The current hipster spirit of choice, gin, has been seeing a resurgence in the past few years, and Delhi-based Bar Back Collective is cashing in on the movement with Gin Sling, a gin festival to be hosted at WeWork Galaxy. A consultancy firm that helps set up bars and collaborates with liquor brands entering the country, the Bar Back Collective is a team of five, two of whom are the brains behind India’s first craft gin, Greater Than. Rohan Jelkie, former brand ambassador of Moet & Hennessy and current member of the Bar Back Collective lets us in on what to expect:
Tell us a little bit about Bar Back Collective.
We started this collective as a side business. It was an opportunity to be involved in the hospitality industry in India. We’ve been designing bars and consulting with breweries, and somewhere along the way, we realised we were helping shape the cocktail industry in India.
How did the idea for Gin Sling come about?
Two of the members at Bar Back Collective, Anand Virmani and Vaibhav Singh launched Greater Than, India’s first craft gin, which is made in Goa. So it’s needless to say that we’re all very passionate about the spirit. So with the gin industry booming all over the world, we thought it would be nice to get in on all the excitement surrounding it.
How is Gin Sling different from other alcohol-centric festivals?
We’ve tried to keep it brand-neutral. It’ll have a lot of brands being featured, such as Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire and of course, Greater Than. There is also an inclusion of other spirits and alcohols, such as sparkling wine. Other highlights include, lady bartenders from some of Asia’s top 50 bars in Singapore and Thailand.
What are the biggest gin trends at the moment?
There’s a lot of importance given to provenance, where the botanicals are sourced from and the use of experimental botanicals. Such as Hendricks with its rose and cucumber, and Greater Than with turmeric, ginger and gondhoraj lemon. The emphasis on flavoured tonic water cannot be ignored. Think Mumbai-based Svami and Chile brand, 1724. Even garnishes have become a lot more experimental with the inclusion of rosemary, thyme, sage and pink grapefruit.
What’s your favourite gin cocktail?
My all-time favourite is a Negroni - a mix of gin, vermouth and campari. It’s one drink that can be customised according to your personal tastes, from the amount of ice to the temperature to the dilution and the garnish.
Cover Rs500. July 21 (4 pm) and July 22 (12 noon). At Residency Road