Drink it, the way you like it!

If you’re one of the ‘chaivinists’ (as the millenials like to call the ones addicted to tea), then why keep your favourite chai away from your spirits, especially when you’re welcoming another year, which all looks full of more tea? Taking this idea ahead, Vasco’s in the city is allowing you to make your own drink, with interesting spice additions — keep it as close to Madras’ flavours as you like!

“The idea is to bring in some of the oldest cocktail recipes, some of our very favourite drinks like chai and make interesting cocktails out of them. Some of the drinks one can make themselves include masala rum chai, hot rum toddy with an Indian twist, nutmeg and dry ginger Alexander, Bellini popsicles and more,” says Devendra Kushwaha, the food and beverage manager at Hilton.

So, go bold with spices that these drinks try to bring out alive — from cardamom, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, dry ginger and even more desi with red chillies. If your New Year resolutions include breaking the rules, here’s somewhere you can start off. “The idea is to ditch the classics that we often stick to, and experiment waith flavours,” Devendra adds.

Vasco’s high tea

Ingredients:

• Whisky — 60 ml
• Cloves — 10
• Star anise — 2
• Nutmeg — 4
• Cinnamon — 2 sticks
• Honey— 20 ml
• Black Assam tea— 120 ml

Method:

• Put honey in a pan and simmer with the spices. Allow the honey to absorb the flavours, while adding whisky to it.
• Take hot cups of black tea separately, add flamed whisky to it and enjoy!

Masala rum tea

Ingredients:

• Milk — 150 ml
• Dark rum— 60 ml
• Cardamom — 6
• Cloves — 10
• Ginger— 1 chunk
• Sugar— 2 tsp
• Assam tea— 2 tsp

Method:

• Add water in the pan with all the spices pounded and boil on the stove. Add tea and boil for two minutes.
• Add milk and sugar and simmer.
• Add rum in a small pan and boil, once it reaches boiling temperature add the strained tea and serve.