New Delhi, March 8 (IANSlife) More and more women are entering professions which were earlier viewed as the domain and purview of men. Bartending is one of these worlds. Women have shed their inhibitions and are setting the bar high, by excelling in this field.
To support this, Stranger & Sons, one the first gins to be made in India since Indian independence, created a platform to bring together stupendous bartenders from all around the world to mix up some creations.
IANSlife caught up with Feruzan Bilimoria, Brand Ambassador – Stranger & Sons Gin, who has an illustrious bartender career before representing the gin, to talk about what it feels like to be on the right side of the bar. Celia Bugallo, Bartender at Kwant London also joined chat along with Sakshi Saigal, co-founder Stranger & Sons.
”The biggest lesson I’ve learned from bartending is that we must always be ready to adapt. The bar is a stage to be any person you want to be. It forces you to become humble, confident, patient & kind and keeps you mentally alert at all times,” shares Bilimoria.
She also points out an interesting tip one should keep in mind when using ingredients to make a great tasting cocktail, ‘Always have abundant knowledge about the ingredients you put in a cocktail. Each ingredient has a story and a history of its own. For example, such as the humble nimboo (Indian lime) we use for our cocktails. It is found only in india, however, most classic cocktails are made with Italian lemons or Mexican limes which have different levels of sourness and acidity. Understanding this helps us adjust the cocktail to help balance the flavours to make a perfect drink that will satisfy the customer.
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Feruzan who has participated and excelled in multiple cocktail competitions talks about a memorable episode, revealing, ”One exciting episode I always remember was the first time I made a Negroni for a guest. I used to think it was silly to put equal ingredients to make a cocktail. But the guest loved it. He encouraged his friends to try it and soon enough I was making nine more Negronis for them. It was a beautiful rush as I discovered something new and wonderful about my field. The elegance or creating such a simple drink was a changing point of my life. Still to this day, I love making and drinking Negronis”
Celia Bugallo, Bartender at Kwant London feels that the, “power mantra for bartending is ‘to be an excellent human being and treat every guest as the same… be a good colleague and help always, and study as much as you can.”
Sakshi Saigal adds, ”Many international gin brands speak of having origins in India, but one look at the back label, and it’s clear it was made anywhere but India. We realized that this could be an opportunity to tell the story of a new India through an interesting medium- Gin, especially since this liquid has its own strange ties to India.”
Saigal feels the perils of bartending in India are, ”India is seeing a slow, yet steady rise in the representation of women in the drinks business. For a long time, alcohol was viewed as a social taboo however India is slowly becoming more receptive to global trends. Just like in any other industry, being a woman, you would like to see more representation, so we are delighted with the team we have built today. More than just having a healthy gender diversity, we believe that a balanced team is a more powerful and productive team. Rather than exalting the virtues of any particular gender, it is more important to cultivate a respectful, encouraging environment and are proud of the values we aim to implement
In celebration of Women’s Week initiative, the brand welcomes SaiMai from the ABar, Marriott Marquis in Bangkok whose skills behind the bar will ensure your romance with gin never ends, June Baek from Madam Fan, JW Marriott Singapore who innovates with a style that cannot be replicated and makes the restaurant such a must visit while in Singapore, Celia Bugallo from Kwant, London who ensures that she delivers an exceptional experience each time and learns from each of her customers.
These international bartenders join strong Indian talent Cindy, from Mr Hoots, Delhi, Sarita Sharma from JW Marriott Sahara. Stranger & Sons curated events at Yauatcha, Soho House Mumbai & The Daily All Day, Mumbai to offer an experience like never before. Yauatcha hosted a bar takeover, handing over the bar to these accomplished bartenders and before launching a sparkling cocktail menu.
Apricot Gibson
60 ml Stranger & Sons Gin
10 ml Pickled
Apricot Brine
Stir in a mixing glass with ice & strain into a chilled coupe glass
Garnish with our pickled Apricot
Curry Leaf Gimlet
60 ml Stranger & Sons Gin
15 ml Curry leaf Cordial
1 Bar spoon Citric solution
Stir in a mixing glass with ice & strain into a chilled coupe glass
Garnish with a toasted curry leaf
–IANS
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