Cocktails have long been associated with city lights, velvet bars, and late-night conversations but Three X Co set out to challenge that perception. With its boldly imaginative ‘IndiVDuality’ Tour, the Kuala Lumpur-based bar ventured far beyond urban boundaries, bringing its craft to towns rarely associated with cocktail culture.
From the tranquil rice fields of Sekinchan to the heritage-rich streets of Kuching, and onward to tightly-knit towns like Muar and Teluk Intan, the tour became less about pouring drinks and more about listening, learning, and connecting.
As the journey comes to a close, producer and co-founder Angeline Tan reflects on how the experience reshaped the team’s understanding of individuality, hospitality, and what cocktails can truly represent.
Turning a Menu into a Movement
The idea for the ‘IndiVDuality’ Tour didn’t emerge overnight. According to Angeline, the concept had been quietly brewing for years.
“We initially thought about a local listening tour, but it lacked direction,” she shares. “When we launched the IndiVDuality menu, we realised it was more than a menu it was a lens through which we understand people.”
Every cocktail, she explains, holds a story. Every preference reveals personality. But after a year of running the programme within the bar, the team noticed a gap they were only hearing from those who could come to them.
So they flipped the script.
The tour became part road trip, part cultural study bringing Three X Co to people’s everyday environments and rhythms, rather than expecting communities to come to the bar.
Choosing Places That Tell Stories
Each destination on the tour was carefully selected not for its nightlife reputation, but for its character.
Sekinchan offered cinematic calm, where time slows among endless rice fields. Kuching revealed layered histories and soulful traditions. Muar and Teluk Intan embodied warmth, memory, and deep-rooted community bonds.
“These places aren’t typically part of the cocktail conversation,” Angeline explains. “That’s exactly why we wanted to be there.”
For the team, these towns represented the Malaysia often left out of modern drinking culture yet rich with identity, flavour, and untold inspiration.
Building Experiences, Not Replicas
The planning process was intentionally organic. The team arrived early at each stop, spending time observing local routines morning markets, food stalls, gathering spots, and casual conversations.
Mobile bars popped up beside wet markets and streets, guided by the surroundings rather than a fixed template.
“Every stop required reinvention,” says Angeline. “What works in Sekinchan wouldn’t necessarily work in Kuching.”
Rather than replicating experiences, the team responded intuitively to each town, allowing the environment and people to shape the atmosphere.
Cocktails as Cultural Bridges
At its core, the tour challenged the notion that cocktails are elitist or intimidating.
“Cocktails are cultural objects, just like food,” Angeline notes. “They’re shaped by memory, time, and place.”
By incorporating local ingredients and familiar flavours, the team created a shared language transforming curiosity into conversation and scepticism into openness.
The goal wasn’t to impress, but to understand.
Treating Towns Like Characters
Each cocktail menu began with storytelling. Sometimes inspiration came from a local ingredient. Other times, it emerged from a passing remark or the overall mood of a place.
“We look for familiarity,” Angeline explains. “Something locals can recognise and feel connected to.”
Above all, the team prioritised humanity. A successful tour cocktail wasn’t just about taste it was about approachability, respect, and emotional resonance.
Beyond the Bar Shift
Connection didn’t stop when the bar closed. The team immersed themselves fully eating where locals ate, following recommendations, and listening to everyday stories.
From conversations with kuih vendors to late-night chats over local dishes, these unscripted moments shaped both the cocktails and the journey itself.
“Hospitality is a universal language,” Angeline reflects.
A Journey That Changed Everything
While every destination left an impression, Kuching stood out.
Its indigenous markets, longhouse visits, and quietly evolving heritage revealed flavours and perspectives unfamiliar to the West Malaysian team—yet deeply resonant.
Sekinchan, meanwhile, posed the biggest creative challenge as the first stop—testing not just recipes, but confidence, adaptability, and trust.
The Hidden Work Behind the Magic
What most people didn’t see was the groundwork hours spent persuading communities, explaining intentions, and earning trust.
“People were rightfully sceptical,” Angeline admits. “We had to arrive as respectful guests, not outsiders performing a pop-up.”
That lesson became central to the tour’s success.
The Takeaway
The ‘IndiVDuality’ Tour reinforced one powerful truth: individuality exists everywhere.
What made each stop special wasn’t the setting, but the people their habits, memories, and stories. The experience proved that cocktails don’t need complexity to be meaningful.
Sometimes, all it takes is a shared flavour, a familiar scent, and an open conversation to bring people together.
