In the world of F&B, I have always lived by one of the first lessons that I received as a bright-eyed student of Hospitality many decades ago – we always eat with all our senses and before our mouths, we eat with our eyes and nose first.
Think about it, from the time a dish or drink is placed in front of you, much before you actually dig in or take your first sip, you get to visually evaluate the product. Many times, seeing someone else devour something makes you crave it even more. Next comes the nose, or, as can be the case with baked goods or other aromatic comestibles (think tandoori tikkas for one), the wafting aromas from a kitchen can supersede even the visuals in enticing us to order a portion ourselves. In both cases, the ‘savouring’ begins long before the actual eating does.
Which is why it has always been important to me to present things well; every gastronomic indulgence should be considered an artistic oeuvre, something with a lot of build-up and excitement, a lead up to heightened expectations, so much so that the hype, although not the core, is still an intrinsically vital part of the enjoyment of that experience.
And of course, as one matures, our sensibilities as to what we find visually (and even organoleptically) enticing changes. As a college student (of legal drinking age I hasten to add) I was very happy seeing the electric blue colour of Curaçao in my drink. Today, more mature and much more sober yet more astute in my tactile preferences, I dry retch at the very idea of anything so artificially and unnaturally coloured.
In this, I am not the only one. The whole notion of transparent cocktails became quite trendy a few years back and I am not just talking martinis; no sir, think of a water-clear Bloody Mary! The trend is still hot in India and it came after an era of dark and brooding spirit-forward cocktails which had dominated the scene for some time. Today, with Scandinavian minimalism on its way out – and Holi almost around the corner – maybe there is a case to be made for brightly coloured drinks. Here are my top pics for drinks that I wouldn’t entirely mind indulging in to celebrate life in technicolour.
Clover Club
Clover Club: Pink is always a fab colour to get behind and this classic mix of gin and raspberries with lemon juice and egg whites makes for a light and lovely daytime drink.
Bellini
Bellini: No conversation on day-time drinks will ever be complete (or even considered begun) without a mention of bellinis. The beauty of this mix lies in its bourgeois simplicity – Venetian white peaches and Italian Prosecco with a hint of raspberries. You can mix this lovely sunset-pink hued fizzy drink at home or else buy the Canella version and pour it straight into a glass.
Campari
Campari: From pinks onto something more committed on the colour spectrum and nothing gets redder than the crimson shades of Campari. A great way to kill an afternoon is to knock this back with soda or, for those who like it sweeter, with an added splash of orange juice. It stays red and gentle, memorable but not overwhelming, and all that before the sun is even halfway across the sky. Some may choose to swap with Aperol which is a few shades less ‘bloody’ but equally as deadly.
Midori
Midori: Green is not a colour we see very often in drinks and that is mainly because the only other popular green drink is absinthe and most people don’t like to invoke that fairy too often. Midori is a Japanese melon-flavoured liquor and one of the best ways I have enjoyed it is, believe it not, with milk! Equal parts in a glass makes for a drink that has a nice hue of ‘organic’ green, one that could pass off as a healthy breakfast smoothie thereby allowing you to use the word ‘kale’ in a conversation without any fear of being called out for brekkie binging.
The one thing we have missed so far is an Indian touch to the drinks. Nothing like saffron to show you are posh, pampered and poised for a gastronomic takeover no matter the party set. Add it to any drink and watch the colours come to life. My go to are spirit and tonic mixes (gin, vodka, or for the people with taste buds, tequila). Just a few sprigs should do the trick, infusing the drink with colour and aroma. In case you really want to knock it out of the park, garnish the outside of the glass with a sheet of thin, edible gold foil (aka varq) and now you are truly holding a chalice fit for a king.
You’re welcome.
