To be honest, while not being a habitual alcohol consumer, I do enjoy my beer every now and then. A cold beer and some finger foods in front of the TV with my favorite sports team on after a tiring day is just about the most a guy can ask for.

I liked my beer cold, in fact, as cold as possible, and always thought that chucking it down in big gulp is the most satisfying thing ever.

Kilkenny Ruby Red Society
Kilkenny Appreciation Night, at The Bee, Publika

And then I went to Kilkenny’s Appreciation Night at Publika the other day and got a whole new revelation. This was the first event hosted by Kilkenny in Malaysia, with a promise of taking the guests on a journey to experience all things Kilkenny.

Michael (The Star), Tim (Nuffnang), Suanie & Haze (bloggers, Ashley (Esquire magazine), and many others
Michael (The Star), Tim (Nuffnang), Suanie & Haze (blogs), Ashley (Esquire magazine)

The event was attended by quite a lot of familiar faces. Michael from The Star, Ashley from Esquire magazine, Timothy and David from Nuffnang, Eileen from Mindshare, Ernest who draws cartoon, Suan, Haze, representatives from GABs, and more.

the smell test, guess them right and win a prize
the smell test at the Sensory Station, guess them right and win a prize

We started the night with a glass of Kilkenny in hand and got to mingle with like minded people.

Kilkenny set up a Sensory Station on location and I think it’s quite a neat little idea. There were seven bottles containing different smells at the station, and participants were asked to identify what each ingredient was.

I managed to identify about 4 out of the 7 (with a bit of cheating), and it just goes to show that while many of us have keen sense of smell, it is often not easy to match it to what we remember. These are pretty “normal” ingredients tho – nuts, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, elder flower, and so forth.

Kilkenny Masterclass experience by Ben Ng from GAB Professional Solutions
Kilkenny Masterclass experience by Ben Ng from GAB Professional Solutions

Highlight of the night was undoubtedly the Kilkenny Masterclass conducted by Ben Ng from GAB Professional Solutions.

In the first “experiment”, we got to try the ale served super cold at between 0-4 Celsius, temperature achieved with the help of some dried ice. It was very easy to drink and actually tasted quite bland.

Next, we tried the same Kilkenny, now at between 4-6 Celsius and it was almost like a completely different beer. Much richer aroma and stronger taste. Ben then explained that on extreme cold temperature, the taste and aroma is muffled, but allowing it to warm up just a little and you get to enjoy the full spectrum of taste and aroma from the famous red ale.

That thick foam on top of the beer? It isn’t there to short change you for a smaller portion of beer, but actually adds to the smooth character of the overall experience.

Another important difference we got from the class was the difference between ale and lager. In short, ale is top fermented in warmer temperature while larger uses bottom fermenting yeast with colder temperature. Ales are usually light to dark brown, with a more robust and fruity flavor. Kilkenny is of course, one of the most popular ale in the country.

beef balls, chicken kebab, fish fingers, quiche, and calamari for food pairing
beef balls, chicken kebab, fish fingers, quiche, and calamari for food pairing

Of course, beer is never complete without some finger food to go with. All throughout the night, we were served dishes that were carefully chosen to pair with Kilkenny.

I particularly enjoy the quiche, fish fingers, and calamari as seafood complements the aroma and richness of Kilkenny very well. Chicken kebab, and somewhat surprisingly, the beef balls worked well as food companion to this Irish import too.

sand art performance by Loong Bee
sand art performance by Loong Bee

After the Masterclass experience, we were also treated with a pretty unique sand art show by the one and only sand art performer in the country, Loong Bee. The performance took us through the journey of Kilkenny, from its introduction all the way back in 1710 to being a global brand in the 21st century.

We had a great time at the Kilkenny Appreciation Night, and certainly look forward to more of these in the future.

More info on Kilkenny: facebook.com/kilkenny.my

Kilkenny Appreciation Night and What I Learned
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12 thoughts on “Kilkenny Appreciation Night and What I Learned

    • August 5, 2013 at 11:46 am
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      Suanie: weren’t you? O.o

      Reply
  • August 5, 2013 at 12:11 pm
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    educational post! i’m actually a total idiot when it comes to beer knowledge, so all these little tidbits of trivia are fun to absorb 😀

    Reply
    • August 5, 2013 at 1:44 pm
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      Sean: but your wine knowledge is thru the roof!

      Reply
  • August 5, 2013 at 4:37 pm
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    Hee, hee! The title sounds like you got up to mischief and learned a lesson not to drink too much. 😉

    Reply
    • August 5, 2013 at 4:47 pm
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      The Yum List: hahaha, that would have been accurate a few years back :/

      Reply
  • August 5, 2013 at 5:38 pm
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    KY, I am not much in drinking beers only one I enjoy most is dark ale. Must the robust taste of it for found it very nice. It all got started when I was 21 year old first time had dark ale and now dark ale only for me.

    Reply
    • August 5, 2013 at 11:07 pm
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      Vickie: coincidentally, dark ale is my favorite type of beer too.

      Reply
    • August 6, 2013 at 4:18 pm
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      missyblurkit: was best 😀

      Reply
  • August 7, 2013 at 12:37 am
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    I see, so beers at different temperature does contribute different taste and flavor, thanks for sharing, very informative 🙂

    Reply
    • August 7, 2013 at 9:30 am
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      Ken: yah, I really didn’t know that either.

      Reply

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