A new cocktail collection celebrating India's regional ingredients and culinary heritage has been unveiled at 403 Forbidden Bar, Indiranagar. Conceptualised by founder Aman Dua, Decode India draws inspiration from five regions—Ambarsar, Kathiawar, Narmada, Malabar and Patkai—bringing together traditional flavours and contemporary mixology techniques.
The collection has been developed around ingredients associated with different parts of India, with each cocktail presenting a distinct interpretation of regional food cultures. Techniques including fat washing, distillation, clarification, infusion, carbonation and lacto-fermentation have been incorporated to create combinations of familiar flavours and unexpected textures.
Ambarsar features sesame fat-washed rum, jaggery shrub, salted lassi foam and sesame-jaggery candy, while Kathiawar combines gin with a regional herb distillate, salinity and edible sand. Narmada brings together blanco tequila, Mahabaleshwar strawberries, Goan Portuguese vinegar, Jwala chilli and suva khakhra crisp, offering a balance of fruit, acidity and spice.
The collection also includes Malabar, prepared with clarified blended Scotch whisky, puli karupatti cordial, Tellicherry pepper tincture, Pondi parmesan and white chocolate. Completing the selection is Patkai, featuring blanco tequila infused with timur and Kolkata paan leaf, alongside lacto-fermented bamboo shoots, cooked rice and king chilli.
An additional dimension to the collection is offered through the Decode Session, a 75-minute guided cocktail experience available by prior reservation. Guests are introduced to all five creations, with the ingredients, regional inspirations and techniques behind each drink explained as part of the tasting.
With Decode India, 403 Forbidden Bar presents a cocktail programme rooted in Indian culinary traditions while incorporating modern bartending practices. The collection has been designed to highlight the diversity of regional ingredients and their possibilities within contemporary cocktail culture.