MITHAI MEETS MIXOLOGY: THE RISE OF DESSERT COCKTAILS

Move over champagne, India's new celebration drink is inspired by kaju katli, gulab jamun and even Goa's pasteis de nata

- Navya Sharma

Saffron and Rose Gin

The clinking of glasses is a familiar sound of celebration. But if you listen closely this season, what's inside those glasses is changing. With wedding soirées and festive gatherings in full swing, the classic champagne or gin and tonic is being replaced by something far more nostalgic, drinks that taste like dessert.

THE ART OF LIQUID NOSTALGIA

So, how does a dense, nutty kaju katli or syrup-soaked gulab jamun translate into a crystal coupe? “The secret lies in deconstructing the mithai, its ingredients, texture and the emotion it evokes and rebuilding it as a liquid experience,” says Chinmay Pednekar, mixologist at Mezzo Mezzo, JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu. His kaju katli cocktail uses cashew-infused vodka as a base, layered with almond syrup and white chocolate liqueur for richness and finished with cardamom bitters for that unmistakable festive warmth, “only in a glass instead of a box”.