At Rick's Taj Mahal In Delhi, Casablanca's Legacy Meets Saigon's Cocktail Craft
"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."
The line that made Rick Blaine immortal. Delivered by Humphrey Bogart in the 1942 Hollywood classic Casablanca, it's less of a dialogue and more of a mood. Nostalgia sneaks up on you, sometimes through memories and sometimes through atmosphere.
Over 80 years later, Rick Blaine's line still lingers like the last sip of a strong drink. At Rick's, Taj Mahal, New Delhi's signature bar named after the iconic gin joint from Casablanca, the charm of old Hollywood blended with South Asian cocktail flavours for an event that brought one of Asia's most celebrated cocktail destinations to the national capital on July 23.
'A Saigon Soiree' brought STIR Saigon, counted among Asia's 50 Best Bars, to the signature bar.
The atmosphere at the bar does not evoke the tumultuous period of Casablanca during World War II or the ache Humphrey Bogart's character, Rick Blaine, had to endure, but rather modern jazz, dim lighting, and Adele's iconic singles.
Much like the city of Casablanca, which lies in North Africa in Morocco but whose cityscape often exhibits a French legacy, the menu and the bar's theme were also a crossover between the Moroccan city and Indochine flavours.
Quoc Huy and Le Thinh from Stir Saigon - which was among Asia's top 50 bars in 2025 - stepped into Rick's for a takeover and used Vietnamese ingredients and methods, with adjustments to make them more approachable.
Rick's offered spirit-based cocktails like the Truffle Martini and Tropical Negroni, bringing a South Asian touch to the European classic. It was the whisky-based Smoky Berries, rich and slightly mysterious, that stood out for its balance, along with Pinehattan, which became the most popular drink of the night.
The bar culture in Vietnam and Delhi may be different from each other, but Huy and Thinh, through their collaborative effort, served their cocktails in a new setting seamlessly.
Rick's Reimagined was unveiled in 2023 at Taj Mahal, New Delhi, with a concept inspired by the classic film Casablanca while embracing the spirit of modern mixology. It combines the 1940s with the contemporary charm of today to offer a space where guests can indulge in the finest of drinks, world cuisine and eclectic music amidst a rich atmosphere.
Known as a haven for cocktail aficionados, the Signature Serves are made with ingredients like Japanese Miso, homemade infusions, and pickles. With distinctive techniques such as milk washing, clarification, and sous vide, Rick's presents complex and balanced flavours like Ilsa's Last Song and Umami Ugarte, amongst other new signature concoctions.
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