global trends while fostering collaboration between local and international talents.
The full list of participating international bars for KLCW’s City Takeover include:
1. Argo, Hong Kong
2. BKK Social Club, Thailand
3. Bar Leone, Hong Kong
4. Bee’s Knees, Japan
5. Dentree, China
6. Firefly, Thailand
7. Bar Flora, Philippines
8. Gokan, Hong Kong
9. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City
10 . Jigger & Pony, Singapore
11. Le Chamber, South Korea
12. Lockdown, Hong Kong
13. Mahaniyom, Thailand
14. Night Hawk, Singapore
15. Nuss Bar, Thailand
16. Nomad Lab, Mongolia
17. Offtrack, Singapore
18. Opium Bar, Thailand
19. Penicillin, Hong Kong
20. Pony Up, China
21. Ritz Carlton, Japan
22. Solo Bar, South Korea
23. Sugarhall, Singapore
24. The House on Sathorn, Thailand
25. The Modern Hausm, Indonesia
26. Vender Bar, Taiwan
27. Wu, Taiwan
There will also be four local bars participating for the Malaysian Takeover:
1. Good Friend’s Club, Penang
2. Haiiro Usagi, Johor Bahru
3. Budi, Malacca
4. No Bar Here, Penang
Meanwhile, the local bars that will be hosting guest shifts include:
1. Astor Bar
2. Ba by Kinugawa
3. Bar Trigona
4. Cabinet 8 KL
5. Concubine
6. Frank’s Bar
7. Here & Now
8. Humboldt
9. Jaan
10. Jao Tim
11. Joloko
12. JungleBird
13. Lavantha
14. Living Room at W
15. Moon Bar
16. Pahit
17. Penrose
18. Rakh
19. Records
20. Reka
21. Remedy
22. Soma
23. Terumi
24. Three X Co
25. Ver Bar
Festival Village at Sentul Depot
In keeping with tradition, the KLCW Festival Village will return to Sentul Depot on 26 April, from 2.30pm to 11.30pm. Guests will be able to explore an array of cocktails from 30 spirit brand booths, enjoy live music by the likes of Irama and Idaho, participate in exciting games, and watch engaging performances in an interactive celebration of cocktail craftsmanship.
Industry seminars
Moreover, KLCW 2025 will host expert-led seminars curated in partnership with Bar Convent Singapore, featuring esteemed industry figures such as Hadrien Moudoulaud of Bar Nouveau on Olfactory Mixology and Philip Bischoff of BKK Social Club on The Art of Hospitality. There will also be a special roundtable session on managing personal finances for hospitality professionals, with exclusive insights from Mr. Money TV.
Cocktail pairing dinners
Aside from bar takeovers and seminars, KLCW 2025 will introduce an impressive lineup of cocktail pairing dinners in collaboration with some of Kuala Lumpur’s outstanding restaurants, including Akâr, Barkar, Beta, Bistro Lea, Chipta, ESCA, Fifty Tales, Ignis, Jwala, Jus, Okaju, Upperhouse, and Yellow Fin Horse at RAW.
For more information and to secure your tickets to Kuala Lumpur Cocktail Week, click here. For more updates, visit KLCW’s Instagram page @klcwofficial.
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Images courtesy of KLCW