Behind the bar with Perch

Anand Virmani is known to have the rarest of rare whiskies in his cabinet, and is even better known for his generosity with them. Perch, in Khan Market, with its smooth, perfectly-crafted cocktails and its thoughtful menu, has a lot of Anand’s hospitality melded in with it. Along with his co-proprietor Vaibhav Singh, Anand has made Perch one of Delhi’s finest new a go-to for everyone – whether it’s for paninis and pourovers at lunch or local wines and small plates for dinner. In our Q&A with him, he tells us about what makes for a great party drink, and more. The first drink you actually liked:
Orange juice? Alcoholic drink would be a Vodka Chocolate Mudshake.

A great party involves:
Fun people and boxed wine.

Beer or wine? Or scotch?
Depends on the wind direction.

What do you do to get yourself in the mood to party?
Turn up the music.

Favorite gift to give?
Experiences. Better than something tangible you can open up and forget about later.

Favourite gift to receive?
A bottle of something new.

What inspired Perch?
We all felt that wine was generally overplayed while coffee was underplayed. We wanted to correct the imbalance. At Perch, we're geeky about all things coffee while we're constantly trying to make wine more approachable and fun.

What's your go-to comfort drink? (We know it's not an Old Monk Coke.)
Gin & tonic, without a doubt (and I've had more than my share of Old Monk & Coke).

Favorite bar snack:
Cured meats.

Favourite hangover meal:
Eggs, bacon, cheese and bread, in any combination.

What is your least favourite drinking ritual?
Spitting (in wine tastings).

What's the easiest impress-your-guests recipe in your arsenal?
Nesquik shots. Nothing better than chocolate and alcohol, together.

Anand shared two excellent recipes with us, to help you channel some of Perch’s excellence behind the bar. Find their recipe for The Soprano here and a simple, but super-impressive, gin infusion here.

For more information on Perch, visit their Facebook page.