Sushi, steak, cheesecake in a glass? Welcome to culinary cocktails

It begins with a sip. Then, a curious sensation follows. Wait, is that chilli chicken in your drink? You taste soy, a whisper of ginger, maybe even a hint of garlic. The essence of dinner, but in the form of a cocktail.

Well, across India, bartenders are boldly pushing the boundaries of mixology. Gone are the days of just adding a splash of lime or a pinch of spice. Today, they are transforming popular dishes into drinks — nostalgic, quirky, and brimming with stories that travel from home kitchens to bar counters.

Whether it's introducing Kolkata-style chilli chicken cocktail or guacamole margarita or a drink that gives a hint of Maggi, bartenders are going all out with experimentation.

But what is driving the shift? Rahul Kamath, Corporate Beverage Manager, Passion F&B, predicts that this trend is here to stay. “It is not a passing fad. Bartenders are thinking like chefs now. We are looking to the kitchen for inspiration. And guests are ready to embark on this journey with us.”

A new frontier

Take Nutcase Etc in Kolkata, where the team wanted to give a beloved local dish a new twist. Enter Tangra Town, a savoury highball inspired by Kolkata-style chilli chicken. A mix of bell peppers, onions, garlic, and ginger, all seasoned with soy sauce and infused with tequila. What sets this drink apart is the addition of chicken stock, lending it a gentle, meaty richness. A spring onion garnish completes the experience.

“No good bar in Kolkata feels complete without chilli chicken on the menu,” says Swanan Sarkar, the mastermind behind this creation. “So we thought, why not serve it as a drink? Once we voiced the idea, it just clicked. The whole team was immediately on board.”

Perfecting this concept was no quick fix. Numerous iterations were tested before they landed on the right balance. “Every ingredient has its own strong character. The challenge was to capture the essence of the dish, but in liquid form.”

Nutcase also offers Rare Steak, a drink made with beef bone marrow rendered with garlic, rosemary, and peppercorns. This spirit-forward creation is fat-washed, giving it a rich depth. Other unconventional drinks on their menu include Make It a Salsa, which mimics a smoky chipotle salsa, and Sushi, which uses wasabi, vinegar, and pickled ginger to recreate the experience of eating a sushi roll.

While these drinks are experimental, the pricing remains approachable. “People will try bold things if they feel they are getting value. We want these drinks to be fun, not intimidating,” the team explains. Pricing, Swanan says, is based on ingredient cost and market comfort. “We want people to try these. But some drinks are high on beverage cost. In our Sushi cocktail, just the nori costs ₹56 per glass.”

Savoury creations: Pushing boundaries

Also exploring the savoury side of cocktails is EnCanto, where mixologist Raju Bora has created a guacamole margarita. This drink features avocado-infused tequila with a smooth avocado crush inside. A daring combination of jalapeño-infused gin, lime juice, and guacamole creates a unique experience. Yes, you read that right.

Garnished with Sal de Pueblo and a taco shell, this clarified cocktail is a love letter to Mexico’s culinary creativity. Raju says, “One day, during one of our experimental sessions, we thought — why not try something completely unconventional. At first, it seemed like an unusual choice, but once we played around with the texture and balanced it with the right elements, it turned out to be an incredible discovery."

He further adds, "These drinks are truly a process of trial and error—testing combinations, adjusting acidity, sweetness, and texture until we find that sweet spot where everything comes together in harmony.”

Mediterranean cocktails and beyond

At Mezzo Mezzo in Mumbai’s JW Marriott, the drinks menu reads like a Mediterranean feast but in cocktail form. Think risotto, tzatziki, strawberry cheesecake, and olive oil cake, all shaken, stirred, or smoked into a glass. And yes, they taste just as wild and wonderful as they sound.

Take the Gazpacho, a smoky, spicy mix of tequila, mezcal, bell pepper, basil, and citrus, or the herbaceous Tzatziki, made with gin, cucumber, whey, and oregano. If you're craving something sweet, try the Baklava, rich with pistachio and spice, or the Truffle Chocolate, a decadent blend of whisky, vodka, coffee, and chocolate liqueur.

Even the classics come with a twist. There is a pine and elderflower highball, a smoked salsa picante, and breezy low-ABV choices like sparkling wine sangria or the Earl Fizz, a mix of Earl Grey, clarified guava, and citrus, which can be made alcohol-free. “These are drinks that surprise people, make them smile, and maybe even remind them of something they ate years ago,” says Chinmay Pednekar, the bar’s mixologist.

The same is true at The Brook in Gurugram, a mountain-inspired bar from the team behind Sidecar. Their standout cocktail, Maggi Point, uses Maggi masala spice, tequila, Himalayan honey, fresh tomato, and pea water. “People love it because it feels familiar. They are drinking a memory,” says Yungdup Lama, the owner.

“That emotional pull is what makes it work. Meanwhile, the pricing depends on market survey and beverage cost.” He also mentioned that it's not just India where this trend is happening; it's taking place in global bars as well.

A global phenomenon

This trend extends beyond India. Double Chicken Please in New York City has a Thai Curry drink made with galangal, lemongrass, coconut water and Thai chilli. In Tokyo, the Glizztini at Tokyo Confidential uses sausage and onion brine, served with cacao butter to mimic ketchup and mustard, while the Zaru Soba at Danico, Paris’s blend of cucumber, tomato, and soy sauce, is a nod to noodle soup.