Credit: Special Arrangement
When legendary bartender Yangdup Lama created Maggi Point for his award-winning bar, Sidecar, ranked 26 among the world’s best bars, he wasn’t trying to keep up with the new-age trend of savoury cocktails. But it marked a turning point for craft cocktails in India – from being merely spice-infused to becoming food-themed. Unlike his peers from the West, Yangdup’s version of the food-forward cocktail had all the flavours of the beloved two-minute snack except for the noodles. Yet, few who had had a taste of the bestselling cocktail could tell any difference. The drink tasted just like Maggi.
Rasam cocktail
Fascinatingly, Yangdup is among the small but growing coterie of exceptional bartenders who have made this ‘dish-to-drink’ journey with the right balance of knowledge, techniques and understanding.
Among them is Akshar Chalwadi. The former Nadodi bar star is credited with making a rasam cocktail that is served cold and warm — the rasam is liquid nitrogen-generated slush with a sweet, airy, warm foam on the top. Chalwadi’s version, interestingly, uses leftover rasam spices from the kitchen to create a transparent drink through a dual process of sous vide with vodka followed by distillation. This has resulted in a clear-as-water drink that tastes and behaves like a warm, peppery, tangy rasam. This is among the many savoury cocktails Chalwadi crafted over the past few years thanks to his search for new musings and a way to make bars sustainable.
Akki Rotti Peanut Chutney cocktail
For instance, in the Akki Rotti Peanut Chutney cocktail, Chalwadi uses a distillate made with peanut, ginger and dill, and pairs it with sake to lend his drink that mouthfeel one associates with the dish. Much like the popular Shoyu Ramen served at ZLB 23, the award-winning Japanese Speakeasy bar. The cocktail, inspired by the iconic ramen bowl, recreates the experience by using the most elementary ingredients from the dish to design a drink that is high on umami yet balanced in flavours.
It is this balance of flavours, says Lama, “that is the key to making a savoury drink enjoyable. To be able to do that one needs to know the spirits and their mood as well as the finer nuances of cooking. This is one of the reasons most such cocktails are either based on popular favourites or are a testimony to chef-bartender partnerships.”
Red Ant Chutney cocktail
Take the Red Ant Chutney cocktail at Revelry, the Indian Tapas Bar in Dubai. The cocktail muse, says F&B Head, Vince Varghese, “came from the Kai chutney of Mayurbhanj, an extremely tart relish made of red weaver ants. While that overpowering flavour made the idea more enticing, it needed to be pared down to be enjoyable.” This is where Chef Rahul Rana began working with Vince to create a contrasting layer that could hero the chutney while layering the acute tartness. The result, says Vince, “came through a marinade made with Shoyu, tequila, miso, tamarind and nectarines that was turned into an infusion using an ultrasonic machine. Thus was created a cocktail that transformed a seasonal treat into a pleasurable drink.”
Kanchipuram Silk cocktail
Savoury cocktails today also have abstract themes like Kanchipuram Silk, served at PCO Bar in Mumbai. Says head bartender Shelton Fernandes, “I have used Tirunelveli halwa to create the mouthfeel of silk. Bourbon is used to infuse the ingredients along with ghee, fat-washed and paired with an orange bitter and cardamom tincture to balance the note of the ghee. Served topped with cashew nut foam and gold dust, it completes our ode to the place and its wonderful creation.”
For Muro’s head mixologist Sahil Essani, this exposure to knowledge and an understanding of its application has enabled bartenders to push the envelope on savoury cocktails like never before. It was, in fact, at one such trip to New York’s Double Chicken Please that Sahil came across Reverse Cocktail Pairing — essentially eat what you drink and vice versa — and thus was born his signature Reverse Breakfast where he uses a bunch of curated ingredients to prepare a clarified drink that “tastes like breakfast”, which he pairs with a mini espresso doughnut that replicates coffee.
Biryani in a glass
This food-forward cocktail has been created by Ekaa’s head mixologist Jishnu A J. “Our muse for the biryani cocktail was Kerala’s famous thalassery biryani. The tale began with creating a rice orgeat, followed by making a spice-bitter infused with warm spices like cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf, mace, and black pepper. The concoction was then steeped in a neutral spirit for around 15 days to achieve a concentrated flavour. To this was added caramelised onion syrup and a dash of chilli and coriander leaf syrup. The use of tequila as the base lent it a crystal-clear finish but what sealed the deal was the garnish — an isomalt-trapped saunf mukhwas (breath freshener).”