Mumbai food: Resurrecting the cocktail culture

Invented originally for medicinal purposes bitters are alcoholic infusions and some claim that its roots can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians They are prepared with botanical matter such as roots barks spices dried flowers and herbsUsed in unique cocktails they add complexity to the drink and help balance the flavours of the other components Though there are market variants of common bitters such as angostura and peychaud increasingly mixologists are experimenting with their bitters inhouse in a bid to give their patrons a sui generis experience by making use of locally available ingredients Here are some intriguing bitters available around Mumbai Whatrsquos your fixFlower powerLeading city mixologist Ami Shroff from London Taxi is a hearty supporter of inhouse bitters Arguing for it she tells us Preparing your own bitters may require extra work but itrsquos worth it especially when you like being creative with ingredients that are seasonal and locally available so that they work for a specific cocktail She adds Personally I avoid using synthetic flavours refined sugar and preservativesIngredients can be infused in alcohol to preserve the flavours Giving personal attention to such details elevates the cocktaildrinking experience for the guest Shroff has created a smokey floral bitter with notes of lavender the bitterness of dandelion roots and smokiness of lapsang souchung tea with orangey undertones It can be used in old fashioned gin and tonic and sours This is my latest creation and I have used unusual and interesting blends of flavours for our anniversary menu she sharesTime 12 pm to 130 amAt Kamala Mills Lower ParelCall 30150876Bittersweet IndiaBartenders have started experimenting with locally available ingredients Homemade bitters set the bar apart from the others plus they are not hard to make explains Abhishek Bindal AVP operations at KA HospitalityCocktails mainly have three segments mdash a spirit a sweet or a sour component and a key ingredient which generally is a bitter They unite the flavours and improve the mouthfeel of a drink he elaboratesAt an Asian eatery the team has come up with unique mixes such as biryaniinfused vodka below made with traditional biryani spices from which an essence is extracted and infused with the vodkaIt is then used in their signature mughal martini And a turmericinfused gin which is made using raw turmeric finds its way into the smoked saffron negroniTime 12 pm to 4 pm 7 pm to 1 amAt Hakkasan Waterfield Road Bandra WestCall 26408800Celery serenityBitters bridge and marry cocktail ingredients that might otherwise compete or stand disparate shares Sean Pereira bar manager at Woodside Inn Pereirarsquos guess is that one reason why making bitters and infusions inhouse has emerged as a prominent trend in the city is because it allows bartenders to have more control over their cocktailsBitters infusions and liquors are intense flavour extracts so itrsquos good to understand the flavour profile first And making them inhouse allows the bartender to understand how guests react to specific spices herbs and bitter botanicalsIt also allows them to make adjustments based on the type and theme of the restaurant he explains At their pubcumeatery Pereira and team have concocted a celery bitter which usually has a vegetal taste and is made with neutral spirits universally But we wanted a more complex aroma and intense flavour that is sweet and has a woody cask finish he says explaining why they use single malt instead The bitter helps elevate cocktails such as the smoked bacon bloody Maryand nemisesTime 1130 am to 1 amAt Indian Mercantile Mansion Wodehouse Road ColabaCall 9819830575Chai pe charchaInitially excise regulations that led to availability issues influenced mixologists and bartenders to experiment with bitters Gaurav Dabrai coowner of The Looney The Lover and The Poet tells usIt has gained considerable traction due to the evolving tastes of our guests Cocktails now define a bar programme and people have moved away from cloyingly sweet beverages to a more nuanced flavour profile This has given impetus to the whole lsquohouse bittersrsquo movement he suggests The chai spice an earthy spicy bitter with fruity notes made with Assam tea jaggery ginger clove and vanilla and infused with fresh orange is used in their signature chai and why cocktailWe consciously use local ingredients in our cocktails and bitters and are working towards a near zerowastage FampB programme So bitters and syrups fit in perfectly as they make use of certain ingredients that are at the end of a value chain in the bar or kitchen as a starting pointTime 12 pm to 130 am At Off Carter Road Khar WestCall 9820029933Caffeine highHouse made bitters can infuse cocktails with memorable flavours colours and locally sourced ingredients shares Milind Redij mixologist at Butterfly High Bitters were traditionally prepared with botanical matter so that the end result was characterised by a bitter sour or bittersweet flavour he explainsTheir homemade coffee bitter makes use of cracked coffee and cacao beans peppercorn cassia chips wild cherry bark and star anise The bitter is used in classic cocktails such as the Manhattan old fashioned brandy Alexander and boulevardierTime 12 pm to 130 amAt G Block next to MCA Bandra Kurla ComplexCall 33126730Grapefruit pleaseYou can keep tweaking the cocktail till it has the exact flavour profile yoursquore looking for It helps experiment with new recipesItrsquos also a costeffective alternative says concept restaurant Masquersquos head mixologist Ankush Gamre Here the grapefruit bitter has found its way into the heady tequilabased coral served in a glass rimmed with grapefruit saltTime 730 pm to 12 amAt Laxmi Woollen Mills MahalaxmiCall 33956227Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps 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