That first hint of petrichor, and suddenly you’re craving piping hot chai and pakoras. But what if you could distill the aroma of the first rains into a cocktail? Or better yet, build cocktails using indigenous ingredients that make an appearance every monsoon. Think warm ginger, aromatic jackfruit, piquant jamun, luscious guavas and spirits from dark rum to Tequila Blanco. We talk to bartenders and bar founders across the country, to help you layer libations for this monsoon season. Distilling petrichor in a glass “There is a feeling every Indian knows – that first hit of rain on dry earth and that familiar aroma. Pehli Barish takes inspiration from exactly that.
Karan Dhanelia
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Special Arrangement
Don Julio Blanco brings an earthiness that mirrors the season, hojicha tea cordial adds the woody warmth of wet tree bark, the custard apple in season (August in parts of Maharashtra ) offers the familiarity of the monsoon,” says Karan Dhanelia, winner of World Class India, Sri Lanka & Nepal, and Bartender of the Year 2026Pehli Barish - Karan DhaneliaIngredients:Don Julio Blanco – 50mlHojicha tea cordial – 20mlAerated earthen pot hydrosol with custard apple – 90mlMethod:Rim the glass with black pepper.Build all ingredients over ice.Garnish with fresh greens.The hill markets at the bar“The Monsoon in India is so important for our farmers and the bounty we get during this season dictates our cocktails as well. We have robust seasonal menus for the summer and monsoon period for Delhi. We have mangoes in the summer and monsoon with litchi and jamun, mulberries and gooseberries in the same period,” explains Minakshi Singh, co-founder, CND, Sidecar, The Brook, Delhi NCR
