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 herbs.

Used 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 in-house 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. What's your fix?

Flower power
Leading city mixologist Ami Shroff from London Taxi is a hearty supporter of in-house bitters. Arguing for it, she tells us, "Preparing your own bitters may require extra work but it's 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 preservatives.

Ingredients can be infused in alcohol to preserve the flavours. Giving personal attention to such details elevates the cocktail-drinking 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 shares.

Time 12 pm to 1.30 am
At Kamala Mills, Lower Parel.
Call 30150876

Bittersweet India
"Bartenders 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 Hospitality.

"Cocktails mainly have three segments - 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 elaborates.

At an Asian eatery, the team has come up with unique mixes such as biryani-infused vodka (below) made with traditional biryani spices, from which an essence is extracted and infused with the vodka.

It is then used in their signature mughal martini. And a turmeric-infused gin, which is made using raw turmeric, finds its way into the smoked saffron negroni.

Time 12 pm to 4 pm; 7 pm to 1 am
At Hakkasan, Waterfield Road, Bandra West.
Call 26408800

Celery serenity
"Bitters bridge and marry cocktail ingredients that might otherwise compete or stand disparate," shares Sean Pereira, bar manager at Woodside Inn. Pereira's guess is that one reason why making bitters and infusions in-house has emerged as a prominent trend in the city is because it allows bartenders to have more control over their cocktails.

"Bitters, infusions and liquors are intense flavour extracts, so it's good to understand the flavour profile first. And making them in-house allows the bartender to understand how guests react to specific spices, herbs and bitter botanicals.

It also allows them to make adjustments based on the type and theme of the restaurant," he explains. At their pub-cum-eatery, 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 Mary
and nemises.

Time 11.30 am to 1 am
At Indian Mercantile Mansion, Wodehouse Road, Colaba.
Call 9819830575

Chai pe charcha
Initially, excise regulations that led to availability issues influenced mixologists and bartenders to experiment with bitters, Gaurav Dabrai, co-owner of The Looney, The Lover and The Poet tells us.

"It 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 ‘house bitters' 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 cocktail.

"We consciously use local ingredients in our cocktails and bitters, and are working towards a near zero-wastage F&B 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 point.

Time 12 pm to 1.30 am
At Off Carter Road, Khar West.
Call 9820029933

Caffeine high
"House 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 explains.

Their 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 boulevardier.

Time 12 pm to 1.30 am
At G Block, next to MCA, Bandra Kurla Complex.
Call 33126730

Grapefruit, please
"You can keep tweaking the cocktail till it has the exact flavour profile you're looking for. It helps experiment with new recipes.

It's also a cost-effective alternative," says concept restaurant Masque's head mixologist Ankush Gamre. Here, the grapefruit bitter has found its way into the heady tequila-based coral served in a glass rimmed with grapefruit salt.

Time 7.30 pm to 12 am
At Laxmi Woollen Mills, Mahalaxmi.
Call 33956227

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