Diageo Reserve World Class Masterclass Mumbai Edition, Farzi Cafe, Lower Parel

Diageo. The ultimate name when it comes to spirits. These are the guys behind some (or rather, most) of the most iconic brands in the world ranging from Smirnoff to Ciroc! They are undoubtedly in the business of spreading happiness, with responsibility ;) 

It was thus an august occasion when some of Diageo's most luxury premium spirits were used by 4 supremely talented bartenders to create a bevy of magical cocktails in the Diageo Reserve World Class Masterclass Mumbai Edition and yours truly had the honor of watching the men at work. Now these guys are among the finalists of World's best and perhaps the most exhaustive bartending competition known as World Class. This is not just another competition where making 1-2 great cocktails is gonna win anyone lifetime accolades. It includes exhaustive rounds testing theoretical as well as practical knowledge to pick out world's best mixologists. After all, Diageo Reserve portfolio includes Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Gold Label Reserve, Don Julio, Ciroc and so on. Obviously, the best in fine dining and world's finest drinks go hand in hand and this is what this evening showcased to us, the chosen few.

While I am not much of a cocktail lover myself, it was impossible to stay untouched by the passion with which the Indian finalists were introduced and how they created and presented the drinks for us. The theme was 'fresh in-season fruits' thus doing away with the need of using pre-packaged or frozen or stored fruits pieces since just like food, even the taste of drinks is affected by the freshness of ingredients used. Add to that the torturous Indian weather right now and I think the refreshing zing inherent in the theme was perfect. Hello fresh litchis, pineapples, mint leaves and more :)

It was during the LIVE Masterclass session that I came across many interesting tit-bits of information. Such as-it is not only the freshness of the ingredient used that creates a particular flavor, rather it is also the duration for which the drink sits out in the open! Moreover, it is our noses that contribute the most when it comes to how attractive we find a particular drink. That is interesting, since I thought it was only the aroma of food items that made us salivate, turns out the same is true for drinks too! Then we had the pleasure of learning about the various flavors and undercurrents such as fruity, full-bodied and so on that leads to variations in recipes and how mixologists/bartenders take care of them on duty :)

Crushed Parle-G biscuits atop a whiskey based cocktail? Tastes even better than it sounds, trust me :) How about our very own Kokam with a twist,incorporating vodka and garnished with curry leaves? Sounds amazing, doesn't it? Well, here you go, take a look at the wizardry of these brilliant cocktail masters!

All Photo Credits : Prachi Shailendra

All Photo Credits : Prachi Shailendra