A Gin Bar For All Seasons

By : | 0 Comments | On : November 24, 2016 | Category : Launches

The Seasons Bar at Taj Krishna, adjoining the hotel lobby, has long been popular as an elegant and cheerful watering hole, doubling up as a tea lounge during those busy afternoon hours. Recently, the bar saw a plush and luxe makeover, as the city’s first gin bar, complete with a new contemporary bar and accessories, a diamond-patterned backdrop, scarlet red curtains partitioning it from the famous long corridor of the hotel and making it an exclusive bar, with no chai-coffee being served anymore, thank you! (correction: Tea and coffee to be served on the other side of the Red Curtain!)

seasons-swati-bar

Seasons Bar has a refurbished F&B menu with signature gin and tonic specials

 

Mr Mohanchandran, director operations Taj GVK and GM, Taj Krishna hosted a few of us at a toasting evening at Seasons overlooking its lovely al fresco of manicured greens and poolside to introduce us to its new avatar. “Gin & Tonic is making a global comeback and we have tried to present our own  contemporary take on it at Seasons. In fact, the drink was first introduced in India by the East India Company and so its only in the spirit of things to take that forward. Our team has developed some lovely gin-based cocktails and the classic gin drinks have been given a twist. The Tanqueray serves particularly will raise the bar on gin serves in south India”, said Mr Mohanchandran.

While a new jazzier bar and contemporary bar accessories, a luxe  as well as a plush wine-colored upholstery are the attractions, newer gin brands like   have been added and so has another Hand-crafted ice (creating bespoke flavoured ice like home-made rose and cranberry, cucumber and rosemary, lime and coriander seeds infused ice)

Sampled first was the Berry Berry Floral, fresh citrus and blueberry jam strained over rose and cranberry infused ice and topped with Tanqueray 10. Quite frankly, it was a bit of a watered-down drink and did nothing for me. My next one, East India Company, with Earl Grey syrup, lime and coriander seeds infused ice and topped with the same Tanqueray 10 was superb, the subtle flavours of bergamot in Earl Grey blending perfectly with coriander etc.

Gin Tea and Tonic, which I tried next had Moroccan Mint tea, grapefruit, lime and fresh herbs. I did not get any mint flavour in it initially but what is a little feedback between you and the bartender? My re-fixed drink did loads better!

The complete superstar of the evening was the Bonfire! Okay, before you begin to get ideas, there was not any fire, Bonfire turned out to be a spectacular single malt cocktail. Lagavulin 16 year old single malt Scotch blended with lime juice and orange peel and an infusion of turmeric & jaggery, this award-winning cocktail is currently the most premium drink at Seasons (priced at Rs 3333 plus taxes)  and for the right reasons!

A superb smoked flavour with the jaggery-turmeric providing sweet and soothing relief, this drink is priced at Rs 3333 plus taxes.

Along with a new cocktails menu, there is also a refurbished food menu of which we tried Smoked Salmon rose,  Mushroom and Cheddar Quiche, Tala Gosht Phyllo Cigar (super) and Spinach-Feta Spanakopita. The Tala Gosht cigars were spectacular and so was the salmon.

Add to it a live music performance by the full-throated singer (forget her name, but she sang marvellously!) and you know that you can look forward to some lively evenings at Seasons!

seasons-ambience-swati

 

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