Lounge
Why new bar menus have no classic cocktails
Summary
Several bartenders are dropping classic cocktails in favour of new drinks that show off their talent and local ingredients
When Soka, a 38-seater cocktail bar, opened its doors in Bengaluru in November 2023, a blackboard next to the bar counter carried an interesting message—“No LIITs (Long Island iced teas) will be served". The menu at Soka has no classic cocktails, instead it focuses on meticulously curated and created libations.
Classic cocktails such as the Martini, Old Fashioned, Negroni, Manhattan and Gimlet have stood the test of time. The ingredient quantity, mixing technique and temperature are sacrosanct, and bartenders master them before they’re ready to serve. Though these drinks are well-loved, customers often want a riff on them—such as a barrel-aged Negroni, Chocolate Manhattan or Mango Martini, drinks that are not considered “a classic". These 2.0 cocktails are increasingly popular with guests, and bartenders are flexing their mixology prowess by introducing regional ingredients as well. They are boldly leaving classics off the menu to serve these drinks that answer the ultimate guest question: What’s new?
“Excluding classics from the menu is a global trend that has now come to India and several factors drive this evolution," says Avinash Kapoli, partner, Soka. “There’s a growing demand for innovative drinks, fuelled by a desire for memorable experiences. The rise of zero-proof cocktails reflects a shift towards healthier choices and the need to accommodate diverse preferences," Kapoli adds.
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Several bars across India have taken this route: Red and Home, both in Delhi; in Bengaluru, there is Lupa, Daysie—All Day Casual Bar, SuzyQ and ZLB23 at The Leela Palace Bengaluru; Ekaa and Trèsind in Mumbai; Slow Tide in Goa and several more. They explore how ingredients, techniques and flavour combinations can bring on a whole new experience.
INDIA-INSPIRED
In India, sourcing ingredients and special liqueurs like Green Chartreuse (a herbal liqueur), Bénédictine (also a herbal liqueur) and Suze (a liqueur made from gentian root), remain a challenge. However, this necessity sparks creativity as bartenders replicate those liqueurs using local ingredients for unique cocktails.
“We might showcase local ingredients like jamun (black plum) or (souring agent) kokum in our drinks or may use innovative techniques like sous freezing (where freezing temperatures are used to leach out flavours instead of extracting them with heat as in sous vide). We also like to play with unexpected combinations—pairing black garlic with raw mango brine, for instance—for a surprising flavour profile," says Sujan Shetty, beverage manager, Slow Tide, Goa. One of their top-selling cocktails is the Acid Eric, made with tequila, yuzu, watermelon, basil and almond milk.
With their India-inspired cocktails, Daysie—All Day Casual Bar in Bengaluru offers a touch of the familiar with the new, like the Kochi Harbour, which combines dark rum, home-made tamarind and jaggery syrup. A specially curated segment of flavoured G&Ts such as The Monarch, with a homemade turmeric and spice concoction, lime juice and quinine water, is a different take on the well-known version.
At Lupa’s bar in Bengaluru, classics are constantly innovated with modernist tricks. The new summer cocktail menu includes categories like Renaissance Classics, which blends history with experimentation, resulting in drinks like The Whisper, a re-imagination of the martini with gin, pink peppercorn-infused vodka and Lillet Blanc.
Jishnu A.J., head mixologist at Ekaa, Mumbai, explains how the restaurant’s recent cocktail menu is inspired by Ayurveda and uses ingredients like jatamansi (spikenard), kapur kachri (ginger lilly), khus (vetiver) and myrrh. “We use these in a modern way with distilling, infusing and clarifying techniques," he says, adding that now, bartenders also have several options in Indian spirits that help in ideating around newer aspects.
At Soka, the Cheese Cherry Pineapple snack inspired a drink with the same name. “Taking from the idea of small skewers of processed cheese cubes, canned pineapple and sugar-soaked cherries served in an ice bowl, we blended together feta and cheddar cheese with fresh pineapple juice and Luxardo cherries. We clarify this with crisp white rum and before pouring it on ice, we use the throwing technique to aerate the drink and give it a good texture. We have changed our menu three times so far and this drink continues to remain a steady favourite" says Kapoli.
“At ZLB23, our cocktails exude the Prohibition Era experience in every sip, and we focus greatly on sustainability," says Madhav Sehgal, area vice-president, south India, The Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts. “The Clover’s Club blends fresh raspberries with gin, and one of our Japanese-influenced cocktails uses kokuto (a type of brown/black sugar) and fennel extract. Ingredients for a ramen like shiro miso, soya, mirin and sake give a savoury and umami finish to one of our most popular cocktails called the Shoyu Ramen," Sehgal adds.
Going the no-classics way is becoming a means for bartenders to showcase local ingredients and their talent. And for cocktail lovers, an endless source of happy experimentation.
Ruth Dsouza Prabhu is a features journalist based in Bengaluru.
