HIGH TIME

In the midst of the festivities, mixologist Sonali Mullick is challenging convention, raising the bar, and leaving her guests in high spirits, finds Charlene Flanagan

- Charlene Flanagan

Have you ever noticed how merriment is invariably accompanied by a drink in one’s hand? Or how awkward situations are easily avoided after a few sips of a delicious cocktail? For 38-year-old Sonali Mullick, head of operations and mixologist at Mumbai-based Bay route and Hitchki, the social practice of how ‘let’s discuss over drinks’ instantly uplifts any function, meeting, catch-up, or first date, hasn’t gone unnoticed. “I am passionate about mixing drinks and interacting with people, and in my early 20s, I noticed that a drink can accompany any mood, and can even elevate or soothe the mind,” she says. However, it was only during Mullick’s first job at a five-star hotel in Mumbai that she realised her true calling.

Cocktail cravings

While most of us can only fantasize about those Irish coffees during work hours, for Mullick, drinking on the job is taken to a whole new high, making experimenting and thinking out of the box a regular affair. “Research and development, and creating a bank of ideas and concoctions with my team take place routinely. We tend to go back to the drawing board, explore new possibilities, and discover new blends at least every fortnight. Reinventing new flavours, however, is not routine. That is a matter of inspiration,” she says, adding, “The entire process is a whole lot of fun.”