Oxymorons, a new cocktail bar in Hyderabad is hidden behind a bookshelf

Stepping into The Country Club in Begumpet, you would not expect to stumble upon Oxymorons. The clue: it is hidden behind a bookshelf. I found myself pushing and prodding, half-expecting a revolving shelf. Instead, a door swung open, leading into a dimly lit room glowing red from the corners. Think Shakal’s lair from Shaan, only this time the Gen-Z reaction would be: “It’s lit.”

By Hyderabad’s standards, Oxymorons is tiny — just the right size for an intimate gathering. The soundtrack is straight from founder Rehan Guha’s collection, so you are sipping cocktails while humming along to Abba, AC/DC, Bryan Adams, The Bangles, Scorpions or Queen.

Rehan Guha
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Special Arrangement

Here, cocktails are not just drinks; they are experiments. Every creation is clarified, fermented or fat-washed — crystal-clear in the glass yet layered with flavours that surprise. Rehan describes the philosophy best: “Oxymorons is a study in meaningful dissonance, familiar yet new, polished yet raw, precise yet free-spirited. Our cocktails blend hometown warmth with a world-class approach.”

Scanning the menu

Take the scene: Highway to Hell blaring, a plate of crispy potato strings (aloo laccha) arrives, and you instinctively kick off your shoes to perch comfortably on tall bar stools. My first drink, ‘Only Option,’ combined Patron tequila, watermelon and amaranth. Who knew a leafy green could add such flair? Even after ditching the ice stick garnish, it stayed balanced — tequila and watermelon doing the sweet work. As I waited for my drinks and food, the lenticular-printed coasters kept me company.

Rehan joined me soon after. “The food and drinks are straightforward, made with ingredients people relate to. Small plates, small portions. Not a place for kebabs and heavy meals. But we do mutton loncha, jackfruit loncha, Maharashtrian-inspired pickle with chilli oil, or avakaya fish, prawn cocktail with tacos.”

Inside Oxymorons in Hyderabad
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Special Arrangement

I tried the mutton loncha, cocktail tacos and methi stick mathri with mustard sauce, all while sampling cocktails named like punchlines: Seriously Playful, Loving Insult, Familiar Strangers, and Clearly Misunderstood.

Seriously Playful is whisky with pineapple, coconut milk and salted coconut air, ending with a whiff of roasted curry leaf. Clearly Misunderstood — their twist on a picante — is tequila with beetroot, chilli and miso. As the menu says: “Looks red, hits like heat.” For the cocktail sceptics, there is a list of straight pours too.

Loving insult
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Special Arrangement

The menu took months to finalise, with one goal: spotlight local ingredients. “We used amaranth for its novelty. Gongura is overdone,” Rehan says. Loving Insult riffs on the Mexican cantarito with tequila, sweet lime, jalapeño and coriander.

Since I handle cocktails better with food, I ordered prawn cocktail tacos with bagara rice and dhansak. Skip the tacos, go for the dhansak — it is a Parsi aunty’s hug in a bowl. And to finish: goat’s cheese ice cream with melba toast and apricot compote. Tangy, creamy, indulgent — the perfect way to call it a night.

Oxymorons is in Country Club in Begumpet, open at 5pm daily.