For the jaded alco-bev seeker, mixologists have become the curators of memorable nights out. Armed with an impressive arsenal of techniques and a keen understanding of flavour profiles, they transform simple, everyday ingredients into liquid works of art.
The Library Bar, at The Leela Bhartiya City, in launching their bold new menu has pretty much done that. Focusing on Karnataka and going hyper-local, each drink is carefully crafted and elegantly put together, a far cry from the first ever cocktails that were basically a crude mix of spirits, sugar, water and bitters to the cocktail dark ages of the ’70s and ’80s when free-pouring and flair bartending were all the rage, not to mention the use of ‘Tini’ to cover everything except a genuine Martini.
“Current cocktail culture is undergoing a renaissance with the focus on scientific techniques alongside the nuances of redistilling and clarification of your favorite classics,” explains The Library Bar’s erudite bartender Kaushal Sampath Kute, adding, “Well-travelled customers want more than just a drink. They seek an experience. They want exotic flavours and stunning presentations. And to rise to the challenge, mixologists need to push the boundaries of creativity. In this case, we decided that deep diving into hyper-local fruits and herbs extracting their essence and then using it to shake, stir or flambé your drink of choice was the way forward. If chefs can go hyper-local with their menus, so can we. Think Devanahalli apples, Sakleshpur cinnamon, Sirsi basil, Coorg honey, Kolar tomatoes, Chikmagalur grapefruit, Mangalore pineapples, Kodagu plums, Yelachenahalli bananas. And for that all — important dash of herbs and spices — Sakleshpur rosemary and Mysore betel leaves.”
Doubling up as a mixologist, Kute goes on to say, “Shaking or stirring a cocktail isn’t just about blending ingredients. Stirring is a delicate process that lightly mixes the elements while preserving its clear, transparent character. Shaking, conversely, introduces more air, creates tiny ice shards, and adds more water dilution, making the cocktail colder and often a bit cloudy. I use this for citrus juices, dairy, or egg whites, like a Gin Sour.”
A symphony of cocktails in action at The Library Bar
Keeping it simple is key, he emphasises and he uses uses vodka as a base before adding the essence of Kodagu plums and a hint of lemon grass. Simple, clean and perfectly balanced.
He then goes on to pair Yelachenahalli banana cordial with dark gold rum. An unusual combination that also worked really well. Going down the list was Tequila with the essence of Mangalore pineapple. Bourbon with Chickmangalur cherries, a dash of house-made spice bitters and a hint of maple. Scotch-based cocktails came with an earthy mix of Devanahalli apples, Sakleshpur cinnamon, balanced with a mild Earl Grey tea decoction.
Each drink was carefully researched and masterfully presented in a way that the pickiest connoisseur would appreciate.
“Cocktail creation is a balancing act of temperature and dilution. Cooling it dulls both the sweetness and bitterness, so drinks with high alcohol content become very palatable. However, a cocktail that is too cold might water down the flavours. Hence, controlling temperature and dilution is crucial in making a well-balanced cocktail,” he signs off.
Words by Jackie Pinto.
