Most people will think about artsy wall murals and mouth-watering local street food when it comes to Penang. Some of their local cafes and bars are becoming increasingly popular amongst tourists as well
I was looking for a place to hang out after dinner before visiting Magazine 63 because of its unique and interesting bar concept. The speakeasy bar on Magazine Road adopted an inconspicuous traditional Chinese wooden door entrance. There was no signboard except for a small cocktail table with name cards. We walked past the entrance twice before realising that this was the entrance to the bar itself
The moment you walk through the entrance, you get transported into a space resembling an ancient Chinese tavern with a mix of modern furnishings like the centre bartending counter, plush leather seats as well as the lighted stage on the 2nd floor. I like how they decorated the back of the entrance with a faux door resembling how Chinese taverns look like in movies. The theme is carried out well throughout the bar with a red Chinese door with golden knobs at the back area and even the wooden cuff and chains in the toilet
There is a resident live performing duo who sings acoustically for an hour every session with 2-hour breaks in between. They can perform songs of different genres and languages and really did hype up the mood in the bar when they were performing
The first drink we tried was the Bloody Tits which is translated from “Xue Di Zi”, a renowned weapon used in wushu stories. The cocktail came served in a porcelain gourd-shaped bottle with mist coming out from the bottle opening. Instead of cups or glasses, the drink was served in porcelain bowls like how it would be consumed in ancient times. Made of a combination of distilled vodka, pinot grigio, sparkling water and raspberry, the cocktail is rather sweet with a very light alcoholic taste
The next item we went for was the hidden gem which was served in a traditional Chinese teapot and teacups. The cocktail was a mix of Redbull, cranberries, brandy and Scottish honey whiskey. This was the least-liked cocktail for the night due to the strong flavours of Red Bull which was too sweet for us. It was so sweet that we kept asking for more ice to dilute the drink and even traded with neighbouring tables to try other cocktails. Due to our trade, we managed to try the drunken fist cocktail which had an aftertaste of the herbal drink Luo Han Guo
After the 2nd drink, we realised that the alcohol content was not too high and we could finish their signature cocktail the Niu Er Hong which is made from a mix of beer, rum, Vodka, Gin, Tequila, sweet and sour and Curacao. Served in an ancient porcelain urn-looking container which is typically used to contain liquor in ancient China, almost every table ordered 1 bottle for pictures. The drinks were similarly served in bowls with cubes of ice and personally, this is my favourite cocktail for the night as the flavours were well combined and it was slightly sweet with a tangy flavour
Last but not least, we ordered the 4 beauties; Yang Gui Fei, Xi Shi, Diao Chan and Wang Zhao Jun. They came served in small individual traditional teacups and looked extremely pretty with either a decorative flower or dried fruit. Yang Gui Fei is made from hazelnut, coconut, lime and cranberry so it has an overall fruity and sweet flavour. Xi Shi has Vodka, aged golden rum and tangerine orange so it was citrusy and more sourish to taste. Diao Chan has an herbal-infused vodka, lemon and anise which has a cough-syrupy taste in my opinion. Wang Zhao Jun is made from orange-flavoured brandy, orange bitter and orange juice so it has a strong orange taste and is the most easy to drink
Overall, I really enjoyed my time at Magazine 63 as the staff were friendly and the crowd were hyped up but not rowdy. They do have an extensive menu for their cocktails and drinks and we only tried some of the more famous ones and looked nice for pictures. While some drinks were not our favourites, the overall enjoyment was great. They do have some light snacks like lor bak to munch on while you drink and enjoy the live performances. I would highly recommend to visit when you are in Penang
Address: 63, Jalan Magazine, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Operating hours: 8 pm to 3 am
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