My tryst with bartending

After two days of training, the author served drinks to 10 guests at Daysie, Bengaluru. DH PHOTOS BY B H SHIVAKUMAR

Work is the curse of the drinking class’ quipped Oscar Wilde, reversing the famous original quote about drink being the curse of the working class. But what if serving up drinks is your work? It is with these thoughts that I find myself hopping on the Metro to a popular new bar, one stop away from my office in Bengaluru. The ultimate goal is to experience life as a bartender on a busy day. So I am getting a few sessions of training before I can serve paying customers.

I remember the first time I stepped into a pub. It was almost 17 years ago. My friend and I had decided to initiate ourselves into adulthood, so to speak. It was one of the few watering holes on Brigade Road, back when Bengaluru was Bangalore. Pecos, Styx, Nasa and Le Rock were the favoured choices, but for some reason we decided on a nondescript establishment, dimly lit with the kind of blue light that gives you a headache. We were just under the legal drinking age, so we stuck to a chilled orange juice.

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But I recall being intrigued by the lurid green, blue and pink drinks being served at the other tables. It was a few more years before I had my first sip of alcohol. However, that experience sticks out when I think of my favourite ‘bar’ memories.

Getting started

It is early March, a warm Monday afternoon. Quite a few tables are occupied. Surprising for an unremarkable weekday. Daysie has a colourful and relaxed vibe, with pastel accents and dreamy lighting mixed with a contemporary tropical aesthetic.

As an active member of the ‘drinking class,’ I am excited about learning the tricks of the trade. However, I am also apprehensive about being able to understand and master the skills. First I am introduced to the mixologist, Himanshu Bisht. The bar set-up and the cocktail menu are conceptualised and designed by him.

The only way to get behind the bar is by entering the kitchen so I am escorted through an inconspicuous door. It is 3.30 pm. Just after the lunch rush. The hum of muted and tired voices catching up over a late lunch reach my ears as I walk past them.

On the other side

Himanshu takes me through the set-up. Bars generally have three parts — the front bar (this is where the drinks are ordered and served up), the under bar (right behind the front, where all the ingredients and equipment are kept), and the back bar (located behind the front and under bar, the display shelves that mainly house the glassware).

On the bartop, there are glass jars of varying shapes and sizes. I am told they contain the garnishes required for the drinks… the final touch that can take a cocktail from
boring to Instagrammable. Dehydrated orange, candied figs, dried red chillies are some of the ingredients that catch my attention. I notice bottles of bitters, which add the bitterness required to balance out the sweet and sour notes of the drinks. On the work surface below, in the under bar to be precise, there are caddies and sinks, the larger ones filled with ice. They are called ice bins. They are flanked by smaller compartments containing sliced fruit and herbs. There are more garnishes here — skewered strawberries and pickled ginger. Flush with the side of the under bar counter are speed rails. At a height that is handy to pick up and use, it is where the spirits and non-alcoholic fruit syrups, extracts and juices are kept.

Liquid state

I am soaking it all in, committing everything to memory, fervently hoping that I can retain as much as possible. He then proceeds to explain the three broad categories of cocktails. The build-up cocktail is one where the drink is not mixed or shaken. You simply add ice to a glass, and pour the rest of the ingredients over it. For a stirred cocktail, you pour the syrups, bitters and alcohol into a mixing glass, top it with crushed ice, give it a thorough stir and then strain the liquid into the serving glass. “Always start stirring along the top of the glass and ease the spoon to the bottom gently. It is much easier than sticking the spoon directly into the middle and trying to reach the base,” says Himanshu.

Then, there’s the shaken cocktail. Add all the components into a shaker, then fill it with ice. Cover it with the lid and shake. “The shaking should be in an oval pattern, not back and forth. Shaking it up and down will break the ice, which will melt faster and dilute the drinks,” he explains.

Living in gin

In recent years, gin has seen a bit of a revival. So it makes perfect sense to cash in on the gin obsession. Hence, Daysie’s beverage menu has a separate section of gin and tonics. After all, history has it that the cocktail was born in India. It is said that a mixture of gin, lime, water and sugar were used to mask the unpleasant taste of quinine, a cure for malaria. It then evolved to become what we now call a classic G&T.

While the menu does include this version, the other options are more popular, says Himanshu. He shows me how to make a build-up drink called Dance of the peacock. He begins by scooping up ice into a balloon glass. He measures out 20 ml of blue pea tea from one of the squeeze bottles on the speed rail and pours it over the ice. The way the vibrant purplish blue liquid trickles over the ice is so satisfying. My ASMR is well and truly triggered. But we’ve only just begun. The tea is followed by lavender syrup, lime juice, tonic water and gin. “In such cocktails, always add the spirit towards the end,” he says. The glass is topped off with some soda water and garnished with a little pink flower.

Tools of the trade

In a couple of days, I am back at the bar. Today, Himanshu is teaching me about bar accessories, from muddlers and jiggers to Hawthorne and julep strainers. We go over the cocktails I was taught to make. Himanshu watches me closely, giving me tips and advice as I work. “Presentation is important, so ensure you’re using unbroken ice cubes.” “Always taste before you call for service.” “Make sure the glass is right next to you when you’re pouring the spirit from the jigger to avoid spills.”

I ask him why he chose mixology as a career. “While working at a luxury hotel, I tried my hand at making cocktails and found that it was infinitely exciting. So I made the switch,” he reveals. I’m curious about what he finds most challenging about running a bar. “It’s difficult when customers ask for a drink that’s not on the menu. On average, we take 30 seconds to make a cocktail, but when it’s not on the menu, it takes about 2-3 minutes because we’ll have to look for the ingredients, they may not be handy,” he shares.

Gyanendra Kumar, his colleague, recalls an incident where a customer was dissatisfied with the amount of spirit in his drink. “This was when I was working at another bar. The gentleman asked for an LIIT, which typically has 120 ml of base spirit. He said that he couldn’t taste the alcohol, and demanded that I add more. By the time he was satisfied, the drink had around 360 ml of it.” Another bartender, Abhijeet Tarai, tells me about dealing with an emotional female customer. “She was sitting at the bar alone, talking on her phone and crying loudly. Her boyfriend had broken up with her. I felt bad and made something special for her. She drank so much, she couldn’t have gone home by herself. So the bar manager gave her a drop. Sometimes, it is difficult to handle patrons who are a little too friendly. Once, a lady loved the cocktail I made so much, she came behind the counter and hugged me. In such situations, the best thing to do is be polite and laugh it off,” he says.

Moment of truth

The following week is when I get to put my newly-acquired skills to the test. A list of four drinks is what I will be making for a gathering of 10 friends. Understandable, as no bar will jeopardise their business with a freshly-minted bartender, whose formal training adds up to a grand total of two days.

Himanshu sends me the recipes, along with the glass to use for each drink, via WhatsApp. I get behind the bar and my first customer walks up to me. “Dance of the peacock, please,” she says. I pick up a balloon glass, place it on the bartop, scoop some ice into it. Blue pea tea, lavender syrup, lime juice, gin, tonic, soda go into the glass one after the other. I taste it, it seems just right. I add the flower with a flourish and serve it up. I admit I am a little slow and constantly refer to the recipe on my phone, but I am feeling more confident than when I walked in.

More customers come up to the bar. Next I make a drink called ‘Banarasiya’. This requires a shaker. I grab a Boston shaker and drop two cardamom pods into it. I then take the muddler and crush the pieces, just enough to release the aroma. Crushing it too much can make it bitter. Then, in go paan syrup, lime juice, white rum and ice. I place the lid and give it a shake. After a few seconds, Himanshu takes over. The difference in
technique is like chalk and cheese. His movements are more powerful, fast and graceful all at once.

The Pickle Tickle seems to be the drink of the day, as I receive multiple requests for it. I fill a lowball glass with ice (this ice is to chill the glass and is emptied before the cocktail is poured in). Into a mixing glass I pour some jalapeno brine, gherkin brine, lime juice, sugar syrup and vodka. The bar spoon is pressed into service. I stir for 15 seconds. The ice in the glass is thrown out. I ask for an ice ball, which melts slower than other ice. Once it is placed in the serving glass, I slice a gherkin and drop it in too. I reach for the Hawthorne strainer, position it at the rim of the mixing glass and pour the concoction and serve it up.

With each new order, I feel myself growing more confident and quick. It is a great feeling seeing guests’ positive reaction to the cocktails. I serve about 15 drinks, including a few non-alcoholic ones, before the night is through. Ironically, I feel buzzed, though I have not had a single drop of alcohol since I started my shift. I ask Himanshu for feedback. “You’re a quick learner and you did really well today. But obviously, there’s a long way to go if you’re thinking of switching careers,” he says. I can live with that, I think to myself.

Story of the under bar

The way an under bar is designed can make or break a business. An under bar is where all the ingredients for cocktails are stored. “A lot of thought and planning goes into it.
The counter should be at a height that is easy to use, the speed rails should be handy, there should be just enough distance between each workstation. This makes the process smooth and efficient,” says mixologist Himanshu. The supplies are always kept in the right place so bartenders typically don’t even have to look at the labels while making a drink. Muscle memory kicks in the minute they’re behind the bar, he says.