India’s cocktail scene evolved. Five years ago, molecular mixology impressed. Now it’s standard. Maybe Sammy, Sydney’s 42nd best bar in the world, arrived at Rubicon Bar & Cigar Lounge, The Leela Ambience Gurugram, for a single-night takeover. Sophistication met volume. The room listened.

Hunter Gregory and Marco De Lazzari curated five exclusive cocktails: Mad Men, James Bond, Willy Wonka, Ocean’s Eleven, and Tropical Coffee Daiquiri. Each a nod to cinema, craft, and what happens when Australian ease meets Indian energy. The January 30th collaboration was about connection, not instruction.

As Manish Bedi, Director of Food and Beverage at The Leela Ambience Gurugram, put it, “This collaboration brings the craft and global reputation of Maybe Sammy with Rubicon’s instinct for curation, creating a bar experience that feels current, confident, and genuinely exciting.”

Hunter and Marco landed in India on Thursday morning. By evening, with The Leela setting the stage, they jumped on a call with Rajeev Mokashi, co-founder and niche content strategist at TheGlitz, to talk hospitality, hunger, and why sophistication should never feel stuffy.

Rajeev Mokashi: Sydney to Gurugram isn’t a short flight. What made you say yes to this collaboration?

Hunter: Well, first of all, it’s an honour to be here. This is our first time in India, both of us. The exploration of going somewhere new, meeting new people, maybe seeing some old friends, that’s what we really enjoy. And the tide has turned over here. This collaboration with All Things Nice to put this together in partnership with The Leela Ambience Gurugram, it’s exciting. But honestly? The biggest selling point was that Marco’s small. He’s nice and easy to sleep next to on a plane. Makes the long haul bearable.

Marco:(laughs) Yeah, very comfortable with me, just because of my size, you know. But the long flight really isn’t an issue. When you’re coming from Australia, everywhere else in the world is far. India? Actually, not that far. Only one flight from Sydney to New Delhi. Easy.

Hunter, you started as a waiter at 18, pursued your way into Maybe Sammy with considerable persistence, and now you run the 26th best bar in the world. That’s not luck, that’s hunger. What’s the one thing you learned from showing up first and leaving last that you couldn’t have learned any other way?

Hunter: First of all, thank you for pointing that out. You’re probably the only person in the world who identifies it like this. Even our boss doesn’t see it this way sometimes. (laughs) But look, my hometown roots, starting young, taught me very fast that to be successful in hospitality, you need to be hungry. I learned that from playing competitive sport as a kid.

Showing up first and leaving last is the fastest way to learn the most possible. I was very lucky that when I started at Maybe Sammy, it was a small team with a lot to share. I wanted to be a sponge. So yes, hunger. But also, inexperience – trying to absorb everything when you don’t know anything yet.

Marco, Bvlgari Dubai, Top 10 World Class, now senior bartender at Maybe Sammy. Your passport’s more stamped than most diplomats. Of all those cities – London, Dubai, Sydney – which bar culture actually changed how you think about hospitality?

Marco: First of all, thank you for saying that. If I have to choose straight away, Sydney. London was a great school – very serious about knowledge. If you don’t know what a spirit is, you can’t stay behind the bar. I loved that. Dubai was five-star luxury service, but that’s different from hospitality. I was looking for venues that create unforgettable experiences, not just expensive ones. Sydney delivered that. Maybe Sammy specifically – it’s where hospitality meets show, quality meets warmth.

Maybe Sammy is known for playful sophistication. That’s a delicate balance. How do you maintain the sophistication without losing the warmth, and keep the playfulness without it feeling contrived?

Hunter: Maybe Sammy operates like a five-star hotel bar that’s not attached to a hotel. But maintaining all sort of five-star standards followed there. Small sections, three bartenders, two for a 14-seat bar. Hands-on service. We don’t start with bubbles and smoke when the room’s empty. We read the room. At 5 p.m., it’s sophisticated, upmarket. By 10 p.m., the music’s louder, the bubble machine’s cranked, the lights come out. The bar evolves with the guests. We ask three questions to get to know them – where’s your night going, are we your last stop, do you need us to curate your evening? That’s how you keep it warm without being stuffy.

Marco: Before joining Maybe Sammy, we get a lot of training in service standards, techniques behind the bar. First, to read our guests. Because, for instance, maybe not all people love having bubbles. So, we try to provide an extra effort for this kind of people in order to still provide an unforgettable experience. We need to read the guest before, and we don’t really need to force the vibe every single time if the guest doesn’t want it.

You’re bringing Sydney’s bar culture to Gurugram. India’s cocktail scene has exploded. What do you think Maybe Sammy offers that India hasn’t cracked yet?

Hunter: So, as somebody that flew in 12 hours ago, I’m not qualified to evaluate India’s bar scene yet. (laughs) But here’s what I know: India’s bar scene isn’t missing anything. It’s strong, well-represented globally. Tomorrow night, we’re not here to fill a gap. We’re here to bring Maybe Sammy‘s experience and let the room decide. If they want fun, we’ll curate the most fun room in India. If they want sophistication, that’s what we’ll deliver. The only thing India’s bar scene is missing is a decent cricket team to follow (laughs)… But that’s just an Australian talking.

Marco, Indian palates are different, the spice tolerance, the flavour expectations, even drinking rituals. Are you adapting the menu or showing us what’s been missing?

Marco: Bit of both. We’re bringing our cocktail experience from Australia, but we’re also connecting. Tomorrow we’re serving a margarita twist with wasabi, strawberry chipotle, coriander—flavours that speak to Indian palates. Strong, spicy, layered. That’s the point: connecting through drinks and hospitality.

Hunter, Australia’s drinking culture is famously relaxed. India’s luxury bar scene can be status-conscious. Does that change your approach?

Hunter: We’re not bringing Australian drinking culture – beers in the park, brisk and casual. We’re bringing Maybe Sammy’s culture. As the only Australian working for Maybe Sammy, I hold that dear. But the drinks we’re serving tomorrow exist on the global cocktail scene. We’re showing people what we hold close: our drinks, our service, our philosophy.

Maybe Sammy is celebrated for immersive storytelling. Give me one drink where the story makes it taste better.

Hunter: Willy Wonka. Our current menu, Show Time, is inspired by moments in TV and cinema. Willy Wonka’s a cherry vodka sour with white chocolate and a patented Wonka scent created specifically for us. We use a Flavour Blaster to blow bubbles on top. The guest pops them, and suddenly they’re surrounded by chocolate aroma. Close your eyes, you’re in Willy Wonka’s factory. Then you taste the drink – crisp, cold, cherry-forward, perfectly balanced. If I’m watching Willy Wonka without this drink, I’d be annoyed. (laughs)

Marco, what separates a good cocktail from one people remember three days later?

Marco: The whole presentation. How you explain it, the storytelling, the feeling. People don’t remember every ingredient, but they remember the story. The wow effect. Willy Wonka’s a perfect example – guests still talk about drinks from our first menu because of how we presented them.

Hunter: There’s still people that come in and mention drinks from our first menu. Marco and I look at them like, even I don’t know what this drink is. (laughs)

Hunter, you measure success by the smile on every guest’s face. What’s the most difficult guest interaction you’ve navigated?

Hunter: I prefer to read people before they get upset. Body language, understanding your guests – that prevents most problems. But one time, a gentleman came in on a busy Saturday night expecting the quiet Wednesday vibe he remembered from three years earlier.

The bar had evolved. We were the 15th best bar in the world at that point – packed, loud, full of energy. He was upset. We couldn’t change the music for the entire room, so we turned down the speaker next to his head just enough for him to notice. He felt heard, understood, cared for. He left smiling. Listen, adapt what you can control, follow up. Nine times out of ten, they walk away happy.

FIRESIDE QUICKFIRE:

Best cocktail you’ve ever had that wasn’t your own?
Hunter: Espresso martini at Sips, or their Cachaça highball.
Marco: Marco Polo from Paradiso. Presentation was incredible.

One spirit criminally underrated?
Both: Tequila.

Worst trend in cocktail culture?
Hunter: Foam.
Marco: Too much prep.

If Maybe Sammy were a cocktail?
Both: Cosmopolitan.

Hunter, one thing Marco does behind the bar you secretly steal?
Hunter: His smile. And his dance moves are hilarious.

Most overrated cocktail ingredient?
Hunter: Chartreuse.
Marco: Maraschino. Or Chartreuse. Yeah, Chartreuse. (laughs)

The drink every bartender should know perfectly?
Hunter: Martini.
Marco: Manhattan.

After tomorrow, you fly back to Sydney. What do you hope India takes away from this collaboration?

Hunter: The Maybe Sammy philosophy toward hospitality. The evolution of a room – understanding that 5 p.m. and midnight don’t have to feel the same. You can have sophistication and fun at the same time. I hope India takes that away.

Marco: I hope people feel comfortable with the vibe we provide. A sincere, good time together. And I hope they remember us fondly.