If you’ve sat across the bar from Arijit Bose, you know what the title of this feature means. If you haven’t, what have you been doing with your life? The master mixologist who can stir your drink and your mind with equal flair isn’t just acing his own tipple game, but also hustling to bring India’s alcohol circuit to match international standards. As he flits between Singapore and India in the spirit of driving the cause of responsible drinking (some people in Delhi may raise serious objection to this), we chat with the DSSC Power Packer Winner (2016) and map his journey from Bong-Boy of CR Park to Cocktail Conquerer of the world.
“I wasn’t supposed to be in the bar industry at all,” he begins, “the initial plan was to take forward my father’s guest house business!”. A change of heart as he entered high school had Arijit pick Hotel Management, and like most Indian families, his parents supported his dream so long as he graduated from school with Science & Computers. Enter IHM, Mumbai. “I’m not from the community who partied in their school days, also, I’d forever been in CR Park. So even though during the interview I gave Delhi as my first choice and Bombay as second, in my heart I really wanted Bombay.” However, the bar connection was yet to be decoded, “Popularly known as Dadar Catering College, IHM specialised in kitchen and to make a mark in F&B you had to be a kitchen guy, which was my aim then.” As Bose dived into the kitchen space, chopping onions, whipping up pasta alfredos, studying the best chefs, along came Mr.Plot Twist, aka Destiny in 2001, taking him from behind the counter to behind the bar.
“The turning point was my industrial training at Oberoi, Mumbai, where what started as a kitchen stint ended behind their beautiful bar, Bayview. Long story short, the kitchen guy was now a bar guy,” he says. Though bringing tipple times to people seems fun & games on the onset, it was still an unusual career choice at the time and came with its own set of struggles, “There was no formal certification available in the beverage sector, so I started studying it on my own and bartended at hotels and private dos like the Godrej and Piramal houses to learn the tricks of the trade, while still in college.” Yet, the lack of a promising career in the bar business led Arijit to take up Hotel Management training with The Park Hotel, Delhi, but the twists of fate hadn’t ended, “They were launching the club Agni, and my team set it up. This is where my bartending officially started, 17-hour days at Rs 5,000/month – but I enjoyed it all!”. Agni is also where he met another DSSC Power Packer Winner (2016) Vaibhav Singh, Arijit’s then boss and later comrade at PCO. Sensing the the Bombay itch again, Bose shifted back to the Vitamin Sea city, although things weren’t as rosy as a cosmopolitan, “I couldn’t get the job I required, slept at coffee shops, worked at a call centre, and borrowed Rs 10 everyday from my flatmate to survive,” he shares, “the depressing part was that bartending didn’t exist as a ‘cool’ profession, there was nothing classic or inspiring there. So, twice in my life I was unsure of pursuing it as a career, first when I realised I earned four times more at a call centre than at a hotel, and second when a Sales & Marketing career with liquor companies seemed more viable than bartending.” Post two marketing years with United Spirits Ltd., it was his “then boss and now best friend”, Jatin Bobb who recognised Arijit’s passion for bartending and nudged him to chase that dream. Six years in the industry later, mixology’s poster boy finally gave into his ambition, and the uncorking hasn’t stopped since.
While he’s been instrumental in shaping Delhi’s cocktail culture, it wasn’t – you guessed it – easy. Arijit wielded his learnings from work trips to countries like Italy and Mexico to bring the Indian market at par with international counterparts. Simultaneously, he realised the need to project bartending as a viable profession, “To represent this idea I started dressing better, waistcoats & bowties, the works. Though a major turning point in people’s opinion was when I bought my own car, they now saw it as a possible career option.” With that thought in mind he shifted base to Singapore, “It’s good to be in the centre, I can learn the trade here and influence the Delhi & Bombay market at the same time,” he says. Having helped projects such as Perch (Delhi) and OSO (Mumbai), we ask Arijit about the difference between the Indian & international mixology circuit, “Delhi was developing very well till 2012 but then a lot of people ventured into the low cost model of alcohol, where it’s not about the quality but more about how cheap and gimmicky the drink is,” he opines, “Having said that, in those hundreds of bars there are a handful which are hiring good bartenders and investing in developing the market. Delhi is about 10 years behind the likes of London and Singapore, but these few bars are up to speed and doing great work.”
Image: gqindia.com
Clinking to that, we speak about the dynamics between F&B industry and the government, “The crux of it all is education and certification, which will ensure better hygiene, better service, and an informed staff – which in turn educates the consumers about responsible drinking,” he says. Speaking of seamless relationships, Arijit has built an army of friendships from his days at our favourite bars like PCO & Perch. He talks about this bonhomie with food entrepreneurs as well as patrons, “All these men share my passion of improving the product we serve. For me hospitality isn’t restricted to being behind the bar, it extends to parents, friends, and colleagues too,” he explains the perspective, “the only thing to make you succeed is to ensure that each interaction has people leaving happy and coming back. At the end of a day, when I run a place it’s not about how amazing the drink is but how amazing I can make the people feel.”
With that secret to this ace mixologist’s charisma out, we look to unravel his next step in the tipple business, “Currently I’m working with Monkey 47 in India, Japan, and Australia. India is home territory, Japan in magical, and I always wanted to visit Australia, so the job made perfect sense!” Bringing Monkey 47 to India late summer this year, we wonder if he’s going to shift base back to home country permanently, “For me life, passion, and money is definitely in India. I’ll surely come back in the next two years but on my own terms, once the market is more evolved and I’ve trained enough guys to take my vision forward.”
As we prep to welcome the genie of gins in India, we first fire the signature DSSC Rapid Fire shots at Arijit, before he’s off to his potent mix of toil & tipple.
Your favourite bartender in Delhi?
Arijit: Yangdup Lama.
One tip for budding mixologists?
Arijit: Study.
One culinary Bose-delight?
Arijit: Bengali style crab masala.
Your top bartenders from across the world?
Arijit: David Cordoba and Daniele Dalla Pola (Nu Lounge Bar, Bologna, Italy).
5 people in the business (across India) whose work ethic you admire?
Arijit: Riyaaz Amlani, Vaibhav Singh, Kelvin Cheung, Manish Nambiar, Manu Chandra, and Manish Mehrotra. That’s six!
Your go-to hangover cure?
Arijit: Berroca or coconut water.
Will you be paying for our medical bills after the damages post Chuck Norris’?
Arijit: No, but I’ll give you a healthy cure for it so you can drink more. It’s a liver flush taught to me by Ilan Bell – juice two beetroots, add juice from one whole orange, one lemon or lime, two pods of garlic, and some cayenne pepper, blend it together and have it for three days.
Your top tip for every home bartender?
Arijit: Keep lots of lime and sugar.
What cocktail trend would you like to see disappear?
Arijit: Cheap drinks.
What’s the standout feature that makes your bar different from any other?
Arijit: Guest relations.
This conversation is a part of the DSSC Secret Conversation Series, where we get candid with the ace industry disruptors who map its course one masterstroke at a time.
Featured Image Courtesy: gourmetadventures.net
