Growing number of bartenders in the country are infusing spirits with herbs
Spirits being infused with herbs is in and how. I had sampled some innovative whisky infusions at The Deltin Daman where they had used chocolate, cinnamon, orange zest and many more unusual ingredients. They infused the whisky with myriad ingredients for several days. And the results were wow!
And just as I was raving about those infusions, Mamagoto, Mumbai surprised me, where some gin, vodka and tequila are being infused naturally. I am all for these innovations.
The vanilla pod-infused vodka that I sampled, was a treat. With passion fruit extract, lime, sugar and white chocolate, it was nothing short of a delectable dessert. I simply loved it.
I have known elderflower to be used in several ways, but this martini made with thyme infused gin, shaken with lime, was a smooth operator. Even the kaffir lime infused tequila sounded wow, but I have saved that for another day.
Rahul Khanna, director, Azure Hospitality Pvt. Ltd, one of the promoters of Mamagoto told me, “Our philosophy is to ‘play with food’, experiment and reinvent ourselves. The resultant cocktails are crisper, finer and rid of all factory made syrups and other artificial flavours. Nothing too sweet or too sour, all balanced for the discerning palate.”
It sure was a week of innovative cocktails, as one was then treated to some exotic stuff by Meagan Sacher, global brand ambassador, Stolichnaya. I loved the Cucumber Apple Cobbler she created. With Stoli premium, apple cucumber puree, lime juice and muddled with ginger, it was refreshing and tangy. Her Masala Chai Martini was a great hit as Mumbaikars love anything with their chai. And she served it in a tea cup. That was the ultimate experience. She bowled over everyone with her creation. I never realised that one can do so much with vodka. All you need is, an adventurous spirit (no pun intended!) and an ability to play with ingredients.
Mini is a food writer
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