What would a martini taste like in the year 2130? At Kolkata’s newest futuristic cocktail bar, Synthe, you don’t have to imagine – you can zoom a century ahead and order it. Much like a time machine, the menu is creatively designed around how cocktail culture might evolve over the next 100 years, with spirits, ingredients and ideas coming together in 11 signature cocktails. Spanning 2030 to 2130, each drink tells the story of a decade and offers an interesting peek into what the future might hold.
The obsession with the number 11 doesn’t stop at the menu. Owners Aman Bansal, Umaid Ahmed and Tabrez Nadeem have built the entire bar around it – 11 cocktails, 22 dishes, a 33-seat space. Beverage consultant Ankur Chawla is the brain behind the menu.
Sip the future in a room whose red colour and trippy vibe echo the concept. My eye falls on a number scribbled on a mirror behind the bar which records the days that have passed since its opening. On the day I visit, it said ‘Day 102 & still counting,’ setting the mood that the future is approaching.
Choose where you want to start. If you prefer something light, order the first cocktail on the menu, Reclamation (2030). Made with vodka, cucumber, mint, basil and fresh greens, it is a refreshing, herby drink that reflects times where the focus is firmly on wellness.
The next drink, Optimism, is an interesting cocktail. It belongs to the year 2040, and the menu casts it as the moment when “humanity rediscovers joy and softness.” The cocktail lives up to the promise: vodka, yuzu and lime bring a bright citrusy snap, while the jasmine and ripe peach, with a hint of orange bitters keep the sweetness in check. I love the well-balanced cocktail as much as the glass with a trail of flowers going down in which it is served.
Jumping into 2060, the mood shifts. Based on the notion that there is scarcity around us, the cocktail is named ‘Restrain,’ and the menu aptly describes it as ‘Excess feels outdated.’ This drink is warm and minimal. It’s basically an Old-Fashioned made with Johnnie Walker Black Label, chamomile and Peychaud bitters, it is a spirit forward cocktail that will appeal to whisky lovers.
My favourite cocktail turns out to be Ancestral with mezcal, wasabi, yuzu and honey, which is served in a quirky bowl instead of a glass. I enjoy the hit of wasabi even as the honey smoothens the sharpness. The menu says, ‘Fire and harmony in one expression’. I could not resist ordering a second. This is from the year 2120.
The food by Chef Vaibhav Bhargava also plays on the number 11 with the 22 bar bites equally divided into vegetarian and non-vegetarian. From gyozas (I have a weakness for these) to corn ribs, it is all tempting. I love both the prawn dishes –chargrilled with yuzu butter and the flame kissed jumbo prawns with siracha butter.
As Kolkata’s cocktail scene raises the bar with every new opening, Synthe goes beyond inventive drinks and elaborate presentations to chart new territory. It invites you to imagine what the future might taste like, and if Ancestral is anything to go by, it is a future worth toasting.
Where: Second Floor, Altitude Building, Lee Road,Bhawanipore, Kolkata
Rating: ★★★★½ / 5
