'Indian Guests Are Incredibly Engaged And Curious': London-Based Bar Consultant Angelo Sparvoli

Angelo Sparvoli has had an illustrious career behind the bar. He has worked with few of the best hotels in London like St. James, Savoy and more. Today, he has his consultancy firm that helps new bars with their bar programs, create a bar program for a party, and conduct bar takeovers. He spoke to The Free Press Journal during a trip to India and takeover at Loya.

Excerpts from an interview

What was the thought behind choosing these cocktails for the takeover?

The thought behind choosing the cocktails for the takeover it was to bring local, familiar flavours to the guests, approached in a modern and refined way. I chose to bring mainly fresh and light cocktails as the warm climate would make it challenging for the guests to enjoy spirit forward beverages.

Was your menu same for all three cities in India?

The menu was slightly different in Mumbai where I brought a couple of variations to the main menu and added a couple of extra drinks. One of them, which was also my favourite, was a cold Irish coffee with Irish whisky, coffee rum, cold brew and a layer of coconut cream.

Did you think of using Indian local ingredients? Did you use them? If yes, how?

I always try to use local ingredients when travelling. For example, I have made for the occasion a Piña colada twist, infusing the rum with curry leaves as well as a Penicillin twist using mango to make an infused mango vodka and ginger to make a syrup to spice up the drink a bit.

Why did you prebatch your cocktails?

The cocktails are prebatched for speed and consistency matters. Speed of service is important as I don’t want guests to be waiting; the time I save making drinks, it’s time that I can spend talking to my guests. Consistency is another important factor. Measuring once, it’s much faster and precise then measuring small amount and having to grab four or five different bottles. The main work is done accurately before-hand, measuring and pre-mixing the ingredients. For obvious reasons, perishable ingredients such as citrus juice are added on the spot.

What did you think about the Indian audience?

I really enjoyed chatting to the guests as they all seemed interested and curious about my work and how I approached the cocktails and the service. It was a very stimulating week, discovering a new culture and exploring the different ways of enjoying cocktails.

What's that one thing you think is common among Indian and London drinkers?

I would say a very open mentality. People are always happy to explore new flavours and try new cocktails, which makes my job much more dynamic and fun.

I found Indian guests to be incredibly engaged and curious. They often want to understand the ingredients, the story and the technique behind the drink. That creates great opportunities for conversation and education, whereas in London service is often faster paced and guests tend to be more familiar with classic cocktails.

What is that one major difference between Indian and London drinkers?

The biggest difference is that London drinkers generally choose drinks based on the cocktail itself, whereas many Indian guests choose drinks based on the spirit first. In London it's common to hear, 'What would you recommend?' In India, it's more often, 'I drink whisky' or 'I drink gin'—and then you build the experience around that preference. Of course there are exceptions, but that was the biggest shift I noticed.