India can never deny its love for rum. From Old Monk to Bacardi Black, parties are sure to have a couple of bottles of everyone’s favourite drink. And not just at parties, this veteran spirit has taken on the role of an inspiration, friend, sympathetic shoulder and more for so many of us. On these rainy evenings especially, rum cocktails can soothe the soul. But now many bars and restaurants are experimenting with sipping on something more than the usual rum and coke and playing with warming ingredients along with rare combinations.
Rum is being mixed with a lot of rare and interesting ingredients now. Who knew it would be possible to make use of ingredients like green tea, which has an anti-obesity effect and assist in reducing body weight and fat? Honey, which helps in hydration of skin especially after the hot Indian summer, can be paired with fresh thyme in the cocktail, which is also naturally smoked.
With the temperatures dropping after the sizzling summer heat, cocktail-lovers can definitely indulge themselves this season with some healthy concoctions too. Use kale juice by simply mixing the leaves with still water and straining them. This cocktail has numerous health benefits as kale acts as a super food and is one of the best sources of amino acids that one can experiment with.
During this season, one can enjoy cocktails with ingredients like tea bitters, superfoods, and warm and smoky ingredients. Use of easily available ingredients is also important for patrons to know what they are sipping on.
The popular alcoholic liqueur, Campari, has a sweet cousin called Aperol, which is a liquor that one must experiment during this weather especially paired and served with gin. It’s best served with a frozen globe of ice. One can enjoy the warm feeling the gin and Aperol-infused cocktail washes down your throat when the weather is wet and cold. Legend has it that Pope Benedict XV even called this drink, “The best goddamn drink in the world.”
With the weather being wet and temperamental, bartenders and mixologists are also ensuring that the cocktails they concoct this season have an uplifting effect not just on your mood, but on your ability to fend off colds and sore throats too.
Sean is the F&B Manager at Woodside Inn, Colaba
