5 Boozy Ideas To Make Indian Summer Drinks A Bit Dirty
Summers in India mean prickly heat, warm wind spells and constant sweating. It also means hankering for cool drinks that would combat the soaring mercury. Nothing makes for a better relief than a refrigerator that overflows with bottles of chilled water to make sherbets and fruity drinks, full of zesty flavours with tons of sugar to quench the uneasiness. And if you are fond of consuming your chilled concoctions with just a bit of dirty twist, there are some delicious recipes that elevate a sherbet or panha into a showstopping cocktail.
Indian drinks are known for their tangy, spicy and generally vibrant flavour profiles. There is immense diversity in these concoctions and every region boasts of its own local fruits and herbs whose juices are harnessed to create refreshing drinks. From the thandai to the mango panha to tender coconut water and kokum sherbet, there are numerous summertime drinks which can be given a ‘spirited’ twist at the cocktail hour.
The refreshing qualities of these drinks coupled with the gentle buzz of premium liquor will have a relaxing finish, perfect for warm summer evenings.
Read on below to know more about a few concoctions which will put a boozy twist on traditional recipes:
Kokum Sherbat And Vodka
Kokum has a rather tart, and almost floral taste. It is a fruit that is plucked, dried and used widely in western India to introduce a bit of acidity into the dish or to make a sherbet out of its syrup because of its cooling properties. Turn this everyday kokum sherbet into a stellar cocktail by adding 30 ml of quality Ketel One Premium Distilled Vodka. Add generous helpings of ice and a tad bit of cumin powder for an elevated zingy finish.
Caribeno Cocktail
This drink might speak of a holiday in the Caribbean, but it can just as easily be reproduced along the Indian coastlines. Tall coconut trees, brimming with fruit abound in India where tender coconut water is as refreshing a drink as it is hydrating and nourishing. Put a twist on tender coconut water by adding a bit of lime, sugar and Captain Morgan rum to craft a thoroughly simple but intelligent cocktail.
Rose Sherbet And Gin
Rose sherbet is a very popular and a rather inviting drink during summertime because the syrup of this fragrant flower has multiple cooling and healing properties which help in beating the sweltering heat. To make a rose sherbet cocktail, put an ethnic twist on a classic gin and tonic and add grenadine syrup and a shot of gin along with tons of ice to the rose concoction.
Tipsy Thandai
Thandai is a cooling drink made from nuts and spices as well as the fragrances of rose petals and kesar, popularly made while marking colourful and vibrant festivities at the start of summer. While thandai is usually laced with bhaang, you can just as easily make a tipsy highball cocktail out of it by adding a bit of Smirnoff Triple Distilled Vodka to the recipe. Garnish the chilled drink with almonds and cardamom for the full thandai finish.
Vodka-Aam Panha
As raw mangoes become available in abundance during summer, so too many households make panha, a sweet and tangy drink infused with jaggery or sugar and loads of kesar. Making panha is a complicated process but the end result is a truly decadent and chilled drink that is a gentle soother during warm climes. Make a glass of panha a tad dirty by adding 30 ml of Ciroc Ultra Premium Vodka and turn it into a sheer cocktail highlight at the next party you host.
