2 days ago
Capturing essence of Malaysia in a glass
A Mocktail championship to elevate local bartending has found a drink that truly represents Malaysia.
Mocktail competition highlights mixologists from around the country and their innovation in creating drinks with local ingredients.
The Signature Mocktail Championship Visit Malaysia 2026 in Kuala Lumpur started off in April, welcoming 30 participants to a showdown of mixing, blending and shaking to create a standout drink.
Out of these, eight emerged as finalists and progressed to the grand finals.
Muhammad Nadzemi Norihan, 30, from Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel & Convention Centre was crowned grand champion, impressing the judges with his unique creation called Bandung Pandan Spritz.
The vibrant mocktail features a fusion of local flavours such as coconut, lychee, lemon and pandan.
Served with kuih lapis, the mocktail encapsulates Malaysia's multicultural essence.
The first runner-up title went to Muhammad Raihan Rajuddin, 26, from M Resort Hotel Kuala Lumpur for his Madani 69 creation using traditional flavours like ciku fruit and gula melaka.
Muhammad Nadzemi's Bandung Pandan Spritz took the grand prize and will feature in Visit Malaysia 2026 promotions.
Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur's Hor Shu Yih, 31, came in second runner-up with Sunshine Ria with its mix of tropical fruits topped with pink guava asam boi tuile.
The event was organised by Malaysia Association of Hotels (MAH), Malaysian Food and Beverage Executives Association (MFBEA) and Mixology Alliance of MFBEA (MAM).
The contest attracted top mixologists from across the country to celebrate creativity, local ingredients and non-alcoholic beverage innovation in a spirited show of Malaysian hospitality.
Hor with Sunshine Ria.
MAH chief executive officer Isaac Raj said, 'The winning creation will become the official Visit Malaysia 2026 mocktail, served across participating hotels nationwide.
'In a glass, we capture the essence of Malaysia not just in taste, but in creating a lasting memory of our warm welcome.
'It's been a pleasure for MAH to bring this competition to life,' he said.
MFBEA president Hisham Tan said Malaysia needed a signature mocktail as a welcome drink in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia 2026 tourism campaign.
Raihan with Madani 69.
MAM president Pravindran Palakrishnan said the organisation's vision was to elevate the industry by making competition a platform for Malaysian bartenders to shine.
'Many bartenders do not know how to promote themselves, so we are here to support them by providing tips and opportunities.
'Our goal is to produce a drink that represents Malaysia, and to serve every Malaysian with a mocktail that represents us,' he said.
