The heat is on and when you don't feel like stepping out for some play, bring the fun to you! Turn your home into a Sunday brunch bar. Don't even bother going out for ingredients, just use the various ripe summer fruits to concoct some smackalicious cocktails.
SUGARCANE MARGARITA
We all stock up on some chopped gannain the summer, in fact now we conveniently have ganna walas deliver this refreshing juice to our doorsteps (although it is probably safer to juice it yourself). A short and easy way to your margarita is to mix tequila, triple sec (like cointreau), a slice of fresh lime, ice and soda in the shaker along with a generous proportion of sugarcane juice and shake, shake, shake! Place salt onto a flat plate; dip the rim of the glass with oodles of salt (a lick of salt before each sip enhances the flavour) before pouring the drink into a large, wide margarita glass.
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This zesty, minty thirst quencher is a perfect companion on that hot summer afternoon. Raw mangoes are a summer relish, and kaccha aam ka panha (mango pulp, sugar, cardamom or elaichi) is a regular house refreshment. Take brown sugar, lemon juice and crushed mint leaves and leave them to soak together for an hour. Then add whatever light rum is available at your bar, soda and crushed ice and some freshly prepared panha and blend in the blender for a quick bit. The tanginess of the raw mango leaves a refreshing taste behind. A big, but short glass is you want here.
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Those with a spicier taste for things, er... drinks, use some green chilies as your X-factor. Dry vermouth, gin and some ice cubes are all you need for this one. Just replace the olives at the bottom with a green chilly (sliced in the middle) and a lemon slice (to break the spice slightly). Grind the two lightly at the bottom of the glass before pouring the mix over them. Serve this in a wide rimmed yet smaller martini crystal.
LONG ISLAND KOKUM TEA
This is everybody's favourite pick since this one literally has the whole bar poured in, so you don't necessarily need to by heart the ingredients! Mix gin, tequila, vodka, light rum, triple sec, sour mix (you can use lemon instead) and replace the cola with our age-old recipe for heat; kokum! Shake the mixture well first along with lots of ice, and then add the kokum, shake gently and go sip, sip, sip from a long, tall glass.
Of course you can easily replace the above with fresh watermelon, peach, strawberries or cantaloupes..
BE THE COOLEST BARTENDER
Always make sure you have some cool glasses to serve your cocktails in, or borrow some from your neighbour.
Bring out your Yanni, Santana or even Shakira for some instrumental, soulful vocals or Mediterranean beats
Dress up for the occasion — drawstrings, wrap around skirts or best, some nice hot shorts all with that colourful apron for effect
Serve light toothpick snacks like salads, pineapple-cheese-olive sticks, bruccheta, and mini-pizzas; nobody can really eat because of the heat anyway, so don't slave away in the kitchen
WHAT YOU NEED
Blender or cocktail shaker
Loads and loads of ice (cubes and crushed)
Salt or powdered sugar (for the glass rims)
Tulsileaves, sliced lemon or pieces of fruit (for garnish)
Soda, diet coke or juice (your choice of mix), preferable keep all 3
Most importantly the booze —Vodka, Bacardi, Tequila, Cointreau, Malibu, Gin
Keep a variety of alcohol to prepare some potent heat washers