India, Nov. 1 -- T he clinking of glasses is a familiar sound of celebration. But if you listen closely this season, what's inside those glasses is changing. With wedding soirees and festive gatherings in full swing, the classic champagne or gin and tonic is being replaced by something far more nostalgic, drinks that taste like dessert. So, how does a dense, nutty kaju katli or syrup-soaked gulab jamun translate into a crystal coupe? "The secret lies in deconstructing the mithai, its ingredients, texture and the emotion it evokes and rebuilding it as a liquid experience," says Chinmay Pednekar, mixologist at Mezzo Mezzo, JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu. His kaju katli cocktail uses cashew-infused vodka as a base, layered with almond syrup and white chocolate liqueur for richness and finished with cardamom bitters for that unmistakable festive warmth, "only in a glass instead of a box". At Koishii, The St Regis Mumbai, Krishna Biradar offers a smoky twist on the same mithai. His version combines mezcal with ghee, dried milk and coconut milk, garnished with cashews, pistachio dust, and a hint of nostalgia. "A single bite of kaju katli could always transport me to joy, I wanted to bottle that feeling," he says. At The Westin Gurgaon, Neeraj Bhatt turns the beloved gulab jamun into a celebratory sip. His Gulab Gin Fizz infuses gin with rose petals and pairs it with cardamom syrup, lemon juice and egg white (or aquafaba) for a creamy, floral fizz. "I wanted to reimagine the comfort of gulab jamun in a glass," he explains. The result? A drink that's fragrant, spiced and light enough to toast with. Elsewhere, Delhi's Home bar offers a ras malai-inspired cocktail that tastes like celebration itself. Sometimes, inspiration isn't tied to a specific sweet but to the very smell of festivity. "During celebrations, the air is filled with saffron and rose, ingredients that define Indian festivity," says Ankit Tiwari, Beverage Manager at Andaz Delhi. His Saffron and Rose Gin Infusion is an elegant ode to that aroma - "like enjoying your favourite mithai, but in a glass". At Gallops, Mumbai, Mikhail Singh channels royal nostalgia with his Kesar Kasturi cocktail. "The nose will smell kesar, the tongue will sense spice, and the throat will feel a liquorish warmth," he says. With notes of saffron, cardamom, rose, pistachio and khus khus, it's a drink that quite literally tastes like culture and memory. The trend has also moved beyond mithai to embrace other comforting sweets and cross-cultural memories. At The Hedonist, Fairmont Mumbai, Piyush Sidral created Brighter than Sunshine, inspired by Pasteis de Nata, the golden custard tarts he first tasted in Goa. The drink blends bourbon, custard and cinnamon, "a sip that feels like a Goan sunset". In Delhi, Call Me Ten's Mohit Badh brings together Japanese minimalism and Bengali nostalgia in his Tirreti Bazaar cocktail, a playful mix of pandan-infused gin, wasabi, mausambi, orange, and mishti doi. "The mishti doi adds festive comfort, while pandan and wasabi lend a Japanese touch," he says....