If you’ve never tried tuak (a type of rice wine) before or don’t often indulge in this traditional Bornean brew, we think it’s time for you to INDULGE!
For us Malaysians, our introduction to tuak ✨? ?, comes from the indigenous Dayak people, representing over 200 diverse ethnic subgroups, including the Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, and more.
Tuak is not just a beverage; it’s a cultural symbol, offered to the spirits during blessing ceremonies like the Harvest Festival ?(Gawai) but with the commercialisation of things, you can get a boozy tuak drink specially made for you right here in Klang Valley either in a vibey bar or through online stores!
Thanks to the skillful art of fermentation, glutinous rice starch gets turned into sugar, and sugar into alcohol, with a touch of carbon dioxide, resulting in a nice, light rice wine we know as tuak.
Bars ???✨
1. The Attic Bar
The Attic Bar features a stunning rooftop view of the KL skyline. Fair warning though, it’s a bit of a steep walk up to this spot in an attic but the ambiance is worth it! It’s even listed as the top 30 bars (2022) to visit in this Kuala Lumpur. We are obsessed with the red ambiant lighting and rattan light features.
Their menu has an extensive selection of tuak cocktails so you’ll be spoilt for choice here in terms of variety.
Location: Travel Hub Guesthouse, Third Floor, 15, Jalan Balai Polis, Kuala Lumpur City Centre
Operating Hours: Open daily, 5pm – 1am.
For more information: Website | Facebook | Instagram
2. JIU @Publika
JIU located at Publika is known for having a variety of boozy drinks for great prices. This is one of the first bars we’ve come across that sells a whole tower filled with tuak, perfect for you and friends to enjoy for a nice night out. The best part? It’s only priced at RM105 – 140!
Location: D1 Lelel G3 – Shop, 06, Jln Dutamas 1, Solaris Dutamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Operating Hours: Open daily, 5pm – 2am.
For more information: Facebook | Instagram
3. Locker & Loft
Locker & Loft is a cool yet comfy bar that offers reasonably priced cocktails.
They offer daily happy hour promotions where you can get a unique brew of a tuak sangria for ONLY RM15! Mind-blowing right? ? Pay them a visit to check out the hype with your buddies. ?
Location: 40A, Jalan SS 20/10, Damansara Kim, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Operating Hours: Tuesday to Thursday, 5pm – 1am. Friday & Saturday, 5pm – 2pm.
Sunday, 12pm – 1am. Closed on Mondays.
For more information: Facebook | Instagram
4. Merdekarya
This next spot is known to be a hotspot for local indie and underground performers. Merdekarya is not only an event space, it also has a pretty banging bar despite it’s simple set-up and basic menu.
Here, you can get a variety of tuak bottles and drinks for fair prices so if you’re looking for a night out with live music and yummy drinks, you know where to go! ? Checkout their menu below.
Location: 352 (Annexe), Jalan 5/57, Petaling Garden, Section 5, Petaling Jaya
Operating Hours: Closed every Monday and Sunday. Tuesday to Saturday, 5pm – 1am.
For more information: Website | Facebook | Instagram
5. Sunborneo
Sunborneo is NOT A BAR, but it is a great store to get you authentically brewed bottles of tuak, great for gifts and or for sharing. Sunborneo has an outlet located conveniently for you at Publika but they also do plenty of pop-up booths for events as well.
Location: Lot 51 atrow Publika level G2 Publika Solaris Hartamas , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Operating Hours: 10am – 10pm, closed on Saturdays.
For more information: Facebook | Instagram
Online Stores ???
If you prefer to just stay in and get your boozy goodness delivered to your doorstep, we’ve also got you covered!
6. Bornean Tuak
Bornean Tuak was founded by Evan Lee, an Iban hailing from Miri – so you know these tuaks are authentic PLUS you’ll have peace of mind knowing you’re supporting an original local brewer. Evan has brewed many types of tuak and variations with them infused with unique ingredients like roselle, jackfruit, and pineapple.
So if you’re looking for unique and authentic brews definitely order from Bornean Tuak. They also sell their drinks during markets so be sure to follow their social media pages for regular updates.
For more information: Facebook | Instagram
6. Ooh-Haa! Tuak
Up next is Ooh-Haa! Tuak, brewed by Iban-American, Lydia Lubon who grew up in KL. Lydia’s fusion tuak brews (like strawberry infused, pandan gula melaka, goji berry, red dates, ginger and more) are sold via Ooh-Ha! Tuak’s Instagram page.
They have got plenty of choices of tuak flavours so you’ll be spoilt for choice. Be sure to follow them on IG to get regular updates for any pop-up events or new seasonal flavours.
For more information: Instagram
7. CKES Enterprise
Last on our list is CKES Enterprise. They are a small business and brew their own tuaks in small batches. We like CKES because it’s pretty straightforward to contact them and order a few bottles, did we also mention that their tuak is the cheapest on our list? ?
We suggest you getting the original tuak which is the tuak pulut (glutunious rice) which is one of the more traditional flavours of this special local drink.
Location: D-5-8 Pangsapuri Rebana, Jalan Gamelan, Bandar Baru Bukit Raja, 41050 Klang, Selangor
Operating Hours: Open daily, 10am – 10pm.
For more information: Website | Facebook
For those who hail from Borneo or simply yearn for a taste of home, this collection of tuak hotspots will bring a piece of home to your doorstep.
So be sure to share this article with your friends to spread the homey goodness and comment your favourite spots to get tuak not listed here (don’t lah gatekeep, ok? )
Cheers to keeping the tuak tradition alive and thriving!
Also Read: 9 Bars in Klang Valley for Cocktail Promotions Worth Every Cent! [2023 edition]
