From rasam to kala khatta, local flavours add a twist to Pune’s cocktail game
Mixologists in Pune are making a conscious attempt to put an Indian twist to their cocktails.
Ever since they have been in business, Retox in Erandwane has been serving the ‘Bombay to Goa (Boozy Ice Gola)’ cocktail. It has been eight years now and the drink made up of iced gola with Old Monk, kokum, and kala khatta is still popular on the menu. Sipping cocktails in Pune makes you feel more at home, now that bars are trying to introduce a variety of Indian flavours to cater to the local palate. As mixologists make a conscious attempt to put an Indian twist to cocktails, their experimentation game has led to flavours like kala khatta and rasam making their way into the city’s favourite mixed drinks.
Dive into the flavours of South India
Introduced on the menu six months ago, the clarified rasam cocktail at Hippie At Heart is a great dive into the flavours of South India. This tangy drink has just the right amount of rasam and the right amount of cocktail. What are the ingredients? According to the menu, “This groovy drink mixes rasam cordial, vodka, and citric vibes, poured over warm milk for a smooth, clear sipper. It’s a spicy, tangy twist on tradition, perfect for those chill vibes”.
Karan Kriplani, founder of Hippie at Heart, says he and their mixologist Atharva More always discuss the flavours they can offer their customers. “We wanted to introduce Indian flavours that people enjoy. Cocktails are a western concept but local flavours are taking precedence, making it more suited to our own palette,” says Kriplani. So, they did some mixing and matching and came up with the rasam cocktail.
Kriplani says they are trying to get in a few more cocktails with fermentation techniques inspired by the kanji drink served in the north. They are also experimenting with the tamarind-flavoured panipuri water and plan to put that on the menu soon.
Cocktail Bombay to Goa (Boozy Ice Gola) (Express Photo)
Back to school with kala khatta
Ever since they have been in business, Retox in Erandwane has been serving the ‘Bombay to Goa (Boozy Ice Gola)’ cocktail. It has been eight years now and the drink made up of iced gola with Old Monk, kokum, and kala khatta is still popular on the menu.
Restaurateur and mixologist Kaustubh Naik says he wanted to experiment with the ice gola which gives a back-to-school feel. “I thought it better to try Indian flavours like kokum, kala khatta, rock salt, and then again used Old Monk, which is very Indian, to place it together as a theme…we have had this on our menu for so many years now,” he says.
Naik says they are also still experimenting with LIIT cocktails and their ‘Memories of Marine Drive’ is supposed to transport you to Mumbai. With white and dark rum, whisky, gin, kala khatta, chaat masala, fresh mint, and Thums Up, Naik says that’s all the flavours one needs to be reminded of the beach in Mumbai.
When chillies met Tequila
Cobbler and Crew, a Kalyani Nagar-based cocktail bar, recently introduced a four-city tour titled ‘The Great Maharashtrian Heatwave’, with four cocktails, three made out of Maharashtrian chillies and one with thecha, a spicy Maharashtrian chutney, all paired with Don Julio Tequila.
Cobbler and Crew, a Kalyani Nagar-based cocktail bar, recently introduced a four-city tour titled ‘The Great Maharashtrian Heatwave’, with four cocktails, three made out of Maharashtrian chillies and one with thecha, a spicy Maharashtrian chutney, all paired with Don Julio Tequila.
Their Instagram handle announced, “Our bar crew’s visits to local markets exposed them to a variety of Maharashtrian chillies, each delivering a unique flavour and kick! They just had to make some cocktails to showcase the beauty of the produce, and now we’re all fired up to announce this tour!”
“We keep doing shorter cocktail menus throughout the year, so we thought of this menu for our tequila day programme. Spice works beautifully with tequila and one of the most popular cocktails made with tequila is a Picante, which is slightly spicy and generally made with Jalapeño. So with the Great Maharashtrian Heatwave, our bartender Ashi thought of using a Lavangi chilli, Bhavanagari chilli and a Kolhapuri chilli and then there was the fourth cocktail made with thecha”, Vijeta Singh, partner at Cobbler and Crew, said.
These cocktails were launched in May 2024 and the bar took its cocktails to Mumbai, Hyderabad and Goa between September and October this year. The Delhi dates of its tour are yet to be announced.
“We focus a lot on local sourcing and the best way to do it is through ingredients of the cocktail. In our very first cocktail menu, we had used Bhakarwadi as a garnish. Since we are located in Pune, we wanted to do something that is very, very Pune. We also had a special creamy in-house shot made with shrikhand, like people usually have a kamikaze shot,” Singh added.
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