MilkshakeOr Not?

Swanan Sarkar

Competing for Future Icon 2026

A classic never really leaves the bar. It just keeps coming back, generation after generation. And that's what I love—a classic isn't a rulebook, it's a starting point. Every bartender interprets it differently. For my Future Icon, I chose the Whisky Highball. Simple, refreshing, timeless. And because there's nowhere to hide, every ingredient has to earn its place. The inspiration? A mango banana milkshake from Bangalore that I never forgot. So I brought those worlds together—a classic milkshake folded into a classic cocktail riff. Same flavours, just in a new avatar. At the heart is Dewar's 12, an award-winning, double-aged Scotch that's smooth and beautifully fruity. The mango doesn't just add sweetness; it lifts the whisky's natural fruitiness. The banana provides structure, its natural astringency balancing the mango and giving the drink definition. Milk handles the dilution, then the milkshake is clarified and carbonated to become a Highball. A touch of shio koji rounds everything out and enhances every flavour. And here's what I love most: the Highball was invented by Tommy Dewar in 1892. Building mine on Dewar's brings the story full circle. Same drink, same house—just told in a brand-new way.