These city peeps are ready to take up bartending as a side hustle
Dharshana loved the concept of mixology and wanted to make cocktails on her own. During the lockdown, when people took an interest in learning new things, she badly wanted to learn to make cocktails. But there weren’t any bartending workshops or mixology sessions held during that time. Recently, she attended a bartending workshop held in the city and was excited about the outcome. A content manager by profession, Dharshana is planning to take bartending as a side hustle. “I am someone who likes to learn new things every day and mixology was something I have been wanting to learn for a long time. Being behind the bar counter, learning to make cocktails and watching people enjoying their drinks is something interesting. The workshop was a great experience. I have got the confidence to make drinks and am planning to take up bartending as a side gig; maybe, once a week activity,” Dharshana tells us. She attended the bartending workshop at Level Up.
Though her favourite cocktail is Long Island Iced Tea, she couldn’t learn it during the workshop. “Well, I will be learning it for sure in the future. But I did come up with two cocktails. The drinks I made are Hickey, a rumbased cocktail and Spiced Bruiser, a whiskey-based cocktail. I believe that if you love something you have to go for it,” she smiles.
By watching YouTube or Instagram videos, Mahen makes different cocktails for his friends. “I try making different types of cocktails at home. But I always wanted to learn it from a mixologist. So, when I came to know that there was a bartending workshop in the city, I grabbed the opportunity. Mohit, who hosted the workshop, gave us an insight into what all drinks go well with each other. At home, I randomly experiment with the drinks, but sessions like these will give us a better understanding of how to make good cocktails,” Mahen quips.
In his opinion, some YouTube tutorials on cocktails don’t give the exact measure of the drinks and it might end up bad. “In some cases, you might not find the right ingredient, and you compensate with something else. That’s experimental and sometimes, it can go wrong as well. But now I know what’s the next best alternative. I love cooking and it is my dream to open a resto-bar. I think my mixology skills might come in handy one day,” Mahen sums up.