Reminiscing about that perfectly hand-crafted cocktail on a weekend evening is likely giving you grief. Your weekend evening can come alive right in your kitchen, with these cocktails that you can easily make at home, with ingredients right off your kitchen shelf, or your refrigerator. We spoke to industry experts and here is what they suggested stirring up to make the most of your weekends.
Nitin Tewari, Co-Founder, Together at 12th, Le Meridien Hotel, Gurugram says, “I see more and more people are learning the art of mixing drinks at home and turning their dining tables and cabinets into home bars.”
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Ratnagiri Martini
What you need
Vodka 45 ml (you can use gin/tequila as well)
90 ml mango juice or 60 ml mango puree
30 ml water
15 ml lime juice
2-3 basil and mint leaves
8-10 ice cubes
Method
Add all of the ingredients in a jam jar or a shaker and give it a shake. Strain using a tea strainer in a cocktail glass and garnish with fresh mango slices and basil leaves.
Watermelon Basil
What you need
45 ml gin (you can use rum/vodka as well)
6-8 pieces of fresh watermelon
2 basil or mint leaves
10 ml lime juice 10 ml
15 ml sugar syrup (1:1)
8-10 ice cubes
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Method
First muddle the watermelon to take out its juice. Add all the ingredients in a jar or shaker along with ice and shake it. Strain using a tea strainer in a cocktail glass and garnish with a slice of watermelon and basil leaves.
Rohan Matmary, Beverage Manager at Sidecar and Cocktails & Dreams Speakeasy, has been in the field for seven years and shares with us summer special cocktails with ingredients that find space in every Indian household. “Simple, albeit delicious, recipes which one simply can't go wrong about,” he says.
Cucumber & Coriander Gimlet
What you need
60 ml gin
6 leaves of coriander
4 cucumber chunks
25 ml fresh lime juice
20 ml of sugar syrup
Method
First, muddle the cucumber and coriander together. Then add the rest of the ingredients and shake with ice. Fine strain into a stemmed glass (wine/martini/coupe). Garnish with a fresh coriander leaf and a cucumber peel and serve.
Mango & Chilli Margarita Pops (makes 2 popsicles)
What you need
75 ml tequila
1 fresh mango (peeled)
30 ml sugar syrup
40 ml lime juice
Chilli powder to taste
Method
Add all ingredients except the chilli powder into a blender. Run until it becomes smooth and then fine strain. Add this mixture into a popsicle mould or a thin steel container. Insert a popsicle stick or a teaspoon in each mould and freeze (preferably overnight). When ready to serve, just dust any half side of the popsicle with chilli powder.
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Ajay Nayyar, Reserve Brand Ambassador at Diageo shared recipes and a few pro tips for each cocktail.
Ginger and Turmeric Martini
What you need
60 ml Ketel One vodka
A pinch of turmeric powder
2-3 slices of fresh ginger
15 ml honey water
15 ml lime juice
Method
Muddle the ginger slices and mix the vodka, honey and turmeric in a cocktail shaker and add ice cubes and shake. Double strain the mixture and pour fresh in a martini glass. Garnish it with a slice of ginger and serve.
Pro Tip
A rolling pin can be used to muddle the ginger. You can also shake the ingredients in a protein gym shaker available at home and serve it in any glassware.
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Cucumber and Basil Fizz
What you need
60ml Tanqueray gin
3-4 basil leaves
8-10 cucumber chunks
10 ml lime juice
10 ml sugar syrup
Tonic water to top up
Method
Muddle cucumber and basil leaves with a rolling pin. Add all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker along with ice cubes and shake it. Double strain the drink using a tea strainer and pour fresh in a tall glass with ice. Top up the drink with tonic and garnish with cucumbers.
Pro Tip
Mint leaves can be used in case basil leaves are not available. If sugar syrup and tonic water are not available, you can also use Sprite as a top up.
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Gaurav Sareen, manager at India’s leading beverage education and training company, Tulleeho, shares two classic cocktail recipes with simple twists. He says his cocktail, Penicillin “is a cure against diseases.” And Clover Club is a symbol of good fortune and an expression of prosperity and happiness.
Penicillin
What you need
60 ml whisky
20 ml lime juice
20 ml ginger honey syrup (prepare using 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup honey and some ginger)
10 ml chamomile tea
10 ml smokey whisky (Laphroaig or Double Black)
Method
To prepare the honey ginger syrup, add 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup water and ginger root to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, then allow the syrup to cool. Strain and store in the fridge. For the cocktail, pour the blended scotch, lemon juice, honey-ginger syrup and chamomile tea into a shaker. Add ice, shake, and strain into a rocks glass with ice. Float a smoky on top by pouring it gently over the back of a spoon. Garnish with lemon peel.
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Clover Club
What you need
60 ml gin
20 ml lime juice
15 ml Rooh Afza syrup
1 egg white
Method
Combine the gin, lemon juice, Rooh Afza syrup, and egg white in a shaker, cap, and dry shake (without ice) vigorously for 10 to 20 seconds. Open the shaker, fill it with ice, cap, and then shake for another 10 to 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with fresh strawberries.
