At Masque last month, the air buzzed with curiosity as Indian mixologists gathered for a rare treat — a masterclass with Monica Berg, the award-winning Norwegian bartender and co-founder of London’s celebrated Tayēr + Elementary. Known for pushing the boundaries of cocktail culture, Berg brought with her two decades of wisdom, stories, and inventive ways of looking at the bar.

Her visit, which was in collaboration with Johnnie Walker Black Label, was all about inspiring new possibilities for scotch and whisky cocktails in India. During the lockdown, many found joy in shaking up cocktails at home — but that moment has passed. “There’s a whole new generation now that has very little connection to what happened before the pandemic. For those who enjoyed mixing at home, the realisation has set in that they don’t actually want to do it anymore,” she explains. That shift has opened doors for one of the fastest-growing categories of spirits: RTDs (ready-to-drink). “People realised it’s not that easy to make cocktails,” Berg adds.