Bullock carts and cocktails

I saw this bullock-cart at Flora Fountain, in the heart of the Fort business district.

He's delivering sugarcane to the local Rasvanti Gruhs (Juice Houses). My favourite is a small shop near Regal, next to Sachin Tendulkar's restaurant, where you can get fresh sugarcane juice, crushed and iced. Sometimes they add lime and ginger, to give the drink a neat little twist.

If you want something a little stronger, try Ganna Singh - it's an innovative cocktail that one clever little local restaurant has come up with. White rum and fresh sugarcane juice - how does that sound? (Ganna is Hindi for sugarcane). Personally speaking, I'll stick to rum and coke, but maybe you're more adventurous than I am!

Sugarcane is grown locally in Maharashtra, in co-operatives using contract farming (more on that later).

(Published in the Hindustan Times HT Cafe May 25th)