The gold-etched bottle looks cool, and the flakes lie suspended. The drink was a hit during the trial run at Mumbai Airport, out-performing targets.

Texts show that the practice of putting gold in alcohol dates back to ancient Egypt. Them weird Pharaohs.

A recommended serve: The Golden Delicious – Smirnoff Gold mixed with apple liqueur, cinnamon and a dash of maple syrup.

I think i’ll infuse some cinnamon into my Baad Apples™ cider.

Like all Smirnoffs, it’s triple-distilled, 10 times charcoal-filtered. The product comes in a one litre bottle at 40%abv, with a recommended selling price of US$36 (RM108).

Golden apple wrapped by ginger leaves

The Orient Apple (40%, 75cl) is the latest, just launched in May in Frankfurt, and sales are restricted to travel retail for now. Havent tried it, but it claims to merge the crisp sweetness of fresh apples with the deep spicy aroma of ginger.

It’s got no added sugar or artificial flavour enhancers. The apple graphic appears to float in the bottle due to an optical effect.

Cute

Watkins (40%, 1 liter) launched in January, and is a limited edition, exclusive to travel retail, as the target group is global travelers. Decor of the Watkins bottle was created by Swedish fashion illustrator and artist, Liselotte Watkins.

It’s flavours are of reshly ground coffee with notes of almond, caramel and chili. Chili??

Its suggested mix is cola. Not for me. Cinnamon Chic sounds interesting – which is Watkins, lime juice and sum cinnamon syrup. Shake with ice and serve.

Regionally, the Watkins is available at Changi Airport in Singapore now, and Kuala Lumpur International sometime this year.

Tried it out recently. Quite different from the Black Label; a lot more smokiness, as its uses West Coast whiskies. Some Islay style. Although it’s blend, it’s got a distinct character that suggests otherwise. More like a single-malt.

The whisky was created taking Black Label as a blueprint and adding heavily-peated malts, with some aged in deeply charred oak casks.

Giant stills at the Cardhu distillery

Some of those who enjoy Black Label might appreciate something more complex like the Double Black. Price wise, its 15-20% higher than Black Label.

It’s reported to be doin really well – it’s already number eight in travel retail liquors by value, above Absolut Blue, Jack Daniel’s and Famous Grouse – exceeding sales targets seven times!

At the mo, its available exclusively in travel retail at selected airports. KLIA probably not yet, but is designated to be available at Bangkok International and Changi.

Loos like the JW DB is set to be a hit!

My sweet hart. Haha

Demerara is a light brown raw-cane sugar from Guyana, which is  fermented then distilled. These rums are used to make Tiki cocktails (Tiki is a Polynesian-inspired cultural fad) like Mai Tai and Zombie. Lemon Hart 151 is supposedly THE rum for this, as opposed to others like Bacardi 151.

The clincher – the alcohol. Dis mafucker packs it in at 151 proof, or..

Ouch

Daaamn niga, sgonna smack your head up! Bitch is more lethal than most absinthes. 75.5 will be a new record for me, as the highest i’ve had is 75.

Overproof rums are popular among the locals in the Caribbean islands. Winos. There was concern when Pernod Ricard sold the Lemon Hart brand to Mosaiq last year, as the 151 disappeared for a short while. But its back! It’s dark as hell. The bottle is clear but looks black.

Strange thing is, there’s a warning on the back label. “… extremely flammable… blah blah… danger of uncontrolled flaming… blah blah..” Then it goes n says this – “Empty into a cool or warm surface to ignite, never onto an open flame.”

Wazzat??! “To ignite”??

OK, will have to do some research on the drinking ritual before i open him up. I guess you could light em up even if its in a cocktail.

Want one? Its available in Langkawi (the old stock/design). Price? Only 45!

I luurv Langkawi. You can find real weird shit there, and they’re the cheapest on this planet. Kuah town is like fuckin Disneyland.

Sure sounds good. Reminds me of that other alco-hazelnut shit i like, Frangelico. Pour it all over vanilla ice-cream. Or drop two shots into a chocolate milk shake. Mm mmm mmmph!! Killa dessert!

Absolutely luv d Frangelico cocktail the bartenders used to serve @ Chill, the Brazillian Monk.

Come 'ere!!

Anyway, the world’s number one liqueur is comin out with a new variant to add to its range of flavours. The new Baileys mix combines fresh Irish cream and triple-distilled Irish whiskey, with a smooth hazelnut flavour (ABV 17%, 1,000ml, shelf-life 24 months).

(Baileys Original is Irish whisky, cocoa nibs, vanilla pods, caramel and sugar.)

Adding flavours to the original Baileys (since 2005) ranks amongst Diageo’s most successful innovations to date, and has been a big hit with consumers. It’ll be available from Nov 1 in travel retail (duty-free) in Europe, and rest of travel retail regions in the new year. With the stronger ringgit, i would recommend buying overseas and not at our shite, over-priced LCCT/KLIA  duty-free.

For Christmas, all bottles will feature a bow, adding to its gifting appeal. So if ur flying there anytime soon, u know what i  want for Christmas.

Or Halloween. Or full moon. Or Friday.

“Hat Yai, where the fun never stops 24/7!  From bargain shopping, delectable food, stimulating nightlife, to the local Thai massage and reflexology.  The REAL Thai experience awaits you in Hat Yai, where you get more value for your Baht.”

“And Scotch whisky that’s so cheap, you’ll burn your return ticket!”

Well i added the last line. Coz d same day, i got a pictorial email from Eddy about a Malaysian who was busted there for producing fake Scotch.

What an entrepreneur! Global Malaysian businessman. Like our famous bookies.

Respect. But then again, it’s also a brain drain to foreign lands. Rugi la.

Not sure of the authenticity. Regardless. Shit like dat is happening all d time everywhere. Fake booze is a serious problem, easily using recycled original bottles. Some bars n clubs serve dis shit to customers coz its dirt cheap for them.

I plan to talk to d liquor companies about this issue soon, and also on how we can reduce d problem.

In d meantime, here r some pictures of d bust in Hat Yai.

The used bottles await

Thai cops score. Traffic cop came for his share of whisky

Out to market

The dude's gear. Wonder wats d poisonous canned shit on d right for

Cop seems impressed with the fake bottle caps. New toy for his kid

The books

Spouts

The (alleged) suspect. Anyone know Mr Pee? Would like to score an interview with the pisshead

"OK boys, which bottle shall we down first?? Mr Pee, any suggestions? No?? BTW tell yor bitch to stop hiding behind you. And your damn hairdo is an insult to all good moonshiners! "

In ’07, the club party at Velvet was for a small group of friends – about a dozen. We had 16 jugs of Long Island. Insane.

Workin it

Firin-up absinthe dat was Fed-Exed by my bro from Australia for my birthday

In ’08, decided to try sumtin different. I had heard of this place called The Zon. It’s some sort of paradise in dat boring state in the south. The one on d way to Singapore.

In The Zon, there’s a hotel, shopping mall, restaurants, bars and clubs (including Modesto’s). All within a square. Near the ocean. The cool part is that it’s completely duty free! So u can go clubbing n buy bottles like shit n still have money to blow. At one of the clubs, two bottles of Jack Daniel’s was $500. These are one-liter babies.

A bucket of five Hoegaardens is like $50. Of course u can buy them retail at the mall too -  a bottle is $5, a crate of Hoegaarden is only 80 bucks! Same with Corona.

We had three days in a suite in The Zon. Obviously we went nuts. Suite party, bar party, club party, hotel lounge party, back-of-moving-pick-up-truck party. Big-pimpin, over three superb days. Thanks to my good buddy Paulie that set it up (who’s currently M.I.A.).

There’s actually no need to leave the place for a couple of days – u can just remain in ‘da zone’.

Party in a pick-up

Zoning out. Since we were suite guests, there were free drinks at the lounge every evening. Haha! Chilled there in my robe. Fat cats

Suite scenes @ Regency The Zon

Non-stop partyin

As above

On the final nite, Paulie popped a bottle of champagne in one of the clubs. I actually did a runner. Dat never happens. Was really zoned, so scooted back to d suite before i got killed.

My birthday gift from my bro Khang was a really cool painting of Commander Che. And d rest of d housemates in it, including Homey.

Viva revolucion!

Khang’s got skills. He’s done a painting for everyone in da house for their birthdays. Homey too!

Homey - schizophrenic. One half is for me, the other for Khang

This was for Ovidia. 'Audrey Hepburn'

This one for himself. Not for sale

For Henry

Wattup Jimi

Don Corleone

Bruce lookin ready to kick ass

Helped me do dis flyer for a rave we threw way back

T-shirt design for Ben's Bitches

Khang did me my name cards

And buntings for the blog launch

Khang is a graphic artist. Actually was. Just resigned from Bates and a psychotic boss to take up a better job as an art director elsewhere. He’s a freelance painter. If u’d like him to paint u sum shit for yourself or a gift, u can mail him at racerx2khang@hotmail.com. There’re better views of d pictures here.