Local ingredients and brands scaling heights
Ambrosia|September 2020
Here, we take a look at the ideas, drinks, and spirits currently dominating the boozehound conversation, from the nation’s best barkeeps and the trends pervading the present cocktail world says Lopamudra Ganguly
Lopamudra Ganguly
Local ingredients and brands scaling heights

Everyone has their own pick of their favourite poison. Right from whiskey to vodka to beer, there are a plethora of brands to choose from.

Similarly Indian ingredients and products in drinks are also the new thing for Indian bar industry. Bartenders and bars have been using Indian ingredients for long, but what has changed in recent past is the approach of using the same. If we look back a little in cocktails menu from past we will see drinks like Paan martini, Imli Caipiroska, Kala Namak (rock salt) margarita/ mojito etc. If you see all these drinks had an Indian ingredient, but a very local and dominating one. When you tasted these drinks they had a strong Indian flavour for which audience was always limited, not everyone loves drinking Black salt Mojito.

Says Nitin Tiwari, earlier Brand Ambassador for Bacardi, “In recent time bartenders have realised that in a cocktails it's not about how dominating the flavour is, but its about how balanced the cocktail and flavours are. Guests who come to these bars are well travelled and know what they want to drink and how all different spirits taste. So a Paan Martini in current times is not made with complete Paan but just betel leaf and some rose water to get same flavour but a well balanced one. To give Mojito an Indian twist some bartenders have just replaced mint with basil (Tulsi) the drink still has the refreshing character but with an Indian Touch.

This story is from the September 2020 edition of Ambrosia.

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This story is from the September 2020 edition of Ambrosia.

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