Bartender Izler Thomas Created Signature Drinks for SF Neighborhoods for Modern Indian Restaurant Tiya | Eater SF

"He moved on to deepen his craft at a 150-year-old refurbished haveli in New Delhi under chef Sujan Sarkar and "star-tender" Annu Jha, working to enhance the bar program. There he refined competition-level cocktails and by 2019 represented the venue at the Campari Red Hands competition in Asia: his cocktail, Roots—a vibrant pairing of Campari, sweet vermouth, and watermelon soda—"won over the judges" and he became first runner-up. The achievement resonated personally: "When my mom saw my certificate, she had tears of pride and joy," Thomas says. The visibility that followed—friends and strangers tagging him online after the win—left him "mesmerized … like being in a new galaxy — and that was a fun thing." - Nandita Godbole