As the cold winter nights are upon us this Christmas season, you may be looking to refresh your cocktail-making repertoire or looking for new ways to add twists to much-loved festive favourites. Allow us to hand over to our Cocktail Guru Soral Chavda, who has put together a little guide on winter flavour pairings featuring some of our Indian-made drinks.
Starting off with Hapusa Gin - the perfect sipping gin. Even if you’re not a massive gin drinker, I can guarantee you’ll like this one! Distilled in the Himalayas and infused with local spices such as turmeric, ginger, cardamom with hints of fruity mango, it pairs well with traditional festive food such as smoked salmon blinis but also pairs brilliantly with spicy food and curries. Perfect for when you’re sitting in front of the fireplace for a cosy night in, or having a couple of friends over for drinks. This gin can be served chilled, on the rocks with a slice of orange, or can be topped up with an orange tonic water and a burnt cinnamon stick to dial up the festive vibes. Try adding in a teaspoon of cranberry sauce (there’s always a jar lurking in the depths of the fridge at this time of year) to give the G&T a little extra festive flavour!
Delicate flavours such as those of white fish and seafood marry well with the Maka Zai White Rum with its bright, sweet and spicy flavour notes. A great rum to enhance these delicate flavours, try pairing it with a prawn cocktail starter, use in curing liquor for a Christmas ceviche or muddle with ginger and mint for a festive twist on a classic mojito.
If you’re looking for some alcohol free tipples, look no further! The Borécha Masala Cola is the perfect pairing to a classic Christmas dinner, with all the flavour of a classic cola plus hints of black pepper, cumin and cardamom to refresh the palette and bring those roast dinners alive.
Why not try using it as poaching liquor for a slow cooked spiced Gammon, pork or beef joint, perfect to add that ‘something special’ to your festive dinner by adding multi-layered spicing for added depth of flavour. You can even mix it up with some tequila, triple sec, Amrut Nilgiris Gin, Smoke Lab Vodka and Maka Zai white rum for a twist on the classic Long Island Iced Tea (but beware, this cocktail is not for the faint-hearted!).
Cola doesn’t tickle your fancy? The non-alcoholic Tiki-T Apple Cinnabomb is a crowd please, a perfect pairing for those Boxing Day leftovers complimenting Turkey and cranberry sauce. Winter nights by the fireplace with a homemade apple pie and a glass of Apple Cinnabomb – what could be better?
Finally, round off the evening with the amazing Smoke Lab Saffron Vodka. Kashmiri Saffron and spices give sweet, citrusy aromas making it the perfect sipping vodka to pair with desserts. Marry with flavours such as dark chocolate, pistachio, cardamom – it tastes amazing with kulfi too. My personal favourite is to pair it with a pistachio, orange & cardamom brioche bread and butter pudding. After all, Christmas is the time to indulge, isn't it?
If you're still in need for inspiration for this festive season, take a look at our recommendations of Indian wines to pair with your Christmas meal and our whisky gift guide.
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