Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur) - Hindustan Times (Jaipur) - City
THE MURKY TALE OF SMOKY COCKTAILS
Agorgeous looking, smoke-emitting cocktail that promises you a unique multi-sensory delight has now become a part of your bar experience. Such a cocktail has a surreal, fantastical feel to it. It is also modish and totally Instragram-worthy. And it’s always fun when an exuberant bartender tops it with a gimmick or two, and addresses you with your name to make you feel special while serving it. All of this sounds great only till the time you are ignorant of the fact that the fuming drink can land you in the hospital with a hole in your stomach, if it has not been done correctly. A 30-year- old Delhiite had this nightmarish experience when he tried one such smoky drink and was rushed to the hospital with his stomach “open like a book.” The man had complained of extreme pain, abdominal swelling and breathlessness right after having the drink. While this seems like the first case of its kind in Delhi, a similar case was reported in UK in 2012. A bar in Lancaster, England was fined £100,000 after they served 18-year-old Gaby Scanlon, a smoking liquid nitrogen cocktail on the house, on her birthday. The drink “exploded” in her stomach. She was rushed to the hospital in extreme pain, and a surgery was performed to remove her stomach. Following the incident, an MP called for a ban on liquid nitrogen cocktail. Both the cocktails consumed by Scanlon and the 30-year-old Delhiite contained liquid nitrogen, brought into vogue by chef Heston Blumenthal, who used it to make his much-talked about egg and bacon ice cream. In both the cases, the guests hurriedly consumed the drink, when liquid nitrogen had not completely evaporated from the drink.
DELHI’S DHUAN DHUAN OBSESSION
Liquid nitrogen is being increasingly used in bars and kitchen by novice bartenders in Delhi, which is a worrying trend. Mixologist Kama K M says, “Liquid nitrogen is being used freely and excessively in bars. It’s also a mega trend in weddings and private parties. Delhiites are totally obsessed with the ‘dhuan dhuan’ thing. A canister containing 55 litres of liquid nitrogen is used up in a wedding that has a guest list of 500 guests. And it’s again one canister per party on an average,” says Kama.
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS FOOD NITROGEN
There is no food grade liquid nitrogen available in the market. “The same liquid nitrogen that is used by tyre manufacturing companies to harden soft rubber in being used in restaurants. It means that it doesn’t come with any kind of safety manual for bars or hotels. Ill-trained people are using it freely in cocktails and ice-creams. They are emptying the canisters on everything they are fancying. Such blind use of liquid nitrogenis extremely dangerous,” he says. Kama says that it is the prime responsibility of bartenders to tell the guests how to have the drink safely. “Liquid nitrogen is used to change the texture of the drink and add fumes to it. When it is passed through the drink, it quickly evaporates into its vapour at room temperature, leaving the drink frozen cold. The drink can be consumed only when the fumes completely vanish, so that not even a small quantity of liquid nitrogen is consumed. Bartenders must explain this to guests. But they themselves get over excited about this whole smoky thing. They don’t tell the guests about its risks,” says Kama.
Liquid nitrogen is being used freely and excessively in bars. It’s also a big trend in weddings and private parties. Delhiites are totally obsessed with the ‘dhuan dhuan’ thing. Ill-trained bartenders are blindly emptying canisters to make cocktails and ice-creams Novice bartenders are playing with the lives of guests by using potentially lethal liquid nitrogen as a toy. Just like a doctor or a pathologist, whoever is dealing with health and safety needs to be certified. Bartenders are also dealing with human safety but they work without any license SANDEEP VERMA, MIXOLOGIST
BARTENDING IS IN A STATE OF MAYHEM
The absence of knowledgeable bartenders also makes the situation scary. “Molecular mixology is detailed study of chemistry. Only those who have proper knowledge of ingredients should be allowed to work in a mixology bar. There are very few trained and experienced mixologists. Some people have learnt mixology by simply watching other bar artists. Amateur bartenders are copying global trends and getting it all wrong,” says Kama. The blatant absence of licensing in the field of bartending has created a situation where amateur bartenders are using their whims instead of knowledge to create cocktails . “Bartending is in a state of mayhem in the city. There are no regulations. While you have licensed bartenders in most parts of the world, there is no regulatory law in India,” says mixologist Sandeep Verma. Verma says that the curriculum in bartending schools is also not controlled, which leaves bartenders with halfbaked knowledge. “Bartenders watch videos on Youtube and try to
CHOOSE CREATIVITY OVER CHEMICALS
Many experts says that it’s only sane to stop using liquid nitrogen in mixology. “I would not recommend the use of liquid nitrogen for making cocktails in the very first place. Why serve something that can be so dangerous? I would not use it, and if I really have to do it, I will not hand it over to my guest until the fumes totally subside. I can let them watch how I make it but I won’t hand it over to them in an
DON’T FALL FOR QUACKERY
It is important for guests to choose their bar wisely, and interact with the bartender to see where he stands. “Unless you trust the guy, don’t risk your safety. Also, while hiring bartenders for a private party, study their credentials. Ask for feedbacks from those who have hired their services earlier. Go through a reliable source and hire an experienced company,” says mixologist Yangdupt Lama.
I remember a case in a Mumbai bar last year where a celebrity’s tongue got stuck with a spoon dipped in liquid nitrogen for 25 minutes. He was in agonizing pain. I think it’s wiser to do away with something that’s dangerous MANISH MEHROTRA, CHEF