Manmohan Singh will represent India at the finale of Bacardi legacy Cocktail Competition in Moscow in May. He talks to Divya Kaushik about his rum-based recipe that debunks the myth around the ‘man’s drink’
Making a lady at the bar believe that a rum concoction will be better than her tried and tested vodka drink is difficult. But it just takes right attitude, some sweet-sour balance and tossing in the air to change perceptions. Manmohan Singh, a bartender at PCO, has been mixing several ingredients to come up with different rum cocktails to impress the ladies. One such drink, called 19th, has been a favourite with the ladies and the cocktail got him an opportunity to represent India in the global finale of Bacardi legacy Cocktail Competition in Moscow in May. “It is a simple recipe but I think what people like most about it are the perfect texture and how well the ingredients compliment the richness and flavour of rum. We at PCO, are trained in classic and vintage cocktails. The idea to prepare this cocktail came from the 20th century when people didn’t have many options to mix their drinks with. Bartenders used to search for local and fresh ingredients to mix with the drinks. The most common ones used were some citrus elements and sugar syrup. So in my recipe I used Bacardi superior rum, martini Bianco, crème de cacao white (white chocolate), absinthe and one cube of sugar. Absinthe is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from botanicals, including the flowers and leaves of grand wormwood together with green anise, sweet fennel and other medicinal and culinary herbs. I burnt the sugar on absinthe to create a caramel layer and add a crunchy texture. The crunchy texture and richness of white chocolate go well with the superior rum,” explained Singh, who derived the name of the drink from the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution. “It gave women an equal right to vote. likewise, the idea of the drink is to give women liberty to choose their own drink. Rum is mostly believed to be a man’s drink, which I do not believe in,” said Singh.
Singh got information about spirits while on the job. “I started my career in 2006 as a pizza delivery boy. After a brief stint I went on to work in a coffee shop and was mixing coffee, milk and chocolate. That was when I realised how much I love mixing new flavours and coming up with different drinks. I did a diploma course and worked with outlets like Smokehouse, molecular bar Shroom and then PCO. At PCO I have been doing a lot of experiments with rum, especially for the ladies so that they keep it off their minds that rum is only for men,” he shared.
The secret of most delicious cocktails lies in simple recipes and minimum ingredients. “You do not need fancy equipment or exotic ingredients to come up with something different. One should keep in mind the composition and flavours of the base drink. For example, while making a rum cocktail one should always think of mixing something sweet and sour.
lemon and other citrus elements work best in rum cocktails. Rum is a very versatile liquor and can give interesting results with almost every ingredient,” said Singh.