Mayank Bhatt, corporate beverage manager, Blue Frog, loves to make cocktails with fresh fruits, single malts and spices. Bhatt had his sights set on bartending even before he enrolled for a diploma course in hotel management.

After completing his diploma in 2004 he began working as a management trainee with Cyrus Todiwalla, proprietor and executive chef of Café Spice Namaste in London. Here he developed the bar menu and simultaneously did his post graduate diploma in hotel management in the United Kingdom. He went on to become an assistant restaurant manager in 2007 and returned to India in 2008 to join Blue Frog, Mumbai, as a senior beverage manager. He moved to Diageo, the alcoholic beverages company, and worked there between 2010 and before re-joining Blue Frog in February this year.

How about trying some of his signature cocktails:

Spicy Cucumber Margarita

Glass Margarita

Ingredients • ½ cucumber • 60ml tequila • 4-5 slices of jalapenos • 10ml Grand Marnier • 1 lime • 10ml sugar syrup

Garnish: 1 jalapeno slice

Method

Muddle the cucumber, jalapenos and lime together. Add the Tequila, sugar syrup and Grand Marnier to the mix. Shake the mixture well and double-strain in a chilled margarita glass. Garnish with a slice of jalapeno and serve.

The Blue Frog

(Blue Frog’s signature drink)

Ingredients • 60ml Vodka • 10ml Blue Curaçao • 1 lime • 2 sachets grain sugar • 3-4 sprigs kaffir lime leaves • 4-5 ice cubes

Method

Muddle the kaffir lime leaves, sugar and lime in an old fashioned glass. Add crushed ice cubes to the glass. Gently pour the vodka in the glass and lace it with Blue Curaçao.