Located in BKC, Uno Más – Tapas Bar Kitchen has made a mark for itself in the city of Mumbai through its authentic Spanish cuisine and decor. More so, the restro bar has made a name in the bartending community for encouraging and supporting talent through guest shifts at its marble bar.
On 19th December, Uno Más invited two of the Bacardi Legacy finalists, the regional winners of the 2020 cocktail challenge to mesmerize its guests with two award-worthy original cocktails. Divyanshu Mishra and Vineeth Krishnan who work at ITC Maratha hotel and KOKO restro bar in the city were all geared up when we arrived. We settled at the bar and enquired about their competition cocktails.
Divyanshu is the youngest Bacardi Legacy regional winner, reaching the national finals at the age of 22. He named his cocktail B2B, which stands for ‘Butler to Bartender’. The cocktail narrates his life story, tracing his journey from the hospitality industry to the spirit industry. Garnering fame as a butler, he chose to reject some interesting opportunities to follow his passion.
While making the cocktail, he named each and every ingredient as he put it in the shaker. The cocktail was an outcome of ripe pineapple chunks, worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, lemon juice and Bacardi Carta Blanca. The cocktail was garnished with a pineapple leaf and served in a Nick & Nora glass.
The drink was delicious, with a citrus and fruity flavour profile and a pleasant aroma. The rich taste was complemented by a fruit-like sour aftertaste. My colleague declared it to be a winner in her eyes.
Vineeth has established himself as one of the best bartenders in the country. His name is flashed under the top 7 in Mumbai and he reached the national finals of the 2019 challenge as well. He had named his drink The Alchemist after being inspired by author Paulo Coelho’s popular book, but due to trademark issues he renamed it Alquimia.
His drink is a product of absinthe, elderflower syrup, lime juice and Bacardi Carta Blanca. One sip and I knew it was a winner for me. The fresh flavour profile and the subtle sweet notes made it a refreshing cocktail.
After tasting the two cocktails, we knew why they emerged as the regional winners. The drinks were not just a work of labour but also of pure passion. Whether they chilled the glass with some ice or used a shaker, you could see the excitement in their eyes and feel the respect they had for mixology. We felt honoured to be in the presence of these great bartenders!
And since we were at Uno Más, it made complete sense to try their signature cocktails next. We asked Sheldon, their asst. bar manager for the tequila-based Maestro and the white wine-based Kalingad.
Maestro (INR 750) was a delightful drink. It used aged tequila, date and maple syrup, and angostura and chocolate bitters. It had a complex but addictive blend of flavours. The Kalingad (INR 595) had sherry, Spanish white wine and fresh watermelon juice as its ingredients. This cocktail was garnished with three watermelon balls. It was one hell of a delicious order!
Maestro 
Kalingad
On the bartender’s recommendation, we ordered a Plane To Sitges (INR 650) cocktail next. This whiskey-based drink used Irish whiskey, bianco and sherry to give you a feel of Spain. It had a tropical taste to it and reminded me of all my dream vacations. Highly recommended!
We ended our day by wishing good luck to the national finalists and participating in an Uno Más ritual which required us to take a liquor shot after repeating some specific Spanish words. It was fun to indulge in a conversation with Divyanshu and Vineeth, and we definitely left the place with more knowledge of mixology, all thanks to Vineeth!
