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Dewar’s India brought 50 mixologists together to explore India's cultural heritage, including the generational art of crafting musical instruments at Rikhi Ram & Sons in Delhi. Inspired by the sensory richness of the craft, they infused musicality into their cocktail creations, highlighting the importance of preserving traditions and honoring heritage.
The art of making musical instruments is a uniquely meticulous and painstaking process. Like any enduring craft, it demands years of mastery, patience, and an intuitive understanding of music itself.
For the Dewar’s Discoveries Challenge, Dewar’s India brought together 50 mixologists from some of the country’s leading bars and sent them across India to uncover cultural practices that rarely find space in mainstream conversations, yet remain integral to the identity and heritage of their cities. From the centuries-old practice of kabootarbaazi in Delhi to the thriving seaweed ecosystems of Goa, the participants immersed themselves in these lesser-known worlds, exploring how local traditions, communities, and ways of life could inspire their own craft behind the bar.
One such journey led them to a quaint corner of Delhi, where 4 of the shortlisted 8 mixologists were introduced to the generational art of crafting musical instruments. A cultural touchstone in the capital’s rich musical heritage, Rikhi Ram & Sons is the oldest manufacturing company of Indian classical instruments in the country. Over the decades, the institution has crafted instruments for some of the most celebrated musicians of our time, including George Harrison of The Beatles, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Mick Taylor of The Rolling Stones, and many others.
At Rikhi Ram & Sons, they were inspired to approach their own craft through a multi-sensorial lens, bringing a sense of musicality to the cocktails they created. From the seven chords of music to the natural flower and bird motifs that adorn the instruments, the mixologists found themselves completely taken by the entire sensorium of a world contained inside Rikhi Ram & Sons.
As Ajay Rikhi Ram explains, “Whatever energy these great musicians have left behind for us, this is not a shop for us, it is a temple.” That philosophy is evident in every corner of the space. More than a workshop or retail store, Rikhi Ram & Sons is preserving traditions that have been passed down through generations. For the mixologists, the experience became a reminder that great craft is about honouring heritage and creating meaningful sensory experiences.
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