The rise of fancy cocktail bars has been a force to be reckoned with. Bars are becoming glitzier, with their drinks programme encompassing complicated fat-washing techniques and top-of-the-line centrifuges to create cocktails clearer than your bottle of Evian, with all the depth and flavour of broth that has been simmering for years. These fancy bars are the place to see and be seen at, with the right company. This is all well and good, and much needed, especially in KL, to push the bar scene to the international level it deserves—yet sometimes we just want a well-made classic cocktail to end a trying work day. That is where a bar like Barley & Rye enters the scene.
Located at Damansara Uptown, Barley & Rye only opened sometime in June this year. But if it feels familiar, that’s because it is—it took over what was formerly 61 Monarchy, a prominent whisky bar that unfortunately shut down. 61 Monarchy regular Christy Yoong did not want his beloved bar to close down, and took it upon himself to revive the space into a new bar. Thus, Barley & Rye was born, and Yoong now lives the dream of any straight male retiree: owning a bar.
Laughs aside, Barley & Rye is serious about its classic cocktails programme. Head bartender YK Wong works tirelessly behind the bar, cranking out classic after classic. Not sure where to begin? Play a game of “pick a card” with their menu—a smattering of 14 classic cocktails printed onto a pack of cards that you rip open from a sealed plastic case. It’s a bit of a fun twist instead of a regular menu, but that’s not all they have to offer. Wong says that he can make any classic cocktail that patrons ask for, as long as he has the necessary ingredients.
I begin my night with a Manhattan cocktail—the first card I pulled out, which I am not-so-secretly pleased with. Like many classic cocktails, the Manhattan is an allegedly simple, three-ingredient cocktail to stir together. To make it a great one, however, relies on a perfect combination of rye whisky, sweet vermouth, and bitters—after all, every spirit brand does theirs just a little differently. Barley & Rye’s version is near-perfect: served in a tall coupe glass, that first hit of sweet vermouth is dizzying, alongside the herbal aroma of bitters. The long finish of whisky? Decadent. It was a faultless Manhattan—strong and punchy.
From a stirred drink, I went on to something shaken: the Last Word. A classic cocktail that dates back to 1915, this refreshing drink also has simple ingredients. Using equal parts gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice, all components are shaken together till cold and well blended, before being strained out into a coupe glass. Frosty, herbaceous, minty, and tangy—this cocktail has all the hallmarks of the first drink you need to begin your night at the bar after a hard day’s work.
My final cocktail at Barley & Rye is one that’s not on the menu. And that’s the beauty of being here; while they have a menu of classics, the team is fairly open to making you any other off-menu drinks, as long as they have the ingredients. I wanted something different, and Wong asked for my flavour preferences, then recommended a Charlie Chaplin.
I had never heard of a Charlie Chaplin cocktail before, but on my first sip, I wished I had known of it way before. The sharp tang of the sloe gin and lime juice hits the tongue immediately, prompting you to go in immediately for your next sips. It was delicious. It was dangerously addictive.
Barley & Rye makes for a great contender as a neighbourhood bar: fuss-free, good drinks, no frills. Sometimes, that’s all you want, and that’s enough.
Address: 61M, Jalan SS 21/1a, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
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