It’s seven months old and doing swinging business as a bar, nightclub and al fresco restaurant. Lighthouse 13 in South Delhi’s MGF Metropolitan Mall is finding favour among Delhiites for its cocktails and Sanjay Kumar, the man behind the bar, says that he concocts drinks keeping the guests’ tastes in mind.

Kumar trained at the Institute of Bar Operation Management in Vasant Kunj, Delhi, and began his career in a Delhi bar as an assistant steward. Next, he shifted to Venom in Calcutta for six months before moving to a Gurgaon nightclub, Buzz. This was followed by two years at Shalom in Delhi. He joined Lighthouse 13 when it opened earlier this year.

“It’s exciting to make drinks for guests who are willing to try out new flavours — be it a drink with bell peppers or other unusual infusions,” says Kumar. He highly recommends a number of Lighthouse 13’s hotsellers including melon shots with vodka, Triple Sec and fresh melon juice, which are quite popular.

Kumar shares the recipes for three hotsellers at Lighthouse 13.

LH Delight

Glass: Brandy Balloon

Ingredients 30ml Bacardi white rum 30ml Captain Morgan rum 30ml Bacardi Limó A pinch of salt 3 bell peppers (one each of red, green and yellow) 2 lemon chunks 150ml lemonade

Method Take a glass and top it up with ice cubes. Now add thinly sliced pieces of bell pepper and pour all the spirits in it. Next, add a pinch of salt and lemon chunks to the drink. Finally top up with lemonade and serve.

Seven Steps to Hell

Glass: Brandy Balloon

Ingredients 20ml Bacardi white rum 20ml vodka 20ml gin 20ml tequila 20ml Triple Sec 20ml Teacher’s Highland whisky 20ml Blue Curaçao 10ml lemon juice 120ml lemonade

Method Fill the glass to the brim with ice and pour all the spirits in it. Now add a dash of lemon juice, top up with lemonade and serve.

Transparency

Glass: Collins

Ingredients 60ml Midori 150ml Red Bull

Method Fill up the glass with ice cubes and pour Midori and Red Bull in it. For garnish, cut an orange peel into a spiral, twirl it around the glass and serve.

As told to Chitra Papnai; Photographs by Jagan Negi