EDELWEISS has been available for purchase since May, however, because that was smack dab in the middle of the most recent lockdown, Heineken Malaysia Berhad (the parent company) has not been able to have an actual launch event.
So to coincide with the celebration of the premium wheat beer’s release in Malaysia, Edelweiss launched its flagship outlet, The Alps bar, in Genting Highlands. Quite fittingly, the weather during the event was cool and foggy, with a fair bit of rain – probably the closest one can get to the actual Alps in Malaysia.
Located at Sky Avenue Mall – right by where the Awana SkyWay gondolas let visitors to Genting off – The Alps bar launch was attended by the management team of Heineken Malaysia, managing director Roland Bala; marketing director Pablo Chabot; and sales director Vasily Baranov.
Also, there were Thaddeus Huang and Tan Koon Lin, owners of The Alps bar as well as Datuk Edward Holloway, executive vice-president, Leisure and Hospitality of Genting Malaysia.
The bar itself is a modern two-storey affair, with plenty of wooden furnishings and decorations like sky lifts that recall the mountain experience. When the fog dissipated later in the night, the second floor has a nice view of the Genting Resorts 'skyline’.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, guests were given a brief explainer on the characteristics that make Edelweiss stand out, namely the blend of mountain herbs in addition to the barley and wheat.
Guests were then given the chance to pour their own beers using the exclusive Blade Machine – to mixed results. Some things are better left to the professionals.
As a beer, Edelweiss has a fruity aftertaste but is not exactly fruit-forward. It definitely leans into being a fresh wheat beer and is more subtle than Kronenbeurg 1664, a French wheat beer that’s imported into Malaysia by Carlsberg.
A good thing about wheat beers is they don’t exactly fill you up, so Edelweiss is a nice alternative for those who want to try something different that is a pleasant drinking experience.
The #FeelTheAlps Edelweiss experience is not only available at The Alps bar in Genting Highlands, but will also expand to various pop-up bars in Penang, Johor, and the Klang Valley. Updates on the pop-up bars can be found on Edelweiss’s social media pages. – The Vibes, November 27, 2021
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