Raise a toast to the festive season

Diwali celebrations begin much before the actual day — and continue on for well over a week. This is a whole week dedicated to fun, food and merriment with family and friends. Of course, card parties have already started in full swing. I organised one at home for my loved ones — but the food wasn’t the focus, the drinks were!

I had to ensure that the drinks I served had a festive, desi touch and Colette Pereira, the mixologist at Romano’s, JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, gave me some invaluable tips when I met her a few weeks ago and sought her help. Since I was keen on doing something with vodka, she recommended a Passionfruit and Basil Martini. According to her, vodka works best with this Martini because it brings out the flavours added to it. The passion fruit contributes to the warm colours of orange which resonate well with the vibrancy of Diwali. I added star anise as a part of the garnish, to signify the fireworks and star on Diwali. Needless to say, my guests loved it!

A Basil and Cucumber Martini that I mixed worked well too. Light and refreshing, this was perfect for the heavy snacks and sweets one indulges in when playing a game of cards.

Vodkas’ supreme mixability is what makes it the first choice for many a fun cocktail. It can be infused with Indian spices as well. I steeped the vodka with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, pepper and star anise, set it aside for a few days and then used this vodka to perk up some of the cocktails I was serving.

On a desi spree, I decided to experiment with curry leaves. These lent a pungent aroma to the vodka. I muddled them in the vodka, and used them as a garnish too. Sometimes, it pays to be experimental!

Vodka elderflower liqueur with fresh citrus juices and topped with some bubbly, was also a popular choice that evening. A vodka teamed with apple juice and coconut water was also relished by many.

With oodles of sweets going around, something to cut the sweetness always works. I rummaged in my kitchen and thought of tamarind paste. Yes, the sourness and tanginess it imparted to the margarita I offered was a great hit. Orange juice, lime juice, tequila, triple sec and tamarind paste — voila! An unusual cocktail is ready.

Marigold is a flower used abundantly during Diwali. Collette suggested I play around with it. Marigold-infused gin with red apple juice, dash of passion fruit and maple was her recommendation. “I recommend using gin because the marigold can balance it out further. If vodka was used, it would be just a single flavour, but by adding marigold to gin, not only do you just bring out the colour, but it balances out the rest of the botanicals,” she explained.

I can never resist using a Prosecco. A cocktail using this turned out to be quite alluring. One heaped teaspoon of lemon sorbet was what I poured into the bottom of a tall flute and then a dash of lime cordial over it. This I topped with chilled Prosecco. Stirring it quickly but gently, I used a slim quarter of a lemon slice as garnish. Tangy, crisp and a great thirst quencher, this one is.

One must ensure Diwali party cocktails are attractively served in the right glasses, with colourful garnishes and in traditional ways. This makes the drinks look so much more festive. So are you ready to raise a toast to the festive season

Mini is a food writer