A drink for your literary favourites

There are but a few things that can be considered as ‘classics’ in the true sense in today’s day and age. Cocktails, movies and books, however, definitely fall into that category. But how would it be if you could take the art of mixology and add elements of movies and books to it? Think: a signature cocktail that your favourite character could sip on, while embarking on adventures that define their on-screen lives.

While creating the menu for London Taxi, our research and experimentation took a few months. And one idea in our head was to do something around Sherlock Holmes, said to be the most portrayed movie character ever. So, we set out to find ingredients inspired by his story.

Both in the books and on screen, Sherlock is shown to be fond of his tea, and so we infused vodka with Earl Grey tea. He’s also found with a glass of wine, and we made a beetroot and wine reduction, making it look a little like blood for all the murder mysteries he’s solved. Add to it a hint of rose for his unrequited hostility towards women, and a little fresh sweet lime to balance it all. The very English gherkin pickles are added to it. We serve it with Sherlock’s iconic magnifying glass.

Similarly, when it comes to the likes of Harry Potter, one needs to examine the character they are. Since Harry is a child in most books, ingredients like milk, ice cream, chocolate or candy can be present with a magical touch — some glitter, smoke or a colour-changing effect (that can be achieved with red cabbage) or a tiny broom made from a stirrer or skewer.

A more complex character like Mr Darcy of Pride and Prejudice could have a drink with a base of wine or gin. Since he’s a hark back to the Victorian era too, tea is a must. Serve on a lace coaster.

The idea behind designing a signature drink is to also find one’s preference in food, drinks and flavours. Then go about finding a right balance with flavours that will work well together. Don’t forget the presentation too!

In the process, you may find two flavours you choose don’t go together too well. But add to it a third and a fourth complementing ingredient to strike a balance. Based on the era the character comes from, zeroing down on ingredients makes it easy.

Don’t forget the importance of colours. An angry character like The Hulk could have a green coloured drink with kiwi, kale or cucumber for the effect. Batman’s Joker could have a cocktail resembling blood, or white with a bloody rim.

Anger or jealousy in a character could be accompanied with something spicy; something sweet for a child protagonist or the good guy of the movie could have floral elements. A sour touch for a funny character — the possibilities of experimentations are endless. So pick that book up!

Ami is a celebrity mixologist for London Taxi