It was World Cocktail Day last Friday and I was clearly not in the mood to sip just any cocktail; the day called for a celebration. I was at a luxury suburban hotel in Mumbai where I decided to sample the Rosevelt and I was only too glad I did. Fresh ingredients, local flavours and craftsmanship — the cocktail combined all these elements. It was an intriguing blend of Bombay Sapphire gin, aloe vera, rose water, litchi juice, egg white and limejuice. The fresh ingredients made it an absolute treat. The smooth mix of the tart aloe vera, which was balanced by the sweetness of rose water and muddled fresh litchi, offered a unique flavour. The addition of egg white, which actually took me by surprise, gave it the requisite velvety finish. This was a fine example of a handcrafted cocktail.
The world over these cocktails are making a comeback and that’s great news for tipplers. Hand crafted cocktails involve the use of fresh ingredients, homemade mixes and premium liquors, as well as proper ice. Yes, the workload of the bartender increases while creating these blends, but the end result is fresh and flavourful— making it a drink to remember. The bartender creates every element from scratch. This is very different from the clinical approach of molecular mixology, and that’s what sets it apart. The Bellini Thyme, Whiskey Punch and Pomegranate Green Tea are some other blends that are a must-try. It’s all about the mastery. The way remarkably different ingredients play off each other, and blend harmoniously adds to the wow factor of handcrafted cocktails.
Fresh seasonal ingredients are key to these blends. Mixologists play around with what is available that season and adeptly weave it into the drink, instead of relying on the cloyingly sweet, readymade ones. They create bases out of homemade syrups and infuse them with spirits.
Bar-tops are increasingly getting fuller with bowls of fresh fruits and herbs, as a lot of bartenders prefer using seasonal fruits, tea, honey in hand crafted cocktails.I recollect having had a hand crafted cocktail in London, many years ago, long before this brouhaha began. Cinnamon and apple infused bourbon, fresh sweet and sour mix, and a red apple. The flavours were so distinct and fresh. A bartender once told me that at the heart of a hand crafted cocktail is the fact that he must respect the ingredients. Then comes his craft. Passion and commitment of course are vital too. A tough call, but many are willingly joining the bandwagon. Mini is a food writer
