A tale of two spirits

Think about what you were drinking a few years ago. A rum and Coke or perhaps, a cranberry vodka if you were feeling fancy. Today, a cocktail surpasses the confines of sours and martinis, incorporating unheard-of botanicals, mezcals and bitters that scream genius. The world of mixology has undergone a renaissance of sorts, and that is undeniable. There are a few sub-trends under this larger, overarching transformation.

Topically speaking, the celebrated comeback of gin is one, and then, there is the more ubiquitous manifestation of breweries, and eclectic brews emerging as a result. Notably, the divide between what men drink and what women drink is blurred and to some extent, that plays a major role in increasing the marketability of spirits (or commodities, for that matter).

Magandeep Singh

Sommelier Magandeep Singh echoes this when he says that the approach to drinks has gone through a remarkable reorientation and a few factors have decidedly lent themselves to the rise in popularity of these spirits. He explains, "For some odd reason, earlier, whisky and beer were considered largely male drinks. Today, when I see beer branding going out, it's very androgynous. In a way, beer is more inclusive, because you don't need to be rich or poor to be drinking it. So, it's democratic and now, it comes in various prices, ranging from R100 to R1,000 for a pint." This unstuffy nature of the drink could have very well contributed to its seemingly omnipresent currency.

On the other hand there is gin, an effervescent, botanical spirit that has been exhumed with immense gusto, and which is back on the shelves in many forms. What is peculiar though, to both Singh and Keshav Prakash — the founder of the Vault Collection, which curates experiences in fine spirits, and an acclaimed beverages' expert — is why, of all things, city mixologists are combining gin and beer, two nuanced spirits that are likely to mask each other.

Keshav Prakash

It's a little bit of shoehorning, but there are ways to do it. "Just to be fair to the beer, which can very easily be overpowered by the highly alcoholic and botanical gin, I would probably — and only if I was arm-twisted to do this — start with a wit or anything with a lot of hops, so that it can hold its own. The idea would be to experiment with a  gin whose botanicals would complement the beer rather than clash with it," Prakash suggests, adding that combining the two would mean working with a flavour bomb and the best way to navigate such a pair would be to keep it simple and extend that logic to the ingredients too by sticking to a basic citrusy garnish — a common element in both beer and gin.

On International Beer Day, we speak to the few folks who have dared to toy with this deadly combo. Here's what they have to say.

A pick-me up

"Botanicals make up the heart of both — hops for beer and juniper berries for gin. That's why when mixed together intelligently, the flavours marry into a light effervescent drink," explains Santosh Kukreti, bar manager at this Lower Parel watering hole. The thirsty tonic is a DIY cocktail that comes with an in-house G&T topped with a choice of beer and your picks from a botanical box. While choosing, keep Kukreti's suggestion in mind — "Balance is key."

Santosh Kukreti

At Thirsty City 127, Todi Mills, Lower Parel.
Time 6 pm to 1 am
Call 9136942030
Cost Rs 600

One for the road

"Beers in cocktails can be sterner, and the hoppy bitterness should be used as a secondary flavour to the gin. It would thus pair well with a malt-based gin like Genever, which can be further reduced to a syrup or used with tonic," bar head at this restaurant, Latesh Kotiyar, tells us, while speaking about Abbey Road, a cocktail made with ginger, honey, fresh lime juice, gin and wit beer.

Latesh Kotiyar

At London Taxi, Kamala Mills Lower Parel.
Time 12 pm to 1 am
Call 61344902
Cost Rs 295

G&T in a keg

For their annual beer and burger festival, the team at this 12-year-old gastropub decided to breathe the effervescence of a long-time favourite, gin and tonic, into a beer. The sun of a witch is an unlikely, lemony brew with juniper, coriander, liquorice and scents of cucumber, created in collaboration with the Gateway Brewing Company. Navin Mittal, its founder explains, "Before hops found their way into beer in the 9th century, the drink would be brewed with various herbs and seeds, while juniper berries and spices were used to further enhance the flavour. The goal was to produce a drink that was aromatic and balanced." Area general manager at the drinkery, Dolphy Sequeira, adds, "We arrived at this after a lot of R&D and trials and picked gose, a neutral beer with a tartness that brings in the tonic element."

Dolphy Sequeira

At Woodside Inn (Colaba and Andheri).
Till August 11, 11.30 am to 1 am
Call 22875752 (Colaba)
Cost Rs 315 (for 280 ml)

Riding on this

At a newly opened restobar, smarty Jones is a gin-based cocktail that comprises pressed cucumber juice, aniseed apple and fresh basil topped with beer. Its creator, Mariki Sayles, who has worked as a bar consultant here, shares, "Drinking trends change worldwide. In countries like India, dark spirits were considered aspirational, while white spirits were not considered premium. That is now changing. Wheat beers benefit from a lift of citrus and often pair well with spirits that have a little acid as well. Hence, gin and wheat beer pair well together in cocktails."

Mariki Sayles

At Derby, The Capital, BKC.
Time 12 pm to 1.30 am
Call 61736296
Cost Rs 550 to Rs 600

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