When summer surrenders to monsoon, cloudbanks gather over the Hooghly and a soft drizzle hangs in the evening air. Streetlights shimmer in puddles and the damp breeze carries whiffs of ginger tea and frying chops. These days, many Calcuttans look for warmth in more than just steaming cups. Increasingly, the answer arrives in a cocktail glass, and the flavour that has the city talking is the picante: cool on the palate yet ending with a deliberate flash of chilli. The drink itself is young. Around fifteen years ago bartenders at Soho House in London introduced the Picante de la Casa, a mix of tequila, lime, coriander and fresh chilli that felt like a Margarita with a fiery heart. Word spread quickly through members’ clubs, then across oceans. Mumbai’s rooftops adopted it first, Delhi followed, and now Calcutta’s bars are shaping their own spicy narratives just as the season of rain invites a signal burst of heat. At Olterra that burst arrives in the form of Lalpahari. A measure of vodka lies beneath an emerald wash of kolmi shaak, a water spinach common to local markets or bazaars, yet rarely poured behind a bar. Tribal spices murmur underneath, smoothed by the sweetness of a secret root. Sip once and the taste is fresh and green. Sip again and the finish lands earthy and grounded, a quiet homage to Birbhum’s red uplands after a storm. Little Bit Sober takes a more boisterous approach. Their serve, aptly titled What A Bar, pairs tequila blanco with lush passion fruit that has been gently fermented, then sharpens everything with dalle chillies. Carbonation lifts the mix so bubbles crackle against the lips before warmth settles in the chest. The contrast of bright fruit and measured fire mirrors the sudden hush that follows a clap of thunder over Park Street. Nutcase Etc. reaches into collective memory with Tangra Town. Patron Silver meets rich chicken broth while bell pepper, onion and scallion echo the aroma of late-night chilli chicken orders. A strand of soy welds flavours together. Close your eyes and you can almost see woks spitting beneath neon signs. It is comfort food reborn as a sophisticated sipper, proof that nostalgia and innovation can share the same glass. Conversation Room adds another layer of Bengal. Five Packs a Punch starts with rum infused with panch phoran, the five-spice overture of countless home kitchens. Fresh mint cools the opening note, passion fruit lends sweetness, then jalapeño races in to claim true picante territory. Lime acid gathers every element into a single bright line that lingers long after the swallow. History and indulgence converge at Corridor with The Chutney Connect. Maya Pistola provides an agave-rich base while a cordial of gondhoraj lime and panch phoran supplies scent and tang. Chilli oil threads through the liquid as a quiet ember. On the rim sits lavash spread with lebur chutney, ready to shatter between sips and echo the ritual spoonful that completes a Bengali feast. Together these cocktails reveal why the picante idea works. Spice does not mask flavour, it heightens everything the monsoon makes vivid: damp earth, crushed leaves, warm skin cooled by a sudden shower. Step into any of these bars while water taps the shutters, lift a glass that promises both chill and fire, and discover how Calcutta is making the global picante story its own. Written by- Atreya Paul, brand strategist and creative visualiser by the day who finds inspiration in places, people and culture. Coffee, conversation and curiosity guide his everyday pursuits.