Get a taste of Kolkata`s cocktail culture in Mumbai this weekend

Blending colonial history with culture, Kolkata has long romanticised its evenings — the post-lunch snooze, endless addas, colonial club sit-outs, dimly-lit bars, and intellectual conversations that stretch well past midnight. Its newer cocktail scene carries pretty much the same rhythm. Little Bit Sober in Bhowanipore sits at the centre of this shift.

This weekend, Mumbai’s cocktail aficionados will get a taste of Kolkata at a one-night takeover at Nox, Powai. Their head mixologist Gyanranjan Barik and mixologist Sunny Tamang tell us what they plan to shake and stir.

Sazerac. Pic courtesy/Britannica

Excerpts from the interview

To a Mumbaikar who’s never visited Kolkata, how would you describe an authentic experience?
Gyanranjan Barik: Aggressive, proudly nostalgic, yet warm. The city has a timeless charm. Similarly, the cocktails carry hints of heritage, art, and true Kolkata-style hospitality in a single experience.

Ghee Rice Old Fashioned

Sunny Tamang: It’s the City of Joy, and the nightlife has a character of its own. A stranger can become your close friend over the course of one evening without you even realising it.

What Kolkata flavours can we expect at the one-night bash?
GB: Absolutely. There will be four cocktails — Friday, 7 PM?, My Little Secret, Gondhoraj Grapefruit, and Ghee Rice Old Fashioned. One of the best examples is the Ghee Rice Old Fashioned, where we use Monkey Shoulder whisky, Angostura bitters, and our star ingredients, Gobindobhog rice and Jharna ghee, to create a cocktail that feels truly Bangla.

Gyanranjan Barik and Sunny Tamang. Pics courtesy/Little Bit Sober

Both cities share colonial history. If we had to be transported to those times through spirits, which cocktail would you pick?
GB: Sazerac, without a doubt. Even though the cocktail has American roots, the rye whisky, absinthe, bitters, and touch of sugar come together as something timeless.

ST: I would concoct something unique using watermelon, rum, and cold brew as base ingredients.

If a Bollywood celebrity dropped by, what would you recommend?
GB: It would be My Little Secret, which combines vodka, fresh watermelon juice, spice mix, and cucumber seltzer for a
desi yet refreshing touch.

ST: Kasundi Picante — made with slices of chilli and fresh coriander, paired with tequila reposado, fresh lime juice, and agave syrup before being double-strained over fresh ice along with a few drops of Kasundi, a sauce made from fermented mustard seeds and spices; sometimes with dried mango, dried plum, and olives, which will give it an earthy flavour.

Any Mumbai haunts where you’d like to try cocktails?
GB: Yes, I’m looking forward to that more than anything. It’s more about the places than specific cocktails — we’ve narrowed it down to House of Paloma, Bombay Daak, and Paradox.

One cocktail to avoid ‘bhat-ghum’ — the afternoon nap after a heavy meal of rice, dal, fish or meat?
Paloma. It wakes the palate up instantly, with bright grapefruit acidity, saline edges, and tequila’s peppery kick keeping every sip sharp and snappy.