by Sachin Murdeshwar

Mumbai  : Mumbai-based mixologist Himanshu Desai, the first participant to represent India at the Rémy Martin Bartending Talent Academy, won the second spot in the competition held in Cognac and Paris, for his cocktail called `For The Good Times’.

 

Desai’s cocktail inspired by the nostalgia of childhood hobbies, is a delicate, balanced creation that uses Rémy Martin VSOP along with ingredients chronicled in his adventures as an amateur photographer including apricot puree, aperol sous vide, lemon juice, a pandan leaf and a couple of drops of sandalwood tincture.

 

Commenting about his unforgettable experience, an elated Himanshu Desai said, “The opportunity to not only compete against the best-in-class emerging mixologists from around the world but also exchanging ideas with them has made this competition once-in-a-lifetime experience. We were asked to create a cocktail inspired by one of our childhood hobbies. If not a mixologist, I would definitely have been a photographer, so that is the hobby I selected as my inspiration. I went on the trip with a travel journal and Polaroid camera, documenting my experience there. My presentation at the event was also Indianised, with my choice of glass and the placement of a miniature sword atop it. My cocktail was served on my journal. I shot a picture of the judges on the spot, and attached it to the presentation to justify my hobby.”

 

Abhishek Parameswaran, Country Manager, India & Sub-continent at Rémy Cointreau, shared, “We are delighted to have selected a bartender of Himanshu Desai’s caliber to represent India at this coveted global platform. This opportunity has helped Himanshu to connect with the bartenders’ community in a unique way and gave him a chance to display his skills to a global audience. The Rémy Martin Bartender Talent Academy selects rising stars from the mixology industry, and we are extremely proud that Himanshu won the second prize. We strongly believe in etching a long-term and genuine relationship with the bartending community, and support them as they aspire to become the most influential talents in the industry.”

 

A brave new wave of up and coming bartenders such as Himanshu Desai in India are signaling a new dawn for this fine spirit. The way that cognac is being used in cocktails at top bars In India, is encouraging the industry to step out of its self-made box.

 

The Bartender Talent Academy (BTA) is in line with Rémy Martin’s heritage as the brand has pushed the boundaries to bring out the most exceptional talents of nature and people to unleash them in their products for nearly 300 years. Rémy Martin has been a family business for three centuries, run by two families who share the same values: the Rémy Martin and the Hériard Dubreuil families. Above all, Rémy Martin is a company where savoir-faire, family land, experience and formulas have been passed down from one generation to the next. It is a company driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, solidarity and long-term vision, both within the company and in relations with external partners. To be part of Rémy Martin is to be part of a family.

 

Throughout the BTA experience, the competitors and all involved certainly becomes a family worthy of the brand’s legacy. Rémy Martin India is extremely proud to have selected Himanshu Desai, one of India’s talented bar tenders for this coveted competition and look forward to more talent from the Indian market to represent at the Rémy Martin Bartender Talent Academy to hone their bartending skills. The Bartender Talent Academy is a truly exceptional experience with a truly exceptional brand.

 

HIMANSHU DESAI’S WINNING COCKTAIL: FOR THE GOOD TIMES

 

Ingredients:

 

• 50 ml Rémy Martin VSOP

• 15 ml Aperol Sous Vide with Pandan Leaf

• 20 ml Apricot Purée

• 20 ml Lemon juice

• 2 Drops Sandalwood Tincture

Method:

• Mix all of your ingredients into a shaker with ice.

• Shake well or until shaker is freezing to the touch.

• Then strain the liquid into your best coupe glass.

• Garnish with dried apricot

 

Vessel:

• Crafted Tankard made in India