How to Build Your Own Signature Serve by Ami Shroff
To create your own “signature” drink means to express yourself while playing with what’s available, writes Ami Shroff.
FOR ME, the best part about mixing your own unique cocktail is the ingredients you get to play with. Through this, gaining a better understanding of flavours, textures, aroma, the way it feels, the overall experience, the memory it may create, the nostalgia it may bring back and more, is all part of the art of mixology. And what a lovely journey it's been, exploring balance through flavours and flair over these last 20-plus years! Signature cocktails have been a sweet part of my journey — and sometimes the destination itself.
To create your own “signature” drink means to express yourself; expressing an inspiration, a story, or an emotion that can be reflected through a beverage (be it alcoholic or non-alcoholic). Here’s breaking down my approach:
1. ESTABLISH THE CORE | I strive to bring ‘diversity’ by incorporating various ingredients and aspects like flavour, texture, aroma, temperature, intensity, presentation. All this, while keeping in mind the overall vibe or story of that cocktail (or sobertail/mocktail).
Along with diversity, we want good ‘representation’ of the ingredients and the aspects that we want to bring out through this beverage; i.e. we want variety that’s well-balanced. We present this creation in a way that feels aesthetically pleasing, or reflects a vibe or emotion through its perception.
Your beverage can be an abstract piece of art, or an elaborate story, or it could be just a simple, easy expression with no complications.
2. FIGURE OUT WHAT’S AVAILABLE | Next, we see what we’ve got in terms of ingredients and tools, and play with what is available. Use fresh or unprocessed ingredients as much as possible; locally available and seasonal produce is always the best option.
3. …AND HOW YOU’LL USE IT | Now we figure out how to use what we've got. What’s the inspiration or story behind the cocktail? We keep in mind the overall mood, time of day, location, occasion, and any personal preferences to include.
4. BUILD AROUND A KEY INGREDIENT | One approach is to find a key flavour/ingredient and work around it. See which flavours complement it best, and try to find the right balance between these flavours as per your tastes and preferences (or that of the person being served).
5. …AND THEN CRAFT THE OTHER DETAILS | Now we decide on other details such as the method of mixing we’ll use, the choice of glassware, how simple or complicated we would like to make the drink’s presentation in terms of garnish, and its overall visuals.
Work With What You’ve Got
We don't need professional bar tools to try and mix up a cocktail/sobertail at home. For example, a shaker can easily be substituted with an airtight jar, or a shot glass can be used as a peg measure. Use what you’ve got, play and be creative — with minimal wastage. Find ways to utilise all/most parts of an ingredient and to minimise wastage while creating.
As for ingredients, in most Indian kitchens, we have a wide variety to choose from. Spices and herbs, tea and coffee, seasonal/locally available fruits — all things found in one’s kitchen — can be wonderful to start experimenting with.
What Flavour Would You Like?
An easy approach I sometimes take is to recreate/use the flavours that I personally may like...to make something that I like to eat or drink, that I find yummy. Then I add a little twist, or experiment with it a little.
For instance, I love a good iced tea. Now one could add their preferred spirit to the iced tea and it becomes a cocktail. Or I could add a dash of ginger juice or lime to bring down the sweetness. Perhaps make a stronger concentrate of the tea so that the flavour of the cocktail does not get too diluted. Or add a splash of your favourite juice — pineapple, orange, apple, berries or similar tropical fruits would complement the tea flavour very well — to make it a fruity iced tea cocktail.
Finishing Touches
Once we've decided on the flavour combination, we keep in mind the balance, the ideal temperature, water dilution from the ice, the right proportions to fit the glass of choice, and the garnish/presentation.
Finally, we express in words why we picked what we picked: the thought process or inspirations behind this selection, the feeling we want to inspire. You can even creatively construct a whole story around the drink that makes sense to you. It’s all okay and all open. It’s art. And quite often, it’s more interesting to draw outside the line or step out of the box to create.
The magic is in how we use what we’ve got, while we value and love what we’ve got, and play with it as creatively and respectfully as we can.
Happy mixing!
About the author:
Ami Shroff is one of India’s pioneering flair bartenders and mixologists, known for her inventive cocktail craft and boundary-pushing approach to flavour. With over two decades behind the bar, she’s worked with top hospitality brands and continues to redefine India’s bar culture through performances, training, and advocacy for gender equity and LGBTQ+ visibility in the industry.
