Tag Archives: mixology India

Seven Cocktails to Stir-up Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is ultimately about connection with a partner, with friends, or simply with yourself and nothing sets the mood quite like a beautifully crafted cocktail. Valentine’s Day deserves a drink that feels special. This curated collection of six cocktails brings together bold whiskies, elegant heritage spirits, and rich brandies, each recipe crafted to add depth, warmth, and a touch of romance to the celebration.

Breakfast Martini by Atelier V

Made with orange marmalade instead of vermouth, it brings a gentle sweetness and a fresh citrus lift that feels special.

Ingredients:

Gin – 45ml

Orange liqueur – 15ml

Fresh lemon juice – 10ml

Orange marmalade – 1tsp

Lemon wheel/small piece of toast for the garnish

Method:

Add gin, orange liqueur, lemon juice, and marmalade into a shaker with ice.

Shake well until chilled, and the marmalade is fully incorporated.

Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Garnish with a lemon wheel or toast.

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When I Was Young! by Davana Vermouth Indica

When I Was Young! blends the comfort of Bournvita with the layered complexity of Davana Rosso and bourbon. It’s a Valentine’s Day cocktail that feels like a warm, unexpected throwback.

Ingredients:

Davana Rosso – 30ml

Bourbon – 30ml

Bournvita syrup – 10ml

Bitters – 4-5 dashes

Method:

In a mixing glass, combine Davana Rosso, bourbon, Bournvita syrup, and bitters.

Stir well for 8-9 rotations to chill and integrate.

Strain into a rocks glass over a block of ice.

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Strawberry Sparkling Wine by MONIN India

A refreshing and beautifully balanced sparkling cocktail that pairs MONIN Strawberry Syrup with the bright citrus notes of Curaçao Triple Sec, topped with chilled sparkling wine. Finished with fresh strawberries, it’s a classic Valentine’s drink.

Ingredients:

MONIN Strawberry Syrup – 10 ml

MONIN Curaçao Triple Sec Syrup – 10 ml

Chilled sparkling wine – 90-120 ml

Fresh strawberry – garnish

Method:

Add both MONIN syrups to a wine glass.

Top gently with chilled sparkling wine.

Stir lightly to combine.

Garnish with a fresh strawberry and serve immediately.

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Chocolate Negroni by Tulleeho

Not every Valentine’s drink needs to be pink or red. Here, the bright citrus edge of a standard Negroni gives way to the deeper, richer notes of cacao. The result? A smooth, yet complex cocktail perfect for slow-sipping that feels made for intimate conversations, late dinners, and sharing the moment with someone special.

Ingredients:

Gin – 30 ml

Sweet vermouth – 30 ml

Campari – 30 ml

Chocolate bitters – 2 dashes

Orange twist – for garnish

Method:

Add the gin, sweet vermouth, Campari, and chocolate bitters to a mixing glass filled with ice.

Stir gently for 20–30 seconds until well-chilled.

Strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass.

Express the oils from an orange twist over the drink and use as garnish.

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Red Velvet by Tulleeho

Red Velvet keeps it simple: ripe raspberry, a squeeze of lime and smooth vodka come together for a bright, fruit-forward sip that’s equal parts fresh and striking the kind of cocktail that instantly steals the spotlight at date night.

Ingredients:

Vodka – 45 ml

Raspberry puree – 30 ml

Lime juice – 15 ml

Sugar syrup – 10 ml

Rose petals – for garnish

Method:

Add the vodka, raspberry puree, lime juice, and sugar syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

Shake vigorously until well-chilled.

Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Garnish with rose petals and serve.

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Vieux Carre by Maya Pistola Agavepura

Not every Valentine’s cocktail needs to be sweet and shy. Some are bold and a little mysterious. The Vieux Carre is one such classic.

Made with Maya Pistola Agavepura’s Extra Añejo, this cocktail is a slow-burn romance in a glass: complex, elegant, and perfect for long conversations, dim lights, and a second round.

Ingredients:

Maya Pistola Agavepura Extra Añejo: 45 ml

Sweet vermouth: 20 ml

Dom Benedictine: 10 ml

Angostura Bitters

Peychaud’s Bitters

Maraschino cherry

Method:

Add ice to a mixing glass.

Pour in Pistola Extra Añejo, sweet vermouth, Dom Benedictine, and a dash of both bitters.

Stir gently to chill and dilute.

Strain into a chilled rocks glass over fresh

Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

———-

Scarlet Oasis by Monarch Legacy Edition

Juicy watermelon and pomegranate bring a soft, lush sweetness, sharpened with fresh lime and lifted with bubbles for a clean, balanced finish. It’s refreshing without being shy, indulgent without feeling heavy.

Ingredients:

Monarch – 45 ml

Watermelon & pomegranate shrub – 30 ml

(made from fresh watermelon juice, grenadine syrup, and apple cider vinegar)

Fresh lime juice – 15 ml

Soda – 60 ml

Watermelon slice – for garnish

Highball Glass

Ice

Method:

Add Monarch, the watermelon and pomegranate shrub, and lime juice to a shaker filled with ice.

Shake well to chill.

Strain into a highball glass over tall ice.

Top with soda.

Garnish with a watermelon slice and serve.

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Nao Spirits crowns Shreyas & Karan from Hideaway Goa as 2025’s ‘Bar Idols’ Winners

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5th edition of the only bartender-and-server duo showcase had 243 bars participate across India
Abhijeet and Fabio from Pune’s Mazdana came in second place
Parth and Abhinav from Bombay’s Permit & Co. ranked third

Launched by Nao Spirits & Beverages, the makers of Greater Than and Hapusa Gin, Bar Idols, India’s first bartender-server competition, came to a close with a grand finale in Goa. The 5th edition saw 243 bars participate across seven cities, around 700 consumers attending, with the team at Hideaway (Goa) taking the crown.

The regional rounds took place across seven cities. This edition welcomed Meerut, Indore, and Manipal for the first time, and saw increased participation from regions like Assam and Chandigarh; proof that India’s bar culture is becoming more inclusive, more distributed, and more exciting than ever.

Bar Idols remains the only competition where bartenders and servers compete together, and where consumer pitches; not the bar’s reputation; decide the win. With about 700 consumers across all cities participating, the judging remained intentionally blind: no bar names or bias, just hospitality, storytelling, and connection.

Most city winners were first-timers; Bangalore’s The Drawing Room, Bombay’s Permit & Co, Pune’s Mazdana, Kolkata’s Cal-On, Hyderabad’s Whiskey Samba and Gurgaon’s Ophelia. A reminder that hospitality and conversations matter more than clout.

The menus read like a love letter to India’s cities and cultural quirks: Nanital, Dadi’s Guava Garden, Gondo-Rage Quite, Kokum Bliss, Howrah Breeze, Puchka Picante, Sondhya Negroni, Ekta Cheers Hobe Naki?, Tok of the Town, Parsi Dhansak, Thecha Bomb, and Ardee’s Soda, to name a few.

From white chocolate apricots to mini ramen bowls, edible papers, puchkas that garnished cocktails in mud pot serves and sake-glasses, bars pushed visual storytelling as much as flavour.

Speaking about the competition’s evolution, Anand Virmani, Co-founder & Master Distiller, Nao Spirits & Beverages, said, “The idea behind Bar Idols has always been straightforward: the drink is half the story; the person serving it is the rest. We wanted a competition that mirrors reality; service and connection matter as much as technique. This year made that obvious. When you remove the bias of bar names, the freshest, hungriest talent rises. That’s the part we’re most proud of.”

This year also marked the official renaming of the platform.

“As much as we loved the previous name, it never quite captured what the competition was really about. It wasn’t about battles or rivalries; but geared towards raising the bar together. The real goal has always been to shine a light on the unsung heroes of hospitality and to build a sense of community around that. So, it only felt right to move from Wars to Bar Idols,” said Aparajita Ninan, Co-Founder, Nao Spirits & Beverages.

Sunny Leone and Sahil Baweja launch Potions: Cocktail Theatre