One might not have imagined Taj Deccan in this light -- young, playful, alive with music, glowing lamps, and glasses clinking with inventive cocktails. A hotel long synonymous with fine stays and gourmet dining suddenly transformed into the city's most stylish lounge. On this night, VISK Bar played host to a high-energy takeover by Nikolai Kennedy, Head Bartender at Toronto's Civil Liberties (#21 on North America's 50 Best Bars). In collaboration with All Things Nice, the evening promised more than just drinks; it was theatre in a glass, where reimagined classics and bold new pours captured the spirit of Hyderabad's evolving cocktail culture.
Drawn into the vibe, we leaned closer to the crowd, scanning the menu with curiosity, eager to sip on the stories being shaken and stirred. The lineup spanned time-tested staples like A Very Wet Martini, Clover Club, Old Pal, and Toronto Cocktail, alongside modern, experimental creations such as London Calling, Teacher's Lounge, Woolnough, and even a playful Jello Shot.
"The menu is drawn from two of our bars -- Civil Liberties and Civil Works. Civil Liberties is our no-menu cocktail bar, where we often surprise guests with a classic they may not have tried before. For Hyderabad, we opened with the Clover Club, a classic gin sour from Pennsylvania. But since we're in India, we wanted to nod to local culture, so we swapped raspberries for kokum. We also gave the Old Pal a twist by infusing it with cacao nibs. A Very Wet Martini came with a lime-leaf infusion and a pickled hog plum garnish, topped with gondhoraj lime zest because why import oranges when we can celebrate what's already here?", explained Nikolai.