Folio, APW Bangsar

Cool off the press: Turning the page on APW Bangsar's bar scene, the foliage-filled Folio pays tribute to its home turf's origin as a printing factory with refreshing cocktails that flaunt names like Magazine, Impression and Intaglio (a printmaking technique). At 5pm on a recent Tuesday, most of APW's restaurants were not yet open for dinner, but vibrant strains of Lucas Estrada's Mexico were already wafting from Folio's speakers, beckoning us to park ourselves on rattan chairs behind the bar.



Folio's concoctions are crafted to beat the heat (thankfully, since Folio is partly alfresco).

The Fruit & Sparkling selection combines cava and fruit juice, with choices for the latter comprising pomegranate, peach, lemon, lychee, strawberry or grapefruit (RM29 each), a pleasant thirst-quencher even for folks who may not consider themselves liquor lovers.

Exposure is among several cocktails that reveal Folio's focus on low-alcohol-by-volume mixes, bringing together Dolin Blanc vermouth with elderflower tonic and lavender bitters for floral-forward flavours, more invigorating than intoxicating (RM38).

If you prefer a more potent potion, try Recto & Verso, fuelled by gin that's richly rounded out with Amaro di Angostura bitters, Cynar artichoke liqueur, and chocolate (RM40; recto & verso refers to text printed in bound publications).



Folio
APW Bangsar, 29, Jalan Riong, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur. Open 5pm-1am; closed Mondays.