The Eau Bar at The Oberoi in Mumbai this week launch a library of drinks from famous novelists of the 20th Century. Cocktail-bookmarked serves from great authors like Fitzgerald and Hemingway highlight the impact popular culture had on the drinks revolution, before the days of TV and the internet. You don’t need to be a bartender to create a classic, all you need is a palate that appreciates quality, inspiration and a willing audience.

For readers of the classics, this menu is especially enjoyable as one can actually relive a moment from these great books and partake in the drinks mentioned in them. We particularly enjoyed the Seelbach as we turned the pages of F. Scott Fitzgerarald’s book to read about Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom drinking theirs “in long, greedy swallows” while Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” wooed us gently through a delectable serve of The Smoking Bishop, a carefully crafted muddle of red wine, spices, and port; setting an early Christmas mood.

Also on the menu are The Green Issac’s Special from the Hemingway classic “Islands In The Stream” and the Vesper Martini from Ian Fleming’s “Casino Royale”. Each drink is served with a copy of the book and a bookmark in the page that mentions the drink, with details of the drink itself. The attention to detail is endearing and highly recommended to lovers of literature and fine spirits.

If you are in the city, we recommend you make an evening of it and head to Eau Bar at The Oberoi, Nariman Point. We’d love to hear about your experience!