Not all cocktails are of the chill variety. There are some that can take on the winter chill if necessary. Check out these concoctions to keep you in high spirits.
Coffee Polo by Yogesh Rawat, Hyatt Regency, New Delhi
This recipe uses two signature Mexican alcohols: tequila and Kahlua. Use decaffeinated coffee so that you will still get a good night's sleep.
Ingredients:
Tequila 45 ml
Black Coffee 120ml
Kahlua: 15 ml
Brown sugar (powdered) 2 tsp
Whipped cream as topping
Method: Put 1 tsp brown sugar in a glass. Flame the tequila and pour it on the top of sugar along with hot black coffee. Add kahlua and put the cream on top of it. Garnish by sprinkling brown sugar on top of the cream.
Tips: Heat the glass before pouring the drink. Use premium tequila. Add whipped cream as per taste. Don't flame tequila for too long or the taste will be destroyed.
Basil Thyme Honey Martini by Joel Solomon, Manager, gbar, The Grand, New Delhi
This Martini features vodka infused with basil and thyme. But it's signature sweetness is tempered by honey, which also tints it a gorgeous yellow-green.
Ingredients
Basil-thyme-honey infused vodka 3 oz
Honey 1 teaspoon
Ice
Method: Fill the shaker with lots of ice and pour infusion spirit in. Shake vigorously. Allow honey to mix with the spirits to enhance its flavour. Swirl 1 tsp of honey in the martini glass and pour mixture in the glass.
Blended Garnished Fresh Strawberry Cocktail by Rajesh, Bar Manager, F Bar and Lounge, New Delhi
Ingredients:
Bacardi 15 ml
Cream de Frais 15 ml
Fresh Strawberry 2 ml
Fresh Lime 15 ml
Method: Blend Bacardi with Creme de Frais, fresh strawberry and fresh lime. Serve in sugar-rimmed cocktail glass.
Punch by Benedict Tershies S.P., Manager, Manager, Bar Sutra, The Lalit Ashok, Bangalore
Ingredients:
Strong tea decoction 750ml
Dry red wine 1500ml
Dark rum 750ml
Fine sugar 400gm
Orange Juice 1 fruit
Lime juice 20ml
Method: Heat wine, tea and fruit juice in a chafing dish but ensure it does not boil. Separately saturate fine sugar in 650ml of dark rum. Mix both. Ignite 100ml of dark rum in a large ladle and slowly add to the warm mixture and stir till flame is extinguished. Serve in white wine glass and garnish with ripe bits of diced pineapple and plums flambéed in brandy along with caramelised butter.
Tip: When adding the garnish make sure that not much of the flambéed sauce is added to the drink.
Steamed Buttered Rum by Mohit Sharma, Sanchos, New Delhi
Ingredients
Soft butter a soft slice
Brown sugar 1 tsp
Cinnamon, nutmeg
Dark rum 2 oz
Boiling water
Method: Place butter, sugar and spices at the bottom of an Irish coffee mug. Mix rum and boiling water well and pour in mug. Stir to create a wonderful fireside cocktail and relax after a hard day's work.
Bloody Irish Coffee by Sudesh Dabral, Ink Bar, Tabula Rasa, New Delhi
Ingredients:
Irish whisky 45 ml
Kahlua 15 ml
Espresso coffee1 shot
Brown Sugar30 gm
Whipped cream 3 tbsp
Method: Mix Irish whisky with kahlua, espresso shot and brown sugar, Serve in a martini glass, topped with whipped cream and garnished with coffee beans.
Minginto by Ravi Ranjan, Italia, New Delhi
Ingredients
Gin 45 ml
Ginger 1 piece
Mint 5-6 leaves
Brown sugar 1 tbsp
Method: Muddle all ingredients. Add lemon juice. Top with ginger ale. This is a personal variation of Mojito. Instead of Bacardi, Gin is added. Use Lemon instead of ginger and ginger ale in the place of soda.
Chocolate and Wasabi Eggnog by Mohit Balachandran, Manager, ai, New Delhi
Ingredients
Egg, yolk and white separated 1
Full cream milk 60ml
Heavy cream 50 ml
Bourbon 90ml
Sugar 15gm
Brandy 30ml
Chocolate syrup 60 ml
Wasabi 5gm
Method: Whip the egg whites till stiff. Separately whip the heavy cream. Then whip egg yolk with sugar. Stir in the milk, bourbon and brandy along with chocolate syrup and wasabi. Fold in whipped egg white and cream and sprinkle wasabi on top.
Cafe Barbados by Stephen George, Park Hyatt, Goa
Ingredients
Dark rum 15 ml
Kahlua 45ml
Black coffee
Whipped cream
Shaved chocolate for garnish
Method: Pour dark rum and Kahlua in a coffee mug. Build all the ingredients into a brandy balloon. Fill with hot coffee. Top with whipped cream. Garnish with shaved chocolate.
Burning ZEST by Abhishek Narain Sharma, Beverage Manager, Zest, New Delhi
Ingredients:
Cognac 30 ml
Grand Marnier 30 ml
Orange Zest 2-3 nos
Lemon Zest 2-3 nos
Lime Zest 2-3 nos
Method: Put 2-3 pieces or triangular cut Orange, Lime, and Lemon Zest in a brandy balloon. Pour 30 ml cognac and Grand Marnier each. Flame the drink and serve.
Grand Champagne Cocktail by Joel Solomon, Manager, gbar, The Grand, New Delhi
Ingredients
Old fashioned syrup 1 oz
Campari 1/2 oz
Method: Carefully drop the old fashioned syrup into the flute. Pour the champagne into a chilled Champagne flute. Garnish with orange spiral
The writer is a Delhi-based lifestyle and travel writer. E-mail: chand.sharmila@gmail.com
