Goa is no stranger to a drink or two but it is seeing a renaissance of sorts. Apart from being a culinary hotspot, the tiny, picturesque state on the western coast of India is now shaking up the alcoholic beverage scene.
On one hand, high-end bars offering inventive Instagramworthy cocktails or a meticulously prepared Martini are thriving. Young locals are behind these bars, as are acclaimed bartenders from across the country, who play with modern skills, machines and techniques, but still stick to traditional and seasonal ingredients. Takeovers at bars are common and collaboration is key to heighten customer experience.
On the other hand, there is a burgeoning local spirits scene running parallelly in Goa. The state’s first hemp-infused gin, Satiwa, which is founder Sahil Adwalpalkar’s attempt at changing the perception about hemp, is a sign of the rising local interest in the spirit.
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It’s beer once more
Guzzling a beer in sunny Goa was the first thing one did upon entering the state. Gin crept in stealthily in the last few years and topped the popularity charts. But the tide is turning. It is now fashionable to drink beer again, albeit craft, not lagers.
To boost this trend and bring back the community of beer lovers, Nakul Bhonsle, founder of Great State Aleworks, and Gaurav Sikka, founder and CEO of Arbor Brewing Company India, have come together to launch Half Pint. “It is India’s first collaborative taproom by two breweries,” says Bhonsle, adding: “An intimate 22-seater tucked away in a quiet bylane in Little Vagator that spells bonhomie, it offers eight new collaborative exclusive beers including a persimmon wheat ale, a tamarind wheat ale and even a kokum sherbet (a kokum and jeera sour), served as half pints and paired with Portuguese-inspired small plates.”
New-age bars at 5-star hotels
Goa’s hugely popular, tiny but iconic, feni-den Joseph’s Bar, Panjim and Miguel’s Bar Fontainhas, serving a flawless Punho Luta Mexicano, are regular haunts of many. Yet, locals and visitors to Goa are always up for something new. And now, there are plenty. Goa has recently witnessed many classy bars which are a big deal, yet, five-star hotels are taking the lead.
House of Nomad, the acclaimed gastro-pub from IHCL, debuts at the Taj Holiday Village Resort and Spa, Candolim, with its second outpost in India. Offering guests an elite selection of international cocktails with trademark local flavours reflecting Goa’s vibrant spirit—‘No Sleep Nomad’ or the ‘Coffee infused Dukshiri’—it has ensured new-age technology is cleverly integrated. The interactive tabletop experience and immersive lounge set it apart, allowing customers to use touch-activated screens to conjure the perfect cocktail, as per their palate preference.
At the other end of the spectrum is Edge—Tropical Bar & Kitchen at Alila Diwa Goa, consciously designed and positioned as a space that makes one forget its five-star lineage. Affordably priced, it is a warm and relaxed pool bar by day and a hip lounge by night—it is a place befitting families and friends to enjoy great cocktails and food, with striking vistas to match.
Standalones stand out
Apart from its existing cocktail bar, which offers exquisite cocktails, Felix Beach Morjim also brings to Goa a new, dedicated ‘gin bar’, thus encouraging guests to spend their entire day at the beach relaxing on the beach-beds with a G&T. Home to 13 gins from popular distilleries like Tanqueray, Samsaara, Pumori and Roku, along with nine different Sepoy Tonics, the bar also invites guests to participate and create their own concoctions.
Cocktail bars may be proliferating, but at certain restaurants, the people behind the bar are a bigger draw than the chefs. Increasingly, restaurants are assigning equal weightage to bars.
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At Hosa, (launched by EHV International of Indian Accent fame), the 14-ft bar is visually stunning and helmed by Varun Sharma of the award-winning Comorin bar. The inventive offerings are equally outstanding. The modern interpretations scream creativity. The Rum Kokum Cola—made using in-house kokum soda—scores high, as does the Bambino Bello, with a spiced beetroot syrup. Mai Chai (aged rum, orange liqueur, chai mix and orgeat) and Soul Kadhi (tequila, kokum, coconut, paan) leave cocktail aficionados stunned, while the Mohabbat ka Sharbat (kokum, coconut, paan mix and watermelon) is a rare treat for non-alcoholics.
At the latest fashionable address in South Goa, Juju, a thriving and consistent beverage programme, is in place. Overseen by acclaimed, award-winning Russian mixologist Evgenia Prazdnik and his partner Yuri, the cocktail menu has been inspired by an array of unique flavours, inherent in different states of India.
“We want guests to take a taste journey to different parts of India—be it Gujarat with its love for paan or Kashmir for its saffron,” says Prazdnik. Sandra’s Spritz (a jasmine and dry gin-based concoction), Bae of Bengal (a twist on a gimlet using the aromatic gondhoraj lemon) and Delhi 6 (a jamun wine-based cocktail with six ingredients), are some of their signature creations.
That’s the spirit
Cocktails may have caught the fancy of bartenders and drinkers alike, but Goa is still in high spirits. Befitting its image as a party place, Goa recently witnessed the launch of two variants of party shots, Fentiro Dusk and Fentiro Dawn, by Fentiro from CaSa de Spirits. Carl Sequeira, managing director of CaSa de Spirits, explains, “Inspired and motivated by Goa’s unique culture, we wanted to create a Goan product made from cashew apple along with our proprietary blend. The party shot category has been stagnant for a while and with Fentiro, we plan to change that.”
And post the gin market in Goa being flooded with Tamras, Seqer and the latest, Sector by Living Root Distilling Company, comes G&T 2.0 from Salud, India’s first brand to introduce ready-to-drink (RTD) in a bottle, and even Earth Rum, a medium-bodied spice rum with an eco-friendly packaging by Surabhi Beverages.
Mini Ribeiro is a freelancer
