A matter of taste | All things fruity and boozy

There are fruits aplenty this summer and here’s how you can make punchy drinks with them.

Fruity cocktails for summer

I used to think that fruit juices were the best form of nutrition, till I was told otherwise by an eminent in the field of nutrition. She told me how eating a fruit was better. But all this happened before I turned of legal drinking age. Then I discovered alcohol and just like that, fruit juice inveigled its way back into my life. Why? Because there is only that much joy one can get from eating fruits dipped in rum.

However, I wasn’t the only one to stumble upon this gem of an idea — every bartender worth his muddler who has ever shaken up a dandy drink in a bar since the invention of cocktails has known this — fruit juices and alcohol mix like water and oil don’t. 

But, as is expected from this Hegelian world that we reside in, the pendulum swung too far in that direction and soon enough, we were drinking syrupy sweet concoctions with some trace of alcohol. It was fruit juice overkill. The only way to tell a drink had alcohol and wasn’t poured straight off the breakfast buffet was in the pricing and even then, going by the taste, it felt like one was drinking a very expensive form of flavoured sugar water.

Make it right

That said, there is a case to be made for incorporating fruit juice into drinks. Some spirit and fruit juice combinations work exceedingly well whereas others mar the taste of both. Here are the ones that work. Combined in a ratio of 1:4 (or 1:5 for further dilution) is usually a good sweet spot to aim for. Alternatively, you can go for 1:3 and then top up the remainder with soda for that extra prickly kick.

Pineapple and Tequila: Given how the two plants look like, it’s no surprise they work together. You can even make a pineapple tepache (which is a lacto-fermented pineapple juice) and use that instead of straight up juice but do remember to adjust the sugar for taste.

Peach and Whisky: The easiest way to try this is to add whisky to some peach-flavoured iced tea. The tougher way is to make a peach purée, strain it for cloudiness and consistency, and then use it in a drink.

Pineapple and Whisky: This just goes to show that pineapple is quite versatile, pairing with a white and a barrel-aged spirit. And let’s not forget Pina Coladas where they go hand in hand with rum.

Mango and Tequila: With mango season upon us, is there a better way to beat the summer? I think not.

Orange and Rum: A Screwdriver isn’t the only drink for good ol’ OJ (orange juice), you can also mix it with rum for a refreshing change of pace. And since it’s summer, let’s be a bit summer fruit specific:

Mango: We already mentioned tequila but it can also blend with dark rums. Other things which can be added (but not all at the same time) for flavour enhancement include (but are not limited to) coconut milk, Sichuan pepper, red chillies and lemon juice.

Lychee/Litchi: No matter how you spell it, the overtly sweet fruit is great in gin spritzers and can even spruce up an otherwise dull vodka. You’ll definitely need lemon juice to balance the cloying effect. 

Melons: The most soothing of fruits, it is the ideal base for a tequila-based margarita especially if done in a frozen (slushy) version. Midori is melon liqueur from Japan and it works superbly even with cold milk!

Peaches: Not the easiest fruit to pair with drinks as it’s more pulp than juice, but it has an uncanny affinity for Bourbon. Else, if all else fails, one can always make Bellini by adding some sparkling wine to peach purée.

And before we part, for the lazy ones who would much prefer to order a ready potion than concoct one, here are some top fruit-based classic drinks.

Screwdriver: OJ and vodka straight from the oil rigs where they were originally stirred with screwdrivers, hence the name.

Blood & Sand: Scotch, Vermouth, cherry liqueur and OJ, all in equal parts, make for a sweet yet likeable spirit-forward sip.

Gin & Juice: If it was good enough for Snoop Dogg to name a song after, we’ll take it. Any gin, any citrus-family fruit juice, mix the two and there you have it. Grapefruit and OJ (what, again!) are most common.

Frozen Melon Margarita: The name is the recipe, pretty much.

Cosmopolitan: Because it’s always the season for Vodka and cranberry, right?

Mojito: Now some may argue that this isn’t a fruit-based drink but that’s only if you take the short cut and use 7UP/Sprite instead of real home-style lemonade.

If all this still doesn’t convince you about the versatility of juices around alcohol, then I’ll see in you in winters with my apple-based recipes. Till then, cheers!