The Trophy Bar at AMPM was spiced up with flavourful cocktails made from tipples both exotic and innovative on September 24. Crafted by Elliot Faber aka the Sake Samurai — who is on a three-week tour in India, to introduce the famous sake from Japan — the five cocktails on the list were made with sake aka the Japanese rice wine; some shochu, a Japanese distilled beverage made with rice, barley, buckwheat, and sweet potatoes; and ocho (Puerto Rican rum). PM Pour-Over, Spirit of Samurai, Parkside Daiquiri, Tokyo AM and Fuji Mist offered a burst of flavours that made the night special. A collaboration between the new buzzing location at Park Street and Gormei, the event was a hit! Snapshots:
Spirit of Samurai: Elliot whipped up a brilliant cocktail with some Bacardi Diez, Bacardi Ocho, Bacardi Cuatro, Nanbu Bijin Yuzushu (sake), guava, pineapple and Awa Awa Umeshu (a blend of shochu, Japanese rock sugar and a yellow fruit called ume). The concoction of the fruity flavours was impressive.
Fuji Mist: It was a refreshing addition to the list! Bacardi Cuatro, Shichiken Sparkling Sake, sugarcane syrup and soda made up t2’s fave pick at the event.
PM Pour-Over: A little more than a shot! Whipped up with some Bacardi Diez and a Sake Central Coffee Shochu, it was a glass full of roll-over-your-tongue kind of tipple!
Tokyo AM: A bit of Bacardi Cuatro with some Coffee Shochu, Japanese bitters, cold brew and tonic made for this sip that was a perfect balance of the sweet and bitter. It was Elliot’s special dedication to the coffee lovers of the city.
SNAPSHOTS
The Riz Connection ft. Ahona Sen belted out songs like Beggin’, La Bamba, Roxanne and Smooth Operator among others to go with the tasty sips served at The Trophy Bar
HERE’S A QUICK THREE WITH ELLIOT:
How was your experience of whipping up such tasty cocktails in the City of Joy?
It’s been a dream to visit Calcutta. It’s a warm community, so welcoming and receptive. I had a lovely experience.
How did you conceptualise the cocktails you crafted?
Calcutta is the fourth city on my list in my tour and I tried to do something special for each city that I went to. There’s a dominant coffee culture in the city, so I used a coffee shochu (something originally developed in Japan) to match with the roasted coffee beans that AMPM is famous for.
How has your India tour been so far?
I always wanted to come to India and I have three weeks and six cities in my plan. There’s a lot to explore and I feel totally overwhelmed with the awesome hospitality I have received here. It’s been a whirlwind and I’m loving every bit of it. I want to keep creating what’s inspiring.