Welcome to the self-indulgent Delhi that basks in experiential pleasures, like enjoying a drink poured out from taps. Eram Agha gauges the ‘pitch’er fever
When Rudra Sharma went home from a spirited outing at Bora Bora, he ended up educating his family and friends about the experiential pleasures of having a drink served in a skull. The details of smoke that arose from the foaming froth filled the minds with curiosity, and the next thing we saw was the family’s run to the bar to get high next. They too came back with the tales of how a mocktail was served to them in a coconut shell with the face of a monkey carved on its face. This is exactly what the owner wants — spread smiles and spirits through the word of mouth. Viju Raj from Fork You said, “There are more outlets now. Therefore there is the need to innovate and be different from the lounge next door. People meet and talk about new things they tried.” To meet or beat the competition there is a need to tell a different tale.
The story of highs!
“These touch ups make one enjoy the drink and dramatise the outing too. Our menu unfolds like a story and gives one the first glimpse of what the whole episode will be like. For instance the name skull suggests that it is going to be a deadly drink, which has five concoctions of rum!” said Nikita Khattar, whose conceptual bar builds the environment of tropical fun. The concept of ladies night can be enjoyed here as Bora Bora capitalises on women’s affinity with vodka and have designed “Hula Girl” and “Blue lady” with additions of chocolate syrup, marshmallows and other things that girls love. The drinks are served to match the pep of the name. (These designer presentations or newer pitchers have one more function to play — essential props for a photo-opportunity. Get clicked!) “This is the way to make our customers feel special, add some fancy to the outing and you get people who truly believe in a new day lived in a new way,” Ekansh Bansal from Whitewaters Café said.
They serve liquor in a humble looking bottle (quite like our Bisleri)! But it brims with something truly luxurious. Right from orange peels to soup bowls drinks are served like never before. Café ludus boasts of molecular drinks, which are edible concoctions. Don’t be surprised when Ravioli or Caviar or jelly mixtures are served in soup bowl. “Drinks are like girls, we need to dress them up!” Anthony Wilson from the café said.
Raise the toast
The designer pitchers are all set to grow as the logic is clear, “We first eat and drink with our eyes. It is the look that takes us to the drink. People are spending more on drinks and restaurants are investing more on presentation,” wine sommelier Magandeep Singh said, his most memorable outing has been to a pub in Bengaluru where he enjoyed the drink in a lota. The target is high income earners with fine tastes and travel experiences. “But presentation gimmick will fail if the drink is not well-made,” he warned.
let’s have it on the rocks!
Experimentation has opened new roads but it is laced with some challenges as old habits die hard, people still ask for “Screwdriver”, for this reason White Waters Café has segregated their menu according to spirits. “We have three standard ones and other two would be the products of experiment. This is to strike a balance, as people are still discovering the newer ways of enjoying their drinks” said Bansal, who works with his partner Sandeep Aggarwal. Wines pour out of taps without any compromise on quality and consistency, as the machines have regulated temperatures suitable for red and white wines. They work non-stop to make no compromise on the real flavour, but the challenge is “how to create awareness, as we cannot endorse wine blatantly. So now we say ‘grapes on tap’ to avoid any hassle,” Raghu Raj Kanudia from Café Iredus said.
“Tap factor adds some interactive quality to the wine experience and lends an informal touch to the otherwise formal wine outing,” Kanudia added. Here you get a pre-loaded card that can be punched to enjoy the wine of choice. “You can test without paying a penny and taste 24 varieties available in our store,” he said. The concept of tap was introduced in Italy and is now catching up. What next, a hand pumpIJ That’s what we call “a makeover of moments.”