Have your drink and eat it too

A truly marvellous cocktail impresses with its presentation, and pops your senses as you discover an unpredictable flavour. Flip through the bar menu in your pub and you will see innovative cocktails like cotton candy cocktails, chai-drinks and even cocktail popsicles, asking for your attention. Mixologists are working closely with chefs and reinventing cocktails for their guests. So, garnishes like citrus peels, olives and cherries are being replaced with ingredients like bacon, kale and popcorn!  

While gourmet ingredients have been a big part of a culinary journey, it was time to see what it can do to the drinking experience too. Two of the most popular methods of creating such elixirs are through infusions and decoctions. These methods also boost the nutritional value of the drink. Even as infusions extract the nutrient-dense dried herb, decoctions capture the therapeutic properties of the plant. Which is why, savoury cocktails encompass a plethora of ingredients from herbs and spices to peppers. It helps that these flavours go well with dark whiskeys, vodka and even gin.

Classics never run out of fashion, but guests are increasingly looking for novel experiences. While the concept has already picked up in London, parts of Europe and New York a few years ago, India is witnessing this trend only very recently.

I would say that whiskey and vodka come across as two of the most versatile spirits one can further experiment with. Add ingredients like bell peppers, jalapenos and elderflower  to create your take on the classic cocktail.

My personal favourite drink is the roasted peach bourbon, which basically encapsulates the flavours of the slow roasted peach slices, thyme, honey, simple syrup, ginger ale and bourbon. Easy to make, this savoury drink can be replicated at home.

All you have to do is stock yourself with the right ammunitions such as skewered pineapple and orange slices, lime wedges and blackberries. I have a personal favourite: Add 15 ml of elderflower-flavoured liqueur, 45 ml tequila, 30 ml pineapple juice, 10 ml simple syrup, 30ml of splash orange juice and 120 ml red wine. Stir all and top it with red wine for a simply divine experience.

The idea is to use fresh-grown produce — think fresh flowers and herbs instead of dried herbs of cocktails. Ask any bartender and he will tell you that when it comes to a good cocktail, nothing works better than fresh ingredients.