‘The Talli Menu’ At Bodega Cantina Y Bar, Kolkata

How many times it so happened that office colleagues have taken a pit stop at their favourite watering hole on the way back home to drive away midweek blues. Sudden meetings with friends and impromptu plans mean some finger food and a couple of drinks to finalise the bigger plan. 

As time is premium during these meetings and usually there is a rush to wrap up, the chances of ordering a proper starter and then following it up with main course is very less. Keeping all these factors in mind, Bodega Cantina Y Bar has introduced the Talli Menu. A compact precise menu for the  open minded and experimental young crowd and the not so young crowd, who have a fixed choice of alcohol, to choose from. 

The innovative names and the combinations make the drinks sinful. Needless to say, they are quite potent as well. Vodka, orange, cinnamon and ginger come together in a deadly cocktail named Sheila ki jawani. As quirky as the popular item number it is named after, the variant comes in two sizes - adha (half) and pauva (quarter) and served in alcohol bottles of the same size. Dawa daaru gets served in a white medicinal mug, which is a combination of gin, vodka, absinthe and white rum and if that is not enough, a secret mix is sprayed in the drink through a syringe. The beer batli comes with beer as the chaser topped with whiskey lime and lemonade. The full moon party, which will give Sheila ki jawani a tough competition is served in a large bucket and is the deadliest drink for sure. 

With spirits like these, one just needs some tit-bits to compliment the drinks. They have come up with a fabulous concoction of appetisers in the form of 'chakhnas'. These come in two varieties and are served in small paper bags inside a large tiffin box. The vegetarian version has roasted makhna, chakhli, lotus root stem and masala chips along with some Szechuan sauce and a cheesy queso dip. The non vegetarian combo is very exciting with the addition of some chicken pop corn and prawns dry fry to the masala chips and chakhli. A sip of this and a bite of that – one could go on and on. To add to the excitement, unlike the rest of the things on the menu, this particular menu is very easy on the pocket and is going to remain a permanent feature at Bodega. 

So, the next time you are planning on having a good time with spirits which will be easy on the pocket, with quirky additions, this is the place to be. So here's to many more happy evenings.