raising the bar, again
Taking inspiration from Mid-Century graphic patterns is Bar III, Royal Selangor’s latest cocktail collection. Three retro-orthogonal patterns of circles, rectangles and hexagons are given a modern uplift in pewter, replicated across a collection that every mixologist or home bartender should and would love to have.
“When we first started our cocktail collection in 2013, we had a very traditional, almost French lace-like design,” says Yong Yoon Li, Executive Director of Royal Selangor. “Now we’ve moved forward a few decades. Since the request came from the US market, we decided use Americana as a starting point, referencing the whole Mad Men style. But it’s topical for Malaysia too. There are so many buildings in Kuala Lumpur that are derived from the same aesthetic as well.”
More than just adding visual interest, the addition of pewter gives the range heft. The martini glass, for example, has a solid base of Kulim wood covered with a pewter mesh, a gravitational sturdiness that is a joy to pick up. That weight that is present across all the glassware – highballs, whisky tumblers and champagne coupes. Royal Selangor also exploits the soft nature of pewter in the cocktail shaker, a lattice-patterned top that fits snugly over a glass body without need for rubber seals. Trays, nut bowls, bar measures, ice buckets and even a hip flask complete the range. Sleek, swanky and quite sexy, the Bar collection is a shot from the past, updated in the cool grey of pewter.
