HEADY MIXES
[Kankshi Mehta, Bartender]
As a child she aspired to be a news reporter or a travel agent. But a chance stint in bartending changed her life forever. Today she shakes, stirs and fixes the perfect drink with aplomb. Meet 22-year-old Kankshi Mehta, owner of Spice Tree restaurant in Mumbai, who followed her heart to become a professional bartender.

“I used to watch the bartender make iced tea. One day he wasn’t around, so I went and made my own. It turned out to be quite good,” says Mehta rewinding to her foray in bartending. A six-month training programme at Stir Academy of Bartending and regular work at her restaurant honed her skills. The petite restaurateur has proven her prowess at the Filmfare Awards party, McDowell’s Indian Derby parties and high-profile events of the Singhanias and Damanias.

Mehta says her choice of profession got her furtive glances from men and intrigued looks from women. She had an unusual experience at the Smirnoff party, “People were looking at me as if I was a drunkard behind the bar when I was mixing drinks for them. But I sheepishly told them I don’t drink.” Bartending is not looked upon happily. It will take some time for people’s mindset to change. But women find it intriguing and are comfortable around female bartenders, she says matter of fact.

Mehta has a knack for mixology and is also learning to flare. “I feel the right blend of Bloody Mary is essential.” Her signature cocktails are strawberry margarita and cosmopolitan. She attends wine and margarita-tasting sessions, does extensive research on the net and mixes and matches flavours with her fellow bartenders to invent new drinks.
Mehta wants to master the art of making drinks. “As a bartender I need to understand and make the customer what he wants and garnish it with flair. It is an absolute high when people like my drinks and ask me for the same concoction again.”