Hidden in the bylanes of Khar, Therapy Cocktail Bar spells ‘youth’ big time. It’s a place where one can hang out ordering a very tall Long Island or any other cocktail, chat, do masti or play a game at the game station and have fun. For the others, who don’t want to play, their playlist is a good enough reason to hang out, eat and drink.
They have two sections of cocktails — Signature and Classic — for all alcohols. Classics are the evergreen mixes and Signature are the ones created by Rohit Uthla, their in-house mixologist. “We make all our infusions and premixes in-house,” informs Rohit. My first choice, as always, is a Negroni. I must say Rohit managed to create a good Negroni and a nice Breakfast Martini.
The next is Need For Speed, an agave based cocktail. A clever blend of agave and tequila topped with grapefruit flavoured soda after a dash of grapefruit juice and dressed with rosemary and dried grapefruit slice. Fresh on the palate, a good choice as an afternoon drink or to carry it through the evening. I am not a whisky person, but Fatal Fury is recommended so a sip is a must. Pandan rice infused whisky with green apple and green tea syrup can be an interesting combo for whisky lovers.
Another option for the whiskey lovers is Kudos. It is a dessert cocktail and lives up to its name. Cake Whisky (a homemade infusion), Coffee, Kahlua and Vanilla Foam. A treat to watch and taste. Chef sends us Spanish Garlic Prawns on the skillet and Chicken Quesadillas.
Time for some sparkle in life. Rohit presents some sparkling wine options. I choose Ghost and Goblins as my first choice — sparkling wine with Thai basil infused orange juice, and the rim is dusted with sweet sumac. Nice, fresh and tangy. The sumac on the rim adds zest.
We take a break for some food. Tandoori Paneer Momos and Avocado & Beetroot Hummus with Toast. They are perfect palate cleansers and stomach liners. Momos are as Indian as they can get and the humus is perfect in texture.
Rohit serves one more sparkling wine-based cocktail — Sunset. Sweet, but interesting. Especially for those who like their cocktails sweet and don’t go beyond sangrias. They should surely try this as an option to their usual sangrias. Also try the Peach Bellini, which proves to be a visual and tasteful delight.
While I am savouring the toast and hummus, I am presented — Earth Bound — a gin-based signature cocktail. Parmesan clarified/infused gin mixed with dry vermouth, burned honey lemon (in-house decoction), and topped with orange bitters. It is amazing how the bitters and honey flavours enhance the parmesan flavour and make it a tasty drink you can linger with.
The next on the list was System Shock! Honestly speaking, it was kind of a shock, a good, tasty shock as despite not being a rum person, I ended up voting this as the best cocktail of the day. Cashew Nut infused dark rum, smoky maple syrup, mole bitters — all danced on the palate with equal ease while leaving a distinct smoky, cashewy taste that one enjoyed. They served the cocktail with some smoked cashews as a part of the presentation which added to the taste.
Their Signature pitchers take care of four. And have interesting combos as well.
According to their spokesperson, Therapy is so named because it is supposed to be a place to unwind and forget your worries while you enjoy the specials. Clearly, the mixologist puts a lot of love in his creations. They have huge one-liter Signatures as well. So what are you waiting for? Gather the friends, go to Therapy, drink, dance, play and have fun.
Average cost for two: Rs 3,000
