HNN Exclusive: A Summery Sip!

By M H Ahssan

It is no secret that summertime brings out the tippler in many of us. Most bars and lounges register a spurt in the sale of cocktails in summers as against winters, when straight drinks are preferred. Yes, there are the chilled beers and shandies too for option, but still beating the heat with a glass of cocktail is more fun. And although warm-weather sips such as pina coladas and strawberry daiquiris make the grade, those currently popping up in the best places are stuffed with fresh fruit, sweetened with simple syrups and infused with liqueurs. HNN requested four mixologists — Allspice eatery & Drinkery, Mumbai’s Shatbhi Basu; Amigo, Delhi’s Pramod MP; F Bar & Lounge’s Kamlesh Verma and Radisson MBD, Noida’s Amit Bajaj to share their fresh picks for the season...

Mexican Mix
This might tempt those who love trying out new drinks. if you like Mexican food, which has a vague resemblance to Indian food, particularly in its use of spices, you might as well try out Mexican cocktails or coolers as they are called. Amigos, the Mexican bar and restaurant in Delhi, has for the first time introduced some Mexican thirst-quenchers. Like the one that bar manager Pramod MP recommends: “Many bars experiment with water melon cocktails and come up with some new version every year, but we have a melon drink. Though a little sweet, it is definitely the most interesting drink on our menu.” Honey Dew Melon has tequila and midori (melon liquor) as the alcohol base and the pulp of fresh melon coupled with lemon juice adding to its flavour. But it is the way it is presented that makes it unique: the cocktail is served in a half-cut melon. “It’s very important that a cocktail is balanced.

It should have the right mix of alcohol and other ingredients, so that it is not overpowered by any one flavour,” he says. Like tequila. Mexico’s national drink, Pramod says is a strong spirit and one has to ensure that the other ingredients of the cocktail too are strong, or else tequila will overpower the drink. And a cocktail is not just about taste. looks matter a lot. Apart from the colour, which is of course critical, it is the garnishing that make it interesting.

Pramod’s next favourite is Todd’s Cooler. A very simple tall drink and well-suited to Indian tastebuds, this cooler is lemon-based. Gin, cream de casis, lemon chunks, mint leaf and brown sugar goes into making the cocktail a sure-shot hit. Though the drink looks similar to a mint monitor, the taste definitely is different — and quite wonderful. Mind trying it!

A Fruity Punch
A chilled glass of beer is what most of us resort to in place of the vodkas, whiskies and rums in summers. But a nice blend of alcohol with seasonal fruits and syrups can be a refreshing change. F Bar and Lounge’s Kamlesh Verma picked a few of his favourites this season. Both his picks are new entries in F bar’s menu.

Watermelon is one of his favourite fruits for a cocktail, particularly because of its cool flavour and rich colour. And so, the Red Mellow Delight has all the ingredients of satisfying your thirst and taste buds. Vodka and melon liquor form the alcohol base, while chunks of melon, mint leaves, lemon juice and brown sugar form the body of the drink. “Fruit-based cocktails sell well as they are more refreshing. In fact, people look forward to new additions during the season,” says Verma. The trick is to keep the content of alcohol low in cocktails, so that people can enjoy their drink without feeling the heat, he explains. For the ladies, he recommends Green Apple On The Rocks. A very simple drink with a tangy flavour, this cocktail has green apple liquor and chunks of crushed green apple. The drink is strong yet refreshing — perfect for a pleasant summer evening. “Green apple martini is one of the hot favourites with women. But generally martinis have a strong alcohol base, which doesn’t go well in summers, so I thought why not offer another variation of the same flavour,” Verma says. Great option, isn’t it?

Tangy Toast
This comes from an expert indeed. shatbhi basu, India’s first woman mixologist and partner in Allspice eatery & Drinkery, Mumbai, comes up with some really refreshing desi cocktails. Aam panna, considered the most effective particularly in northern India, is what Basu chose for her first cocktail. “I always go by my instincts, and whatever is readily available,” she says.

“And my favourite this season is using raw mango panna in frozen margaritas.” Basu uses cooked concentrate of raw mango and sugar, and flavours it with black salt, salt and roasted cumin powder in a frozen margarita. She suggests using lime, ginger, honey and cucumber in tall drinks and fizzing it with ginger ale or lemonade. “Also, lots of wine coolers, blonde and blush sangrias as opposed to red — my favourite being white wine and Appy Fizz with mangoes, kiwis, lichis, grapes and mint, spiked with a little orange vodka,” Basu adds. Using seasonal fruits and tasters in drinks enhances their taste and provides the goodness of the fruits as well. “Seasonal cocktails are always good for first-time alcohol drinkers, as the percentage of alcohol is very low in them,” Basu says. Now, that’s two to tango!

Cricket Mazaa
The current IPL season has given everybody a chance to innovate… So, we have IPL menus written on cricket bats, meals named after the teams and innumerable other marketing gimmicks. On similar lines, Radisson MBD, Noida, has come up with a range of summer cocktails named after the participating teams. Says Amit Bajaj, assistant F&B manager, “We have introduced cocktails that match the colour of the teams’ jerseys.”

The master’s favourite is the Kolkata Knight Riders — a blend of dark rum, carrot juice and beet juice. “Beet and dark rum give the drink the dark colour and carrot adds flavour,” Bajaj says. His second pick was Mumbai Indians, a very attractive drink. The topaz blue colour comes from blue curacoa, which blends with gin, tonic water and lime for an amazing drink. “The colour of a cocktail is a major puller for many. In fact, people often order after watching others’ drinks, so it is important that a cocktail looks good,” Bajaj adds.