The Grid recently played host to mixologist Yangdup Lama, who stirred up his signature concoctions and spoke about his techniques at the party spot in Topsia. The owner of the popular bar Sidecar in Delhi, spoke to The Telegraph about the bartending scene, his principles and the changes he has witnessed in the industry.
Did you get a chance to explore Kolkata?
Yes, I am a Darjeeling boy and I did my hotel management from Kolkata. So coming back brings back a lot of memories. I spent my student years here, so I really love coming back to Kolkata and doing what I did as a student back then. I see a lot of changes, one of the most important being that in my student years there weren’t as many bars as we see now. Many hotels have sprung up. You see so much of action outside hotels, and I really miss the tram; I used to ride it a lot back then. The city has been very progressive and that is such a positive thing. What I really love is that the nook and corners in the city have remained the same; they have maintained all the cultural places and dhabas and cafes that we cherish.
Tell us about the changes we are seeing in the bartending scene.
There are no limitations. For example, 10 years ago, if you wanted to be a bartender, there were certain ‘prescriptions’; put this and that, but now there are none. The new idea and concept of cocktail bartending has changed completely. It’s an open blue sky. The industry now is completely based on your imagination, your knowledge, your techniques, all of this has come together to form a brilliant milestone for the industry. If I had to define a cocktail, say 15 years ago, I would define it on three parameters. Today, all I say about a cocktail is to make a drink that excites the customer, makes him happy enough to take out his phone and click a picture and share it with the world... that is what cocktails mean now, to innovate and to create drinks that make people happy. It has come a long way, and no one really knows how far this might go. It is limitless. Bartenders are getting more recognition and students in the industry are taking this seriously.
What advice would you like to give aspiring bartenders?
I understand that there is a lot of hard work, a lot of effort, a lot of exposure, learning from ideas around you... this is a part of the job but what I think is very important is that apart from being creative and introducing new techniques, whatever you do, the most important thing in life is discipline. The ideas of making drinks will change, the fundas may change but discipline will not change. We should always have our principles in place, and my philosophy is not only to become a disciplined bartender but also a disciplined human being.
In 1995 you worked at Hyatt Regency Delhi and you took to bartending in the famous lounge bar. Do you think your passion for bartending started from here?
When I joined Hyatt in 1995, I didn’t know that bartending was something that I would like to do or I would like to choose as a career. Luckily, I got inspiration for my cocktail concepts from senior bartenders, there were international bartenders who would come in and I would observe and learn from them. Over a period of time I learnt from different people and they were my gurus from back then. I also looked up to people like Gary Regan and Dale DeGroff, who have been bar gurus on the global bar scene. I have also recently been in Barcelona and it was an honour to meet Salvatore Calabrese, an inspiration to so many. I also look up to this young but brilliant bartender, Simone Caporale, he has the third most recognised bar in the world currently, named Sips, and he is a very creative bartender with great technique. They are so down to earth and are a perfect representation of what a bartender should really do. Hospitality comes before anything and they have shown it perfectly.
Let’s talk about your bar, Sidecar, currently world’s 26th best bar. Share your secrets to having such a successful bar.
The secret lies in vision. Any successful job in the world requires a sharp and broad-minded vision. We had a clear vision, we wanted to make it a bar that was purely a bar where anyone could go for a drink. At the same time, we were not only focusing on cocktails, we were focusing on an overall holistic approach towards hospitality, our guest means a lot to us. We believe in the fact that hospitality is important. We religiously take trainings, once a week at least. I think it’s a combination of everything — it’s definitely good quality drinks, and the philosophy that we hold together and most importantly, it is to prove that India can have a bar that’s very global in its approach, and the fact that we take a lot of pride in who we are; we are all Indians at the end of the day. The cocktails that we present to the global community are our versions... that have grown and matured in our land, we get a chance to share it with the world. I think that might be the secret to our success.
Picture courtesy: The Grid
‘C’ for Cocktails
The Telegraph asked Yangdup Lama about his favourite cocktails. Here’s what he said.
Manhattan: I love to go to a bar and order a Manhattan; I can always understand their quality from this.
Caipiroska: I always love a refreshing citrus drink and Caipiroska is the best.
Bloody Mary: This is a classic drink that I enjoy all the time. Every bar has its take on it, so really it depends on the technique.
American Pride California Highball: 60ml of Royal Challenge American Pride with a dash of gingerale squash, soda and garnished with an orange zest and topped with crushed ice.
American Pride Miami Sundowner: 60ml of Royal Challenge American Pride, tonic water, grapefruit slices and pomegranate seeds for garnish, topped up with ice in the glass.
American Pride Cherry Sour: 60ml of Royal Challenge American Pride, lime juice, cherry syrup, egg white mixed well and strained over a block of ice and garnished with cherries.