Project Grain Bengaluru: Inside Sheraton's Barrel Focused Cocktail Bar

If you've spent any time exploring Bengaluru's cocktail scene over the past few years, you've probably noticed one trend. Bars are constantly searching for the next unexpected ingredient. Seaweed, bacon, mushrooms, clarified milk, fermented fruit and kitchen techniques often become the headline before the spirit itself.

Project Grain takes the opposite approach.

Instead of asking what can be added to a drink, it asks what happens when you simply give great spirits more time.

Located inside the Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway in Rajajinagar, Project Grain is a new cocktail bar built around one central idea: wood matters. Every whisky, rum, tequila or wine tells a different story depending on the barrel it matured in, and this bar is designed to help you taste those differences.

Project Grain combines an aged-spirit-focused cocktail programme, live jazz every evening and a menu of comfort food designed specifically to complement those drinks.

If you're looking for a cocktail bar that puts aged spirits and wood-led flavour over experimental mixology trends, this is one worth adding to your list.

What is Project Grain?

Project Grain is a 60-seat cocktail bar located on the lobby level of Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway.

Although it's housed inside a five-star hotel, the experience here is much closer to an independent cocktail bar.

The concept revolves around barrel-aged spirits and the influence that different types of wood have on flavour. The drinks programme here encourages you to appreciate the subtle changes created through ageing.

That philosophy extends beyond the cocktails.

The interiors celebrate wood as the defining design element. The food has been created to pair naturally with aged spirits. Even the live music programme has been curated to encourage slower and more intentional evenings.

Everything is connected to the same idea.

Why Project Grain stands out

Project Grain is entering one of Bengaluru's most competitive hospitality scenes while focusing on something surprisingly simple.

Time.

Whisky aged in American oak tastes different from whisky matured in Japanese mizunara. Tequila that spends years inside oak barrels develops flavours that simply don't exist in younger expressions. Rum, wine and brandy all undergo similar transformations. Project Grain has built its identity around helping you experience those differences.

As Arijit Bose- the mixologist who developed the concept- explains, spirits take on much of their personality from the wood they mature in, whether that is oak, mizunara or chestnut. Ageing isn't just a technical detail here. The bar makes it the foundation of the entire experience.

That approach feels refreshing in a cocktail culture increasingly driven by novelty.

Meet the people behind the drinks

Project Grain's cocktail programme has been shaped by Arijit Bose, one of Bengaluru's most respected mixologists and a key figure behind Spirit Forward's success.

Working alongside him is bar lead Pawan Rawat, whose experience includes working with internationally acclaimed bartender Shingo Gokan at Hong Kong's Gokan Bar.

Pawan's understanding of barrel ageing plays a central role in the drinks menu. He frequently explains how different woods, ageing periods and spirit styles influence flavour. Those conversations become part of the experience.

Even if you don't normally think about barrels while ordering a drink, you'll probably leave knowing far more than when you arrived.

Inside Project Grain

One of the biggest surprises about Project Grain is how quickly you forget you're inside a luxury hotel.

The space has been designed by SDeG, the studio behind Bengaluru favourite Bob's Bar.

The interiors of the space deliberately avoids many of the visual clichés associated with five-star hotel bars. There are no crisp white tablecloths. No overly formal seating arrangements. No intimidating luxury.

Instead, you'll find dark wood, leather seating, textured finishes, warm lighting and an intimate layout that immediately feels comfortable. Wood appears throughout the interiors, from the patterned bar frontage and sculptural lighting installation to the furniture and architectural details.

A small corner stage completes the room, waiting each evening for live jazz musicians to take over.

Start with the Reserve Highballs

Start with one of Project Grain's Reserve Highballs.

These drinks are the clearest expression of what the bar is trying to achieve. They highlight how different barrel ageing influences aroma, texture and flavour.

Some standout options are:

• Yamazaki Reserve Highball: Made with Yamazaki whisky and chilled soda, it showcases the fruit-forward brightness associated with Japanese oak ageing. The drink is crisp, elegant and deliberately understated, allowing the whisky to remain the focus.
• Añejo Tequila Reserve Highball: Prepared with barrel-aged añejo tequila, Fandango mezcal and chilled soda, it delivers smoky agave flavours layered with gentle caramel sweetness from the oak ageing process. It is richer, slower and designed for sipping leisurely.

If you're unsure which one suits your palate, ask Pawan Rawat.

One of the highlights of Project Grain is that the team actively enjoys explaining why each spirit tastes the way it does.

The signature cocktails continue the story

While many bars build drinks around unusual ingredients, Project Grain uses those ingredients to support the spirit without dominating it.

Some standout options are:

• Tall Man: Built around Scotch whisky, raspberry, honey shrub, tomato and vermouth, it sounds like an unlikely combination on paper. In reality, the drink is remarkably balanced. The fruit adds freshness, the tomato contributes subtle savouriness, and the whisky remains firmly at the centre of every sip.

• Street Orchard: This cocktail combines blanco tequila with kiwi oleo and a touch of togarashi spice. It carries some of the bright, spicy energy of a picante while developing its own distinct personality through layered fruit and gentle heat.

• Barrel Aged Gibson: If you prefer spirit-forward classics, this cocktail is made with botanical gin, vermouth and maple, it demonstrates how barrel ageing can soften sharper edges while adding warmth and complexity.

The menu also includes cocktails such as Yurei, Kraken and Dirty Harry, each continuing the bar's focus on refined, spirit-led drinking.

The food is designed to match the drinks

The kitchen at Project Grain focuses on dishes that naturally complement aged spirits and encourage sharing.

The menu has been created by Jason Hudanish, whose work at Una Hacienda has already established him as one of Bengaluru's most respected chefs.

Some standout options are:

• Corn Ribs with Umami Butter and Schimi: The sweet roasted corn, rich umami butter and seasoning create a snack that pairs exceptionally well with smoky whiskies and barrel-aged cocktails.
• The Salmon Handy: Inspired by hand-roll sushi, it arrives with crisp nori sheets, gochujang cream cheese and fresh salmon, allowing you to assemble each bite yourself. A Hamachi version and a vegetarian alternative are also available.

Other dishes worth exploring include the Shimiji Gunkan and Asparagus Yaki, both continuing the Japanese influence that runs through much of the menu.

Don't skip the desserts

The Blueberry Cream Pie Sando and Matcha Cream Pie Sando bring Japanese convenience-store inspiration into a refined dessert format.

Soft milk bread, lightly sweet cream fillings and balanced flavours make them an ideal finish after richer cocktails and savoury dishes.

If you're planning a complete meal, leaving room for one of the sandos is well worth it.

Live jazz adds to the atmosphere

Music is one of the defining parts of the Project Grain experience.

The bar has partnered with The Piano Man from Delhi to curate live jazz and blues performances every evening. A two or three-piece ensemble performs throughout the night, creating an atmosphere that is far removed from the louder cocktail bars around the city.

Previous performers have included Meba Ofilia and Tarang Joseph, but the emphasis remains on intimate live music without creating the hype of headline performances.

The music never overwhelms conversation. It just quietly transforms the room and encourages you to slow down, making it feel as though the drinks, food and soundtrack all belong to the same experience.

There is no dress code, no pressure to order expensive bottles and no expectation that you need to understand whisky before walking through the door. The experience is curated to be welcoming and conversational.

You can spend the evening discussing barrel ageing with the bartenders, listening to live jazz, sharing comfort food and gradually working through a thoughtfully designed drinks menu without ever feeling rushed.

It is this relaxed confidence that makes Project Grain stand out.

Everything you need to know before you go

Venue: Project Grain
Location: Lobby Level, Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway, Rajajinagar
Address: 26/1 Dr Rajkumar Road, Rajajinagar, Bengaluru
Functional hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 5:00 PM to 12:30 AM
Closed: Monday
Capacity: 60 seats
Approximate Cost: ₹3,000 plus taxes for two
Reservations: Contact +91 73377 46970

The hotel offers on-site parking, making it convenient if you're driving. Rajajinagar Metro Station is also nearby, followed by a short cab or auto ride.

If you’re planning your first visit, don’t overthink the order. Start with a Reserve Highball to understand the foundation, move to the Tall Man to see how far the menu can stretch, and keep the Corn Ribs on the table no matter what else you try.

And then just let the night take its own pace.

Project Grain is best experienced when you’re not in a hurry to leave. So book a table, settle in, and let Bengaluru’s most quietly confident new bar show you what patience in a glass actually tastes like.