A severe case of sobriety

By Shaan Bajaj

During COVID, one of the many hobbies I picked up and eventually abandoned was making mocktails. I was in the mood for a simple yet refreshing mojito, so like everyone
else, I asked the social media lords for a recipe. After tweaking a few recipes, I perfected a tall, balanced glass of virgin mojito that really satisfied my craving; I even served it for a small ladies’ brunch and it was a unanimous hit.

Although the experience made me realise that I definitely did not have the skillset or patience required to become a bartender, the biggest takeaway was how a specialised drink held the ability to complement a homemade meal without too much of an effort. Which is why I was particularly eager to meet cousins Karan Bhalla and Saajan Ghogar, self-proclaimed best friends and the founders of bartender service and social media phenomenon Dr. Drunk. As they shared with me two whisky-based cocktail recipes that are sure to impress any guest, they tell me a little more about what they called “a creative outlet to share our passion for cocktails and having a good time” or as Sajaan told me with a laugh, essentially “two brown blokes drinking in front of the camera.”

Dr. Drunk has really taken off on social media. What motivated you to start your Instagram page?
We wanted to provide ourselves and our followers with new and exciting cocktails to try. Not only should they taste like no others, but we wanted them to look beautiful too. We also love entertainment, and nothing beats getting your audience drunk.

What do you hope to achieve by sharing these cocktails?
We would like to showcase how fun and versatile cocktails are. There are many great flavours that people can experiment with when making drinks. We also sell pre-made cocktails that you can order ahead of any party you would be hosting or head to our Instagram, @docdrunk for a few recipes you can try yourself.

What is special about the two recipes you are sharing?
They are both inspired by Thai and Indian flavours and the spirit we have used, whisky, is a popular choice among both crowds, particularly Indians. So, we think it really highlights both sides of us as “thindians”.

ROSELLE SOUR
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Serving: 1

INGREDIENTS

• 50ml roselle syrup
• 25ml lime
• 50ml whisky
• 50ml egg whites (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Add all the ingredients into a shaker and shake.
• Strain into glass
• Serve

KHATA TEEKHA MEETHA
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Serving: 1

INGREDIENTS
• 30ml fresh tamarind juice
• 50ml whisky
• Half a chilli
• A pinch of salt
• 20ml simple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS
• Add all the ingredients to the shaker and shake
• Strain and serve on ice or use it to replace the pani in a pani puri.