There’s a new restro bar in the city, located in an area that was in need of a few good bars around. Situated in Hiranandani Gardens in Powai, Episode One hosted its launch party on Saturday, 30th November.
The bar celebrated its launch with the unique concept of ‘cocktails on tap’. I was pretty excited to see it play out and made sure I reached the venue a little early to capture the core essence of it.
Episode One has a decent floor space and polite staff at our service. The bar had a tap installed in the middle with the left taps dedicated to beer and the right taps to 4 original cocktails. I was surprised to see the new 7 Rivers beers, Veere and Macha, on tap here. We ordered our first two cocktails for the evening and watched with curiosity as the bartender poured the mixer from the taps to the glasses and added ice, alcohol and garnishes to it after.
Berries & Rose
This sweet heavy-bodied cocktail uses vodka, red berry tea mix and cranberry shrubs as its main ingredients. Garnished with dried rose petals, Berries & Rose packs the excellent flavour of cranberry in every sip. When ordered without ice, the drink proved to be more potent than I anticipated it to be, which made for a great surprise!
Lychee Lemongrass Carbon Lemonade
LLCL seemed to be an advanced version of LIIT from the future. Using lemongrass lemonade, lychee nectar and activated charcoal as ingredients and an LIIT base, this light-bodied cocktail was an excellent tasting order. I could taste the subtle flavour of lemongrass in this citrusy drink. This one is a must-have.
Blue Tea & Gondhoraj
Another must-have, this lavender-coloured cocktail appeared to be the most popular cocktail at the launch. Gin, elderflower, gondhoraj, butterfly pea blue tea and apple nectar make it a delicious blend of complementing flavours. The aroma was flowery, refreshing to the soul and the gondhoraj garnish contributed to the overall taste. This Blue Tea & Gondhoraj cocktail was a soothing order and the crowd’s favourite, and drunkenly branded as the ‘nectar of life’ by me.
Mogo Mogo Old Fashioned
You will end up reordering a Mogo Mogo Old Fashioned even if you are not a whiskey person. Mogo Mogo tea and homemade bitters along with whiskey make this cocktail a perfect vacation order. This version of an Old Fashioned is tropical in taste, with subtle notes of tea ruling the aftertaste. Citrusy, with a smooth texture – this cocktail was truly delectable.
Head out to Episode One today, tomorrow or whenever to experience their delicious tap cocktails and even more delicious food. Some of the recommended food orders are Corn Fritters, Avocado Galouti and Spicy Margherita Pizza.
