Delhi Bar Offers Cocktail History Tour
A new cocktail bar in Delhi from the creators of Barbet & Pals has opened, offering a nine-course tasting menu. The experience is designed as a journey through India's diverse and often overlooked cocktail history.
The new establishment, named Cavity, is located downstairs from the creators' existing bar, Barbet & Pals, in Delhi's Greater Kailash II neighborhood. Co-founders Jeet Rana and Chirag Pal, along with chef Amninder Sandhu, have designed the space for a more intimate experience with mellow music, contrasting the high-energy atmosphere upstairs. The nine-course tasting menu is a journey through India's geographical history, with a focus on ingredients that have been granted Geographical Indication (GI) status. The culinary philosophy emphasizes food as a "burst of feeling" designed to support the cocktail as the main feature. Distinctive techniques are employed across each course, including fermentation, heat, cold, foam, and smoke to enhance the storytelling aspect of the drinks. For example, one course features Amazake, a warm beverage made from fermented Joha rice from Assam, flavored with passion fruit. Another offering, called Hot & Cold, combines Tooyamalli rice foam with clarified rasam and whisky. This concept of a historical and ingredient-focused cocktail experience taps into a long history of mixed drinks in the region. The word "punch" is believed to have been derived from the Hindustani word "paanch" (five), referring to the five ingredients originally used. This early form of cocktail, based on arrack, sugar, spices, water, and citrus, has a heritage in India that may stretch back nearly 1,500 years. The British colonial era also significantly influenced India's drinking culture with the introduction of beverages like the gin and tonic. Originally consumed by British officers as a more palatable way to ingest anti-malarial quinine, the drink was adapted with local botanicals and spices, embedding it into the subcontinent's culinary fabric. The team behind Cavity, Jeet Rana and Chirag Pal, are seasoned bartenders with extensive experience. Rana, a former brand ambassador for Stranger & Sons Gin, has competed in global bartending competitions, while Pal has worked at notable hotel bars in New Delhi and Dubai. Chef Amninder Sandhu is known for her work at other acclaimed restaurants like Kikli and Tipai.
