And harnessing the “positive” aspect of alcohol to keep people happy, close friends Bethany Chuah, 21, and Preston Tan, 26, are earning an income out of alcohol too.
They own The Alcoholic Baker which, despite being a relative newcomer to the baking scene, is already leaving quite an impression on its curious customers with its scrumptious cookies and classy packaging.
The home bakers, who operate from Puchong in Selangor, currently offer cookies in three flavours, all of which have rather cheeky names.
First up is “The Or-gasm”, the first cookie created by Chuah that got the venture going.
It is a classic chocolate chip cookie topped with chunks of dark and milk chocolate and drizzled with bourbon-infused caramel sauce. The cookie’s core is intensely chocolatey and, as any bourbon fan will notice, it exudes the faintest whiffs of vanilla, oak and caramel.
Their second cookie is called “The Jack-Off”. This cranberry raisin cookie is spiced with a ginger-infused marmalade reduction and bathed in Jack Daniel’s whiskey.
Sweet and spicy make a good combination with the raisins bursting with sweetness and the whiskey notes adding to the powerful explosion of flavours.
“The Nutjob”, their third cookie, can be addictive – this cinnamon and nutmeg cookie is topped with fluffy marshmallows but the Bailey’s Irish Cream-infused chocolate glaze is what makes this cookie insanely good.
The cookies are sold in boxes of three, six, nine, 12 and 15, with most customers requesting boxes packed with an assortment of cookies as gifts for family and friends.
The cookies are packaged with great care. Each box is tied with string, with the name of the recipient labelled on an attached tag. A wax seal that holds the string in place, is a classy touch.
FMT asked Chuah and Tan what drove them to don baking mitts.
Chuah said that growing up, she and her father used to bake as a hobby. “I would often join him in the kitchen baking cheesecakes and muffins.”
For Tan, an IT specialist by training, his love for cooking developed while he was studying overseas where he had no choice but to prepare his own meals.
The idea of The Alcoholic Baker was stumbled upon when Chuah started toying with the idea of baking alcohol-infused cookies in January this year, with Tan hopping on board the project in June.
According to Tan, baking alcoholic cookies for sale seemed to be a novel idea that was worth pursuing considering the good demand for other alcohol-infused desserts and treats.
“We wanted something more personal and relatable,” he said. “Like in one bite, you can ‘kaodim’ (a Cantonese term which means ‘it’s done).”
Having known each other for a long time, Chuah and Tan worked together closely, with Chuah experimenting with cookie batter and Tan handling the business side of things.
After much trial and error, they eventually perfected their cookies.
Chuah said it took her a whopping six months to perfect the recipe for “The Or-gasm” as “the sauce took forever to get right, what with the ratio and all that”.
Although fairly new in the market, the response has been positive, with The Alcoholic Baker selling between 400 and 600 cookies a week.
According to Chuah, the younger customers seem to gravitate towards “The Nutjob” as the taste of its alcohol is more subdued.
Older customers fond of hard liquor seem to go for “The Jack-Off”, with its whiskey component being a selling point apparently.
With Christmas around the corner, the duo is bracing for an influx of orders and hope they can cope as their business set-up is small at the moment.
Chuah, however, is grateful that she can bring joy to customers through her cookies. “It’s an honour to have customers gifting our cookies to their loved ones.”
Tan is a lot more pragmatic with his wish for Christmas. “I just hope we can keep up with the orders this month,” he said, laughing.
If you’re looking for a gift for your loved ones this Christmas, visit The Alcoholic Baker’s website here or send a message to them via Facebook or Instagram.