This new cocktail bar in Hyderabad is hidden behind a bookshelf

Stepping into The Country Club in Begumpet, you wouldn’t count on to come upon Oxymorons. The clue: it’s hidden behind a bookshelf. I discovered myself pushing and prodding, half-expecting a revolving shelf. Instead, a door swung open, main right into a dimly lit room glowing purple from the corners. Think Shakal’s lair from Shaan, solely this time the Gen-Z response could be: “It’s lit.”

By Hyderabad’s requirements, Oxymorons is tiny — simply the appropriate measurement for an intimate gathering. The soundtrack is straight from founder Rehan Guha’s assortment, so you might be sipping cocktails whereas buzzing alongside to Abba, AC/DC, Bryan Adams, The Bangles, Scorpions or Queen.

Here, cocktails aren’t simply drinks; they’re experiments. Every creation is clarified, fermented or fat-washed — crystal-clear within the glass but layered with flavours that shock. Rehan describes the philosophy finest: “Oxymorons is a examine in significant dissonance, acquainted but new, polished but uncooked, exact but free-spirited. Our cocktails mix hometown heat with a world-class strategy.”

Scanning the menu

Take the scene: Highway to Hell blaring, a plate of crispy potato strings (aloo laccha) arrives, and also you instinctively kick off your sneakers to perch comfortably on tall bar stools. My first drink, ‘Only Option,’ mixed Patron tequila, watermelon and amaranth. Who knew a leafy inexperienced may add such aptitude? Even after ditching the ice stick garnish, it stayed balanced — tequila and watermelon doing the candy work. As I waited for my drinks and meals, the lenticular-printed coasters stored me firm.

Rehan joined me quickly after. “The meals and drinks are simple, made with elements folks relate to. Small plates, small parts. Not a spot for kebabs and heavy meals. But we do mutton loncha, jackfruit loncha, Maharashtrian-inspired pickle with chilli oil, or avakaya fish, prawn cocktail with tacos.”

I attempted the mutton loncha, cocktail tacos and methi stick mathri with mustard sauce, all whereas sampling cocktails named like punchlines: Seriously Playful, Loving Insult, Familiar Strangers, and Clearly Misunderstood.

Seriously Playful is whisky with pineapple, coconut milk and salted coconut air, ending with a whiff of roasted curry leaf. Clearly Misunderstood — their twist on a picante — is tequila with beetroot, chilli and miso. As the menu says: “Looks purple, hits like warmth.” For the cocktail sceptics, there’s a listing of straight pours too.

The menu took months to finalise, with one objective: highlight native elements. “We used amaranth for its novelty. Gongura is overdone,” Rehan says. Loving Insult riffs on the Mexican cantarito with tequila, candy lime, jalapeño and coriander.

Since I deal with cocktails higher with meals, I ordered prawn cocktail tacos with bagara rice and dhansak. Skip the tacos, go for the dhansak — it’s a Parsi aunty’s hug in a bowl. And to complete: goat’s cheese ice cream with melba toast and apricot compote. Tangy, creamy, indulgent — the right solution to name it an evening.

Oxymorons is in Country Club in Begumpet, open at 5pm day by day.