Forget the Bond Martini – Try These Desi Twists to Your Cocktail

Here’s what you should try this party season – the choicest and yummiest of desi cocktails.

They say, diamonds are a girl’s best friend but I beg to differ – cocktails are. Concoctions that set your tastebuds in a flurry, the pairing of it with the right food and the sheer delight when you see a bright coloured one reach your table!

Cocktail mixing is also an art , referred to as “Mixology”. The different combinations of spirits with natural ingredients lends itself to some amazing stuff! Sure, you can have the regular martini and be like Bond, but let’s face it: a desi Bond would be much better, no?

Cocktails with Indian ingredients that give a twist to the regular, is the flavour of the season! And who are we to be behind the times, right? Here are 8 desi cocktails that you need to get boozy on now – and maybe, try making them at home too!

Panipuri Mojito

A classic summer treat with a desi bang! The original recipe calls for white rum, club soda, lime cordial, lemon slices and muddled mint leaves. Replace the club soda with some ‘Panipuri ka Pani’ for that spicy kick, throw in some chat masala as garnish right at the end and voila! Desi goodness.

Vodka Shikanji

A shikanji is the traditional lemonade of North India and has cumin powder as its base flavour. Mix it up with about 60 ml of vodka, lime, mint and sea salt and watch how ‘nimbu paani’ can turn into an all year cocktail. Serve it at brunches with some hearty pizza. (You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better combination.)

Jamun-tini

Summon your inner Bond and try this one shaken, not stirred. A gin based cocktail, give this Bond a run for its money with an addition of jamun syrup and some fresh cut up jamun pieces, lime juice and a dash of vermouth. This purple drink has loads of lethal power.

Imli Margarita

This Mexican delight is good enough already in its contemporary form, but the desi-ness just takes it to a whole new level. Take some tamarind paste, mix with 60 ml of tequila, lime juice, orange juice and some triple sec and you have a gold mine on your hands. Its khatta meetha taste is an absolute delight.

Sharabi Lassi

I know what you’re thinking: the Punjabis are probably going to have it in for me –because, how could I possibly think of ruining lassi? Well, here’s what I think – they’re going to LOVE this new-fangled boozy version of their good ol’ favourite.

Sharabi lassi is an easy-to-make cocktail: just add a generous helping of Bailey’s Irish Cream to any lassi, top it off with a slight drizzle right on the foam, and you’re in cocktail heaven. Winter nights are made of these.

Sugar Hurricane

A simple cocktail but an effective one. Perfect for the summer (courtesy its sugar hit), just combine fresh sugarcane juice with vodka and top it off with some chaat masala. Easy to make and easier to serve with some crushed ice and lemon slice garnishes.

Iced Peru

Also known as a guava-tini, the ‘peru’ here gives a certain amount of sweetness which, when combined with vodka, vermouth and raspberry liqueur, turns out to be super elegant. It lightly rolls off your mouth and is more of a ‘fine’ cocktail. Nonetheless, don’t underestimate its lethal ‘drunken’ powers!

Masala Chai Rum

A desi twist to the classic White Russian, this recipe calls for the addition of cardamom spiced masala chai which replaces the heavy cream. Add two parts vodka and one part kahlua to the chai and suffice to say, tea time will never be the same. Remember to make the tea with some heavy toned milk and not the skim alternative.

So rest assured this New Year – your party’s gonna be a grand ‘desi daaru’ kind of success!

(A massive EDM junkie and a Jedi Padewan, Radhika believes in taking life by the fork and knife every day. She has been a media woman for the last 10 years with a huge passion for video technology. While working in content management is her day avatar, nothing gets her foodie side going like a good spicy misal pav!)