The Deceased is one of the coolest speakeasies in Petaling Street, and it’s attracted loads of people due to its unique theme surrounding traditional Chinese culture and death. Have you been here?
Source: smilykellyl | instagram
Of course, we had to send two of our most enthusiastic alcoholics alcohol connoisseurs, Tara and Edelyn, over, when we heard they were giving us a taste of some of their newest cocktails. Can you tell how excited we were?
Here’s what we tried;
1. Spirits Of Banana Tree
Inspired by the Taoist banana tree spirit Ba Jiao Jing, this drink is wrapped in banana leaves with a red string tied around it.
It is said that the spirit can be summoned by tying a red string around a banana tree, and this interactive drink (made up of pandan leaf-infused white rum, banana liqueur, citrus juice, and coconut milk) allows you to tie your finger to the “tree” for some photo-ops!
Here are Tara and Edelyn’s first impressions!
Tara: “The liqeour is the part that sticks out to me the most. It’s really sweet but I like the banana flavour. I really appreciate the theatrics of how it’s presented, too! Interactive, wei!”
Verdict: 3/5
Edelyn: “It’s such a cool theme! I actually taste the banana plus a faint hint of lime, and I think I taste chunks, which I suspect is the santan (coconut milk).”
Verdict: 3/5
2. The Medium
One thing about this drink that definitely catches your eye first, is the fact that it’s served… in a zip lock bag… (yeah, not suspicious-looking at all).
The Medium is a unique blend of Mehkong dark rum, tofu, Hawthorn, almond syrup, and lime juice, served in a jar and put inside a zip lock bag filled with raw rice and an egg (don’t worry, you don’t have to eat those! Uncooked rice is apparently used by spirit-mediums for spirit possession, according to Buddhism).
T: “At first sip, I tasted almond.. but after a while, the tau fu fah flavour comes in.”
Verdict: 4/5
E: “Wah… How do you even make tau fu fah and almond alcoholic? It tastes like the tau fu fah has somehow been infused with the almond flavour and it’s really unique!”
Verdict: 3.5/5
3. Yin Yang
Inspired by the famous Chinese philosophical idea of the balance between seemingly opposing forces, the deceased created the Yin Yang cocktail to represent the complementary relationship between the masculine (Yang) and the feminine (Yin). Hmm, isn’t that kinda discriminatory?
Yin (white bottle) is a beautiful blend of gin, Giffard China, sweet vermouth, aperol, Angostura bitter, and orange slice, while Yang (black bottle) is a concoction of gin, campari, aperol, and orange slice. Tip: drink the bottles separately!
Yang
T: “I definitely taste the orange slice and it’s very strong, not gonna lie. It tantalises the tongue lah, so if you’re a fan of strong, cutting drinks, you’ll love this. Personally, I’m not into super strong flavours, so it’s not my favourite.”
Verdict: 2.5/5
E: “It’s got the bitter herbal after taste but if you’re a stout drinker like me, this is perfect for you!”
Verdict: 5/5
Yin
T: “This tastes sweeter than Yang, and I do like the flavours a little more. There’s a hint of bitterness but for those who aren’t huge fans of the harder stuff, you can definitely appreciate this more than Yang.”
Verdict: 4/5
E: “This is very refreshing, and lighter than Yang, but I personally prefer Yang over Yin.”
Verdict: 3/5
4. Santau
Despite its morbid description in the menu (“the deadliest poison in the world”), Santau is a refreshing blend of Mehkong dark rum, house-made ginger syrup, lemongrass, lime juice, and Angostura bitter – it’s definitely made for anyone who’s a fan of citrus.
T: “This is delicious! It reminds me of primary school when you finish a long day of class and you go to your nearest kedai (shop) and buy one of those cold asam drinks… but this is like the alcoholic adult version. It tastes very nostalgic. Santau’s my favourite so far!”
Verdict: 5/5
E: “I love the refreshing flavours and the hint of ginger you get with every sip. Be careful though, because you can’t really taste the alcohol, and it’s sooo yummy!”
Verdict: 5/5
5. Ouija
This is the breast best choice of cocktail for anyone who loves interactive drinks. Careful though, you can make a bit of a mess if you don’t do it right!
Ouija is a titillating blend of Tieguanying tea-infused gin, grape juice, lemon juice, and soda water, and it’s totally worth trying for all you adventurous drinkers out there!
T: “Wow, I love this one! You can taste a hint of the tea, but it’s very delicious and floral. There’s also a sourness to it that I really love, and if you’re not a huge fan of sweet drinks but still want something refreshing, Ouija is a good, sour alternative to Santau.”
Verdict: 4.5/5
E: “I get a fragrant after taste of the tea. This really wakes you up, which I like… it’s like the coffee version of alcohol.”
Verdict: 4/5
6. Ruan Lingyu (off the menu)
If you’re a sucker for drinks with a little history behind them, Ruan Lingyu is the standout drink you should try.
Named after a famous Chinese silent film actress from the 1930s, this drink pays homage to the artist who was unfortunately subjected to ruthless tabloids and ended up taking her own life at the young age of 24.
T: “It’s very floral; it kind of reminds me of incense a little bit. I really enjoy this, though!”
Verdict: 5/5
E: “I love that this drink is so all-out, thematically. Taste wise, it’s on-point too. Even though I’m not that big on floral flavours, this is fantastic. I also like that it’s off-menu, it gives a kind of exclusivity to this drink.”
Verdict: 3.5/5
7. Monkey Brain
This drink is definitely not meant for just one person alone!
Served in a (fake) head, Monkey Brain is a delicious blend of passion fruit, kumquat, ginger ale, gin, rum, and vodka. If you’re looking for a great drink to share between three people, but can still get you buzzed at the same time, look no further than this!
T: “I taste a lot of the ginger ale, it’s like a go-to drink for a very hot day. I think it will definitely satisfy the palates of people who don’t really like strong flavours.”
Verdict: 4/5
E: “It has an underlying killer instinct to it, because of the gin, rum and vodka. It reminds me of those tropical fruit punches with a bit of a kick. Would totally recommend this.”
Verdict: 4.5/5
8. Shi Er Shao by Leslie Cheung (off the menu/experimental)
Named after a famous Hong Kong singer and actor, the Shi Er Shao by Leslie Cheung is a blend of patron tequila, mango, sour plum, and sparkling wine. This popular celebrity used to love mango, which is one of the reasons why this drink was named after him.
Served in a beautiful glass sphere, this drink is definitely worth a pretty snap for your Insta-stories!
T: “Wait where do you put this (the straw)? In the hole ah? This is interesting! It’s like a balance of savoury/sour flavours and sweet. It reminds me of asam as well, but I don’t think I’ve ever drank any cocktail like this.”
Verdict: 3.5/5
E: “I’m fascinated by the presentation of this. I like the asam-type flavour, which I presume is from the sour plum liqour.”
Verdict: 3.5/5
9. The Warrior Shot (also when we almost died)
Looking to get a quick buzz? Try their Warrior Shot, which actually changes nearly every night! The shot we got to try was a deliciously sour blend of mango patron infused with sour plum, complete with a splash of beer.
T: “Okay, I’m already feeling this one and it’s not even been two minutes since we took this shot!”
E: “Yes, this is really delicious… wow…”
(After having 8 cocktails up till this point, we decided to only give it a rating once we sobered up)
*Sober* verdict:
Tara: 4/5
Edelyn: 5/5
10. The Rouge by Anita Mui (off the menu)
Named after another famous singer and actress from Hong Kong, The Rouge by Anita Mui is a simple, sweet-sour blend of Osami sour plum liqueur and sparkling wine that’s presented beautifully in a glass sphere, lit by lights. Perhaps it’s meant to represent the flashy stages the late Anita Mui used to perform on?
T: “Wow, this woke me up! Even though it’s sour, it doesn’t make you cringe at the first sip, but it has a real kick to it. I’m surprised, actually, because I’m not that huge of a fan of really sour drinks like this, but I really love this.”
Verdict: 4/5
E: “Personally, I really, really love asam. So this is AMAZING. With the Leslie Cheung drink, it was very sweet, but with this, it’s just full-on asam boi in your face, and it’s so good. I think this is definitely one of my tops.”
Verdict: 5/5
*Post-drinks*
E: “Wah, we made it, wei! To our sober selves, we’re gone…”
T: “I think we can make it back (to sobriety) soon. We just need some maggi goreng.”
E: “…and some teh halia.”
E & T: “Oh ma gaaaaddd yasss!” [hysterical laughter]
T: “Time to head to the mamak and call it a night!”
Thanks once again, to the folks at The Deceased for having us over!
Self-proclaimed alcohol enthusiasts, tara (in green) and edelyn (in romper)
If you’re interested in checking them out for yourselves, here’s where they’re located:
Address: 55 (first floor), Jalan Sultan (2.17 mi) 50000 Kuala Lumpur
Operating hours: 6.30pm – 2.00am (Closed on Tuesdays)
Remember, they have a secret 4-digit code that changes every night, so be sure to call ahead or you won’t be able to get in!
Also read: 10 Oriental-Themed Bars in Klang Valley That Exude a Cool, Eastern Vibe!
