Delhi Dalgona is a reverse espresso martini with vodka and creamy coconut, topped by a whipped espresso foam.Gymkhana Late last year Gymkhana swung open its trademark dark green doors alongside the outsized lobby of the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. You didn’t have to be there to embrace the magnitude of the occasion. For fans of world class Indian gourmet, it marked one of the most anticipated openings of 2026—anywhere in the US. Not long after debuting in 2013, the original location in the posh Mayfair district of London assumed legendary status. Today it exists as the only two Michelin star Indian restaurant in a city renowned for such fare—part of a handful of concepts from the family-owned JKS Restaurants group. While it’s next to impossible to nab a reservation back in its birthplace, you now have an easier opportunity, stateside, to enjoy some of the very same dishes that made Gymkhana iconic, including tandoori masala lamb chops, chicken butter masala, and venison biryani. All of these full-flavored items deliver on the hype. But far less has been said about the significance of the Gymkhana beverage program. And it is quite significant, indeed. Just about all of the innovative offerings on the menu here are inspired or shaped by Indian ingredients. Most to expert effect. The Pina Col-Lassi, for example, is a clarified spin on a Pina Colada, tweaked and acidified to more closely mimic coconut lassis. The Delhi Dalgona is a reverse espresso martini, taking its cues from the famed coffee carts of its namesake city. Even the standard house martini here uses masala-spiced olives for garnish. Pina Col-Lassi from GymkhanaGymkhana“Drinks have always been a huge part of the overall experience,” says Karam Sethi, founder of JKS Restaurants. At the original Gymkhana he oversaw the opening of an adjoining cocktail lounge known as 42. Many of the signatures at the new outpost were conceived there. “I think we’ve managed to capture the essence of both [food and drink] menus. We’ve got etched silver punch bowls, made in Delhi, that we do at the original restaurant. And now we have them in Vegas for the Maharaja Margarita, made with pineapple.” Top shelf tipples from the reserve section of the cocktail menu are also assembled with a similar reverence to regionality. The $400 Old Fashioned—among the priciest preparations on the Las Vegas Strip—justifies its eyebrow-raising cost through the incorporation of a supremely limited rye from WhistlePig. Released in 2024, the Boss Hog XI: Juggernaut was a one-off whiskey finished in barrels seasoned with thandai—a celebratory elixir native to Rajasthan. As the base for this particular drink, it introduces a saffron-spiced sophistication to mingle with the subtle sweetness of a gomme simple syrup infusion. Yes, a restaurant executing on this level is expected to have something special to offer by way of beverages. But the magnitude of all this conceptual weight—especially where whiskey is involved—is a standalone achievement. Meaning you could reasonably come here just to enjoy the drinks. And this overlooked truth reverberates on the other side of the country at Gymkhana’s sister restaurant, Ambassadors Clubhouse—another London export from the JKS Restaurants stable. This boisterous two-floor temple to Punjabi fare opened in the NoMad neighborhood of Manhattan back in February of this year. It is already one of the hardest reservations in town. The endless array of social media posts from inside the A-lister hotspot highlight aesthetically pleasing culinary creations like Kotkapura Royal Atta Chicken and Crab Cheela “tacos.” But less prevalent are the drinkable delicacies like the Chai & Dry—a colorful scotch and ginger, jazzed up with apple brandy and chaat bitters. Or the Thumbs Up Manhattan, made with Michter’s US*1 American whiskey and an eponymous brand of legendary Indian cola. Then there’s the Patiala Peg—undoubtedly one of the most fun pours here...or anyone in New York, for that matter. It’s an interactive drink dispensed from a vintage tankard of Johnnie Walker Black Label. The liquid within is that very same brand of scotch, prebatched with simple syrup and saffron bitters into an elegant-yet-still-accessible Old Fashioned. You point your pinkie and index finger at an empty rocks glass to pinpoint the precise volume of your bespoke allotment. The colorful backbar at the new Ambassadors Clubhouse in midtown ManhattanAmbassadors ClubhouseIt’s been a popular serve in Punjab ever since the early 1900s. According to legend, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala—known for his ebullient hospitality—supposedly offered 4-finger pours to visiting cricket players from the UK, hoping that they would be hungover during the match on the following day. His plan worked; the visitors lost, badly, and the drink (and its founder) were received as legends. Over a century later, half a world away, Sethi and his JKS team are affecting a similar mantra—though without the ulterior motive. Give the people good drink, and plenty of it, and you’ll be celebrated as a legend. It’s probably no coincidence that great whiskey plays such a central role in that mission, seeing as Sethi is an avid fan of the category himself.“It all happened organically,” Sethi says, modestly, about the runaway success of his restaurant empire. He points to the design flourishes that have undoubtedly played a role as well. “I intentionally have no daylight coming in [to my restaurants]. The outside world shouldn’t exist. You’re transported back to Old World India...To the clubs, basically.” Just make sure to drink it all in. If you’re lucky enough to score a res, that is. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 16: Brooklyn Beckham poses with JKS Restaurants Founders Karam Sethi, Sunaina Sethi and Jyotin Sethi and Global CEO Pavan Pardasani at the grand opening of Gymkhana Las Vegas at ARIA Resort & Casino, presented by American Express and Resy on January 16, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for ARIA Resort & Casino )Getty Images for ARIA Resort & Casino