This monsoon when most of us were busy battling the downpour and negotiating potholes, Avantika Malik was tumbling into the world of heady cocktails at the London's European Bartender School. Producer and daughter to media mogul Vandana Malik, the 37-year-old is back in the bay, but the hangover is far from waning. So much so, that she admits nearly missing buying a rakhi for brother Vedant. "Let me do one thing. Let me just buy the rakhi for you," ribs Vedant.

We're with the siblings at their restaurant Mizu in Worli on a balmy evening, a day before Raksha Bandhan. Their banter flows as smooth and warmly as the salmon-coloured cocktail Avantika has whipped up. "Ume Shochu Sour is a Korean liquer based-cocktail made from potatoes," she informs. "I've used Umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums) that adds a salty, savoury note to a classic sour drink." She's allergic to citrus—a regular element in most cocktails—and has finally found a way to work around it herself. The idea of using plums was suggested by a friend while discussing cocktails at the restaurant.