Gone are the days when a tiny umbrella on a cocktail glass signified the heights of creative mixology. From Van Gogh inspired artwork to mini desserts—like a slab of dark chocolate—to candy floss inspired foam, cocktail garnishes are becoming the veritable works of art, standing for a bartender’s ingenuity behind the counter.

So how do you incorporate this trend for your next home party? We asked Rakshay Dhariwal for some tips. Dhariwal is the genius behind some of India’s best and most cutting-edge bars like PCO and Saz and concepts such as India Cocktail Week, a festival dedicated only to cocktails. Most recently, Dhariwal launched Pistola, India’s first premium agave spirit.

While studying Marketing & Telecom at Indiana University, Dhariwal loved entertaining and constantly hosted parties at home. These parties, he says, sowed the seeds of his entrepreneurial journey by teaching him the basics of operating and running a bar. “When I moved back to India in 2007, I noticed that the cocktail culture in India was still very nascent. Most people did not understand what cocktails really were. It was all about syrupy, colourful, sugary drinks. That is when I realised that the real gap in the market was in showcasing classic, prohibition and pre-prohibition cocktails to consumers,” he says. And thus was born PCO, a bar that took the capital by storm. In a freewheeling conversation about his journey, cocktail making and his favourite drinks, Dhariwal shares his tips for hosting the ultimate home party with the best drinks. Read on for more: