Who doesn’t like enjoying a tall glass of refreshing cocktail? Be it a whiskey-based drink or a gin or a vodka one, cocktails bring out the fine flavours of alcohol. With a wide range of ingredients used to flavour drinks, there’s no dearth of flavours to choose from. For a change, indulge in some Indian spices-inspired cocktails. Let spices such as pepper, cumin, ginger and cinnamon enhance your favourite poison. Here are a few recipes to try out:

Zaffran Sour

Ingredients: Cognac - 50 ml; Lime Juice - 12 ml; Saffron Syrup - 10 ml (Sugar syrup - 1 ltr & saffron - 500 mg); Bergamot
Water - 25 ml; Peach syrup - 5 ml; Glassware - Old Fashioned.

Method: For the saffron syrup, add 500 mg of saffron to 1 ltr of sugar syrup and boil. Add all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and reverse dry shake to perfection. Double strain over a large block of ice. Garnish with orange zest & saffron threads.

Jal-jeera G&T

Ingredients: Gin - 60 ml; Lime Juice - 15 ml; Cumin Honey syrup - 15 ml (cumin seeds - 30 mg & honey - 500 ml); Black Salt - 1/2 pinch; Chaat Masala - 1/2 pinch; Tonic Water - a splash; Basil leaves & Dehydrated Orange; Glassware - Tom Collins.

Method: For the cumin-honey syrup, gently roast 30 mg of cumin seeds. Add 250 ml of water to it and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the flame and blend with 500 ml honey. Now, shake all the ingredients together except the tonic water. Top it up with a splash of Quinine sparkles. Garnish it with basil leaves & dehydrated orange.

Spiced Mango Mojito

Ingredients: Old Monk - 60 ml; Tinned Mango Puree - 20 ml; Homemade Date Puree - 20 ml (50 gm seedless dates and 50 ml sugar); Lime juice - 20 ml; Ginger Jaggery Syrup - 30 ml; Mint leaves - 4-5 Sprig; Ginger Ale – Splash; Mint sprig & Dates; Glassware - Tom Collins.

Method: For homemade date puree, boil 50 gm of seedless dates and 50 ml sugar in 100 ml of water and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow it to cool and blend until completely smooth. No need to strain. Gently tap the mint to release its aromas. Build up the rest of the ingredients in a Tom Collins glass. Add cubed ice and a splash of ginger ale. Complete with crushed ice.

Qafilada

Ingredients: White Rum - 75 ml; Coconut milk - 40 ml; Pineapple juice - 60 ml; Sugar cane juice - 60 ml; Cinnamon Powder - 1/2 pinch; Sugar Syrup - 10 ml; Pineapple crown; Glassware - Maison Jar.

Method: Blend all the ingredients. Pour it in a Maison jar and garnish it with a pineapple crown at the top. Serve it fresh.

(The author is assistant manager F&B, Kava, Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru Outer Ring Road)