For people sitting across the counter, the thrill of the drink doesn’t just lie in the flavour and the eventual kick, but also lies in watching your bartender flip around a few shakers and expertly juggle the liquid before serving it up in style. And now we aren’t just content watching the gimmick, we want in as well.
And so Hyderabadis turned up in quite the number to get a few tips at the bartending and mocktail preparation workshop that was conducted recently at the Godrej Nature’s Basket in Jubilee Hills, in association with the Tulleeho Bartending Academy. Featuring Sonaivel Venkatesan from the academy, the one-and-a-half hour session gave participants a crash course in shaking up four mocktails, besides a basic understanding of the craft.
Themed ‘Summer Splash’, Sonaivel made the job seem like a breeze while reeling out instructions. Keeping the session interactive, he made sure everyone in the room were at ease. “This isn’t a professional workshop. It’s for people who want to learn a few recipes here and prepare them for their family and friends in the future,” said bartender whose repertoire includes the Taj group of hotels and the Marriott as well.
Folks went home wiser with four Tulleeho designed recipes up their sleeves – Strawberry Delight, Cosmo Spritzer, Granny’s Margarita and Fun Kin Evergreen. Using ingredients from the gourmet retailer store, the recipes were specifically chosen to suit the season.
“The aim was to make good combinations using ingredients like strawberry, lemon, basil and Bottle Green’s flavoured sparkling water that whets the palate, besides helping people to bear the summer heat.” Not restricted to just preparing mocktails, the workshop also gave instructions on various techniques involved in bartending and discussed the equipment required, like bar spoons, muddlers, strainers, measurers and shakers.
Participants at the workshop were an inquisitive lot, popping questions from time to time, besides jotting down notes on the sidelines. The mocktails were also circulated amongst everyone so that the taste was better understood. Happy at the response the workshop garnered, Sonaivel says, “People in India lack knowledge of the beverage industry, but the art of bartending will soon catch up because of the great opportunities that it provides.” Well, if the turnout was anything to go by, bartending does indeed seem to be catching up.