On the terrace of a vaunted art deco skyscraper in New York, guests sip on cocktails comprising seasonal ingredients in a low-ABV format (Alcohol By Volume is a metric used to determine alcohol content in an alcoholic beverage) at Saga — a Two Michelin Star restaurant. This Relais and Chateaux outpost uses spirits that are seldom incorporated in cocktails; often small-batch products that don’t work at higher-volume cocktail bars.
The iconic Gansevoort Meatpacking located in the Meatpacking District in New York City, with its year-round Gansevoort Rooftop bar, is another iconoclastic cocktail-forward venue known for its Rooftop Spritz, an elevated take on the Aperol spritz featuring Gin and notes of Valencia orange or the Sicilian Sangria with a Montepulciano base and sweetened by Limoncello.
Back in India, the story is similar...
India’s cocktail culture has grown exponentially and a well-travelled, discerning audience mimics many of the international trends. As Indian bars and talent are now competing on an international level, leveraging homegrown ingredients and flavours has immense potential to give Indian cities a distinct place in Asia’s cocktail circuit along with cities like Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok. Hyperlocalisation of ingredients is a trend that has gained significant traction in the Indian mixology scene over the last few years.
At Copitas Four Seasons Hotel, Bengaluru (Ranked#4 on India’s Top 30 Bars for 2023), bar manager Jonas Vittur believes that beyond the ecological benefits, embracing hyperlocal ingredients elevates product freshness and quality, fostering a stronger bond between consumers and their local ecosystems. This conscientious approach reflects a collective effort to reshape consumption patterns, addressing global environmental challenges through thoughtful choices at the community level. “While achieving 100% sustainability in bars may seem elusive, the journey towards this goal remains crucial. Like perfection, sustainability is an ongoing journey, and will never be a fixed destination.” He adds, “we are witnessing this trend take shape within the beer industry as well, with the launch of several unique ‘Indianised’ beers. For example, kokum is growing in popularity as a flavour and the Kimaya Brewing Company in Pune offers a kokum cider. Additionally, Terra Mayaa, a microbrewery in Guwahati, has created a Mango Ale called Aamras. Even homegrown spirit brands are creating Indian-inspired cocktails. One example is Hapusa’s Himalayan Negroni, which incorporates the Himalayan Sichuan Pepper that plays to the Himalayan roots of the brand,” says Vikram Achanta, co-founder of 30 Best Bars India.
“By using seasonal produce, we’re able to craft out cocktails that champion fresh ingredients. Using hyperlocal ingredients is also a push on the sustainability front — it’s a holistic approach that encompasses sourcing, production, and consumption. For instance, sourcing ingredients from nearby farmers, foragers, and artisans
reduces transportation emissions and supports local economies,” adds Manoj Singh Rawat, the head mixologist at Mehico and Sorano, Kolkata.
It’s also interesting to see the innovation that stems from these ingredients. The Dona Perfecta from Mehico uses locally sourced pomelo and pink guava, while the Mind of Coconut at Sorano has locally sourced pineapple and coconut. “In addition to these, we also feature flowers from the region, like Shuili and Hibiscus in various cocktails. To add to that, it’s a way for us to educate guests on the ingredients in the drinks — through various aspects of menu storytelling, or garnishes — it creates an engaging and immersive experience, central to the ingredients,” says Rawat.
Low ABV cocktails
“ABV refers to Alcohol by Volume, which is a measure of the alcoholic strength that a beverage has. Zero and low-ABV cocktails are beverages that contain little to no alcohol. Low-ABV drinks typically range between 3-8% ABV,” explains Manoj Padmanaban (better known as “Big Bandha”), the co-founder of Pandan Club.
The wave of conscious consumption in India has paved the way for a movement towards low and no-ABV drinking, which stems from an experimental, health-oriented shift by consumers. This poses an opportunity for consumers to not drink more, but drink better while entertaining themselves on any given day of the week.
Contemporary Indian drinkers, especially post-Covid, believe in opting for beverages that are on the healthier side, which don’t necessarily contain alcohol. This segment, comprising a slightly older demographic, is also moving away from choosing aerated and carbonated drinks. Thus, curating dedicated menus for low or no-ABV drinks is a great opportunity for restaurants to reach out to a fresh set of people and create an inclusive drinking atmosphere — bridging the gap that existed earlier.
“Top ingredients to create dynamic low or no-ABV beverages include sugarcane juice, homemade kokum juice, and coconut water. These are excellent filler ingredients, providing varied textures that are well-palatable with a range of complementary ingredients. Another unmissable classic is tomato juice as it adds the perfect umami kick to any non-alcoholic base,” says Keshav Prakash, the founder and curator of The Vault Festival.
According to The Bacardi Trends Report 2024, we can expect to see bars expand their menus and bring in new NoLo drinks (No- and low-alcohol) that are on par with the flavours and complexity of their spirit-based cocktails.
Savoury cocktails
Guests are leaning towards drinks that are less on the sweet side, spirit-forward and stirred. They’re also a bit more agnostic towards their bases, willing to diverge from their one usual spirit; people are growing more experimental with their tastes overall.
At Masque, Mumbai the team uses Indian spices frequently, even if the outcome is not necessarily a typically Indian flavour profile. “Our Terra uses raw turmeric-infused gin; others use tirphal bitters, jalpai, Bhavnagiri chilli, and apricot oils. We’ve also been playing with more savoury profiles, using local seaweed and leafy greens for more vegetal (related to plants) notes,” says Ankush Gamre, a mixologist.
Clarified cocktails
This transformative technique enhances the visual appeal of our beverage offering and also elevates the overall experience. To see the world of filtration, coagulation, and sedimentation for unravelling the scientific is the magic behind crafting perfectly clarified cocktails. Clarification involves removing impurities and cloudiness from a cocktail to achieve a crystal-clear-like appearance without sacrificing flavour. “Clarifying cocktails involves a unique set of techniques. One of the commonly used techniques by us for our cocktails is the pectinase technique in the newly launched Kyoto Autumn which helps to break down the fibres from a fruit and separate the moisture content,” explains Rajib Mukherjee, the head mixologist at ZLB23, The Leela Palace, Bengaluru.
Another popular technique is milk clarification. “Milk helps a lot faster to clarify any cocktail where acid is present. Milk has two different proteins, casein and whey. Casein tends to coagulate in the presence of acids. Using this chemical reaction, all sediments and fibres are taken out with coagulated casein particles resulting in a clear liquid with whey protein,” he adds.