The Liquor Store in Navi Mumbai, a luxe, experiential alcohol store, is a perfect stopover enroute to Lonavala or Goa

People beyond Navi Mumbai may not know this, but it’s time they do. Sector 15 in CBD Belapur is becoming quite a buzzing spot with a new Starbucks cafe, Chaayos, Sammy Sosa, Decathalon, Indian cuisine restaurants and the newest addition, The Liquor Store (TLS). The 10,000-sq-ft luxe store spread across two floors is an alcohol lovers’ delight. While on your way back from a road trip to Goa, Lonavala or Karjat or en route to any weekend destinations, Ivorystation suggests you halt here to gift yourself a spirited and sensorial experience.

TLS, a venture of the liquor distribution company VK Group is an experiential, liquor gallery and a tasting room, complete with a bar and is conceptualized by third-generation businessmen Dinesh, Jayesh and Pritesh Kathuria. The idea is to turn the mundane liquor store visit into a memorable outing.

TLS founders Dinesh, Jayesh and Pritesh Kathuria

The store has 1,000 spirits, 1500 plus wines, 250 champagnes and over 100 beer options, making it one of the largest collections available at a store in Maharashtra. The store conducts walkthroughs of the store, which looks like a posh liquor library, tasting, and pairing sessions and has an on-request pick-up and drop service for customers as well.

TLS’ tasting and pairing sessions are filled with anecdotes and stories and laced with humour, leaving you more enriched about the fascinating world of liquor. Doesn’t matter whether you drink or not.

For those who want to know more or those who prefer not to ask too many questions, they also have an Artificial Reality-enabled counter that gives you all the information about a drink (its ingredients, the region it belongs to, the process of creation) on a screen, by simply placing a chosen bottle on it.

Another highlight of The Liquor Store is Tavern. You can sign up for a tasting of world whiskies and wines here. These are served with gourmet cheese, chocolate and crackers., fig jam, grapes, nuts, crackers and meats.

The Tavern is designed to serve all-day experiences from breakfast to lunch and dinner. The menu has Buddha bowls, Poached pear salads and Lemon mustard chicken salad, pizzas and Mexican Chimichangas. The sharing options include their special cheese boards, Dual tikkas (a half basil pesto and sun-dried pesto), and Blue cheese chicken tikka, Chermoula prawns and Katsu baos.

The drink menu too has breakfast cocktails like Tavern After Party, a coconut and herbs concoction that is a great cure for hangovers and a power-packed drink to kick start your day. Matchoman is the bar chef’s recipe of a smokey Indian Whiskey flavored with herbs and Matcha tea. A healthy approach pours into a Brocotini, a vodka cocktail made
using farm fresh veggies, flowers and finished with citrus flavors. The Tom Yum Goon Soup becomes Tom Yum Tun drink with a dash of premium gin.

Old Fashioned gets torched with sandalwood in Woodfired Bourbon, and negroni is offered with a pandan leaf. Sherry flavors of Glenmorangie are used in The Masala highball while the Asian Chameleon Delightful has the sweet Asian flavors of the Screw Pine and Whiskey strained over ice.

Pairings don’t just end at food. TLS has a line-up of unique sensory indulgences such as candle and Wine appreciation and Whisky and Cigar gatherings. The Liquor Store is also available as an Android and iOS App for on-the-go pick-ups and home deliveries.

Also Read: 8 incredible Indian craft beers with unique flavours that you must try