THE MOCKTAIL ALCHEMIST

THE ACADEMY

Her discovery gave her newfound confidence, but convincing her father was a battle.

“This is ridiculous, Shaina! Bartending? What will people say?” Mahesh fumed one evening, pacing the living room.

“It’s not just bartending, Papa,” Shaina said, struggling to keep her voice steady. “It’s an art. I want to create something meaningful, something that connects with people.”

Mahesh snorted. “Meaningful? Behind a bar?”

Sunita, her mother, stepped in. “Mahesh, let her try. This isn’t just a whim—it’s who she is.”

“Sunita, do you even hear yourself?”

“I do,” she replied firmly. “And I hear her too. You’re afraid of what people will say, but isn’t her happiness more important?”

Weeks of tension followed, filled with arguments and cold silences. Shaina stayed resolute, and eventually, her father relented with a heavy sigh. “Fine. Do what you want. But don’t come crying to me if it doesn’t work out.”

With her parents’ blessing, Shaina applied to the Academy of Mixology and Sensory Arts in Australia.

Australia was a whirlwind. The Academy wasn’t just about learning to mix drinks—it was about understanding the science and psychology behind them.

There, she immersed herself in the science of flavors, the art of storytelling, and the psychology of scents.

One day in sensory class, her professor handed her a small vial of liquid.

“Smell this,” he instructed. “What emotion does it evoke?”

Shaina closed her eyes and inhaled. “Sadness,” she murmured. “But there’s also a hint of hope, like… rain after a drought.”

The professor stared at her. “Fascinating. You have a rare gift, Shaina. Use it wisely.”

The words lingered in her mind for days.

For Shaina, emotions and personalities triggered vivid impressions of flavours, scents, and even textures. A melancholic person might evoke a soft, bittersweet chocolate note in her mind, while an energetic soul might manifest as fizzy citrus.

Additionally, Shaina had an acute sense of smell that bordered on superhuman. She could detect the subtlest nuances in aromas, allowing her to craft perfect flavour combinations.

During her training, Shaina learned that the human brain associates memories and emotions strongly with smell.

She took this to heart. Her aromatic spritzes became her signature. She would experiment with scents like lavender for soothing nerves and bergamot to uplift spirits.