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Rakyat Post
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Rakyat Post
Visit Malaysia Year 2026 Has An Official Drink And It's A Fine Mix Of Local Flavours
Subscribe to our FREE Visit Malaysia 2026 has its official signature mocktail to welcome guests to Malaysia. Named the Bandung Pandan Spritz, its the creation of our local bartender Muhammad Nadzemi Norihan. Nadzemi from Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel & Convention Centre competed against 30 other bartenders to make the official ''welcome drink'' and emerged as a winner at the Grand Finals of the Signature Mocktail Championship for Visit Malaysia 2026. The competition was organised by the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) and Mixology Alliance of MFBEA (MAM) with support from Tourism Malaysia. Bartender Muhammad Nadzemi Norihan stands in the centre with the Bandung Pandan Spritz in hand during the media launch. Image: Adeline Leong/TRP The core criteria in the competition is for bartenders to use sustainable Malaysian ingredients and flavours to make their winning mocktails. The mocktail Bandung Pandan Spritz impressed judges with its fusion of local flavours comprised of rose bandung, coconut, and lychee with added fizz. During the competition, Nadzemi paired the drink with kuih lapis, explaining that the kuih lapis and the drink flavours represent Malaysia's multiracial society. On 31 July, members of the media had a taste of Bandung Pandan Spritz at the media launch in R Bar, Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel. Nadzemi demonstrated how he made the drink using clarified bandung, lemon concentrate, and coconut lychee cordial. The drink is also garnished with a lychee cradled in a pandan leaf. Image: Adeline Leong/TRP Image: Adeline Leong/TRP Nadzemi shared it took him two weeks to finalise the signature mocktail for Visit Malaysia 2026. The mocktail is refreshingly smooth and it was fun to have the hints of flavours coming through as you drink it. Although bandung syrup is used, it's not sickly or overly sweet. Want to try the Bandung Pandan Spritz for yourself? The Bandung Pandan Spritz will be available in participating hotels soon enough. Image: Adeline Leong/TRP Bandung Pandan Spritz mocktail Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
The Star
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
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.
