Bombay Sapphire Gin, vetiver & mandarin sharbat, fresh lime & mint
The Southside is a classic gin cocktail (gin + lime + mint + simple syrup) believed to originate either from the South Side of Chicago's mob bars or the 21 Club in New York. Ambassadors Clubhouse takes this American classic and replaces simple syrup with vetiver-and-mandarin sharbat — a combination drawn from the Mughal sherbet tradition. The name 'Bhang Southside' is a deliberate cultural provocation: bhang is the traditional cannabis-infused drink consumed at Holi festivals across India. No actual bhang appears in this cocktail.
Bombay Sapphire was originally designed with India in mind — the East India Trading Company sourced the ten botanicals it uses, and the sapphire in the name refers to the Star of Bombay sapphire (a large gem in the Smithsonian). The vetiver (khus) syrup is the most important ingredient here after the gin — its earthy, cooling quality is what separates this from a standard Southside. The mandarin juice adds brightness; use fresh mandarin or clementine, not bottled juice.
Ambassadors Clubhouse brings an aristocratic sensibility to Indian cocktail culture — drinks that draw from the era of Indian diplomatic gatherings, colonial-era clubs, and Mughal court traditions. The menu is sophisticated without being austere, featuring regional Indian ingredients in cocktails designed to be talked about as much as drunk.
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