Delhi is sprawling with bars and we have on multiple occasions spoken of bars at the city’s new drinking hub, Basant Lok in Vasant Vihar. One of the pit stops at Basant Lok is KHI KHI, which recently launched their new cocktail menu. And, when there is a new cocktail menu in town, you will affirmatively find us on a bar stool, ready to try out everything there is to try. We embarked on a journey through the different flavours of India, all the way to Mexico, before ending on a sweet note at the Caribbean.
Photo: KHI KHI/Instagram
At KHI KHI, the inventive cocktail selection unveils a unique blend of global inspirations, expertly curated to showcase the rich tapestry of Indian mixology. Led by Chef and Co-Founder Tarun Sibal, their team of mixologists skilfully combine tradition with a touch of humour, ensuring that each cocktail tells a tale and every sip is a delightful journey through artistry and innovation.
Photo: KHI KHI
The new menu takes you onto a tantalising taste adventure with the Shikanji Highball, a playful riff on the traditional highball cocktail that introduces a vibrant Indian summer cooler twist, tickling your taste buds while delivering a satirical zest. If you’re craving a spirited experience, the Patron Picante offers a premium tequila base with a fiery kick of jalapeño, crafting an energetic and memorable taste experience. The Fat Fashioned humorously reimagines time-honoured fat-washed cocktails, transforming the familiar into an extraordinary and richly indulgent treat. Dive into a tropical escape with the “TIKI Style” cocktail, where a blend of lush, exotic flavours dances harmoniously, delighting your senses. Lastly, the “Something Skinny” presents a novel cocktail, combining watermelon celery shrub to refresh and elegantly fuse flavours for a refined and invigorating drink.
Photo: KHI KHI/Instagram
Although we got to sip on the extensive offerings of the new menu, we’re here with the highlights and what we thought could use some improvement.
The Great
You’re most definitely not telling the truth if you deny ever having tried a Picante. The Patron Picante, while missing a salted rim, checks all the boxes of a perfectly spiced concoction. Blended with Patron Reposado, an in-house jalapeño and herb brine, smoked pineapple for some sweetness, and a pepper tincture, the flavour profiles are dynamic and the spice grows on the palette slowly, which we love.
Photo: KHI KHI
A take on the highball, the Shikanji Highball was pleasantly delicious. A ritual, being stirred nine times without the use of the wrist, the blend of vodka, chutney, cumin, coriander, lemon, dairy, and soda, is a flavour profile that grows on you. Served with a cracker packed with the flavour of cumin, with a sour aftertaste, pairs really well with the cocktail. Although lighter on alcohol, as you sip on it, the different layers reveal different flavours, possibly due to the ritual followed while mixing the drink.
Photo: KHI KHI
The Good
Made with Bisquit and Dubouché VSOP Cognac, blended with a homemade Fanta soda and spritzed with a Masthia spray, adding a fragrant orange blossom scent to the drink, It’s Fantastic, is quite literally fantastic. The flavours of the cocktail transport you to a bright summer day, all I wished for was a little more orange.
Photo: KHI KHI
The Miss
Inspired by the Piña Colada, concocted using Bacardi Añejo Cuatro, coconut cream, gardenia syrup, passion fruit, mango, and basil, the ‘TIKI’ Style missed out on bringing out the flavours of everything else except the coconut cream. A cold, sweet treat, it felt more like a dessert than a cocktail, but bottoms up regardless.
Photo: KHI KHI
