Right from Oolong and Darjeeling tea to the adventurous matcha and fruit-infused teas, resto bars are stirring up a storm.
BENGALURU: The morning cup of tea gets the motor running for most Indians every day. Our humble chai is making a leap from the cup to the cocktail glass, as an array of tea-infused cocktails makes a debut at bar menus.
Tea taster Gayathri Harish saw the rising popularity of tea cocktails in Sri Lanka last year. “It’s great to see it happening in India, too. I have been making Jasmine tea and white rum at my house parties for years. It’s a favourite,” she says.
Right from Oolong and Darjeeling tea to the adventurous matcha and fruit-infused teas, resto bars in Bengaluru are stirring up a storm.
At 1Q1 Kitchen & Bar, one of their most popular cocktails is the Chamomile Margarita (tequila infused with chamomile tea and shaken with triple sec). During a trip to Sikkim, bar manager Ravi Kumar saw the locals enjoying their hot tea with dark rum to keep warm. “I brought that idea back to Bengaluru, and it seems to have worked quite well.” While white spirits and tea are gaining ground, whiskys and bourbons are not far behind. Their Saku Bliss (dried hibiscus tea infused with white rum) and the Chinnaman (Chinese Lapsung tea with spiced rum) are also crowd favourites.
The ‘Sulemani Chai’ at Sotally Tober uses black tea with tequila, tea syrup, lime juice and candied ginger to recreate the flavours. “While Long Island Ice Teas remain popular for their potency, there is so much more one can do with tea,” Karthik Shankar, partner at the pub, says.
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Newly opened Punkah House in Indiranagar serves a matcha tea liqueur with pandan-infused gin and an Oolong tea infused vodka drink. At Three Dots and Dash in Indiranagar, a green tea, gin and thyme infused rum cocktail was recently launched. Called ‘After Dinner’, it is listed as a ‘digestive cocktail’.
While white spirits and tea are gaining ground, whiskys and bourbons are not far behind. Arena Artisanal Brewkitchen, Indiranagar, has a tea infused cocktail made with a smoky single malt shaken with rosemary sugar and Assam tea, finished with burnt rosemary.
Razi Khan, director, sales & marketing, Typhoo Tea, credits millennials for this trend. “Out-ofhome consumption of tea is driving this trend and major contribution is from millennials. Tea adds a layer of complexity to a cocktail and its delicate flavours make it versatile,” he says.
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Gin Day: Beat The Summer Heat With These Easy-To-Make, Fun Cocktails
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Gin has made a uber-cool comeback on menus. The drink is suddenly everybody's go-to spirit - which is perfect for the summer as several gin cocktails feature fresh, citrus, floral and even fruity notes.
So this Gin Day, we asked experts across the country to share their secret recipes for the perfect gin cocktail - from naughty with jägermeister to nice with tonic.
Gin has made a uber-cool comeback on menus. The drink is suddenly everybody's go-to spirit - which is perfect for the summer as several gin cocktails feature fresh, citrus, floral and even fruity not..
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Ingredients Beefeater Dry: 50 ml Tonic of preference Wheel of Lemon Wheel of Orange
Method - Pour gin into a glass - Half fill the glass with tonic. Add ice - Put a wheel of lemon and orange in glass - Top up with tonic, and stir
(Courtesy: Beefeater)
IngredientsBeefeater Dry: 50 mlTonic of preferenceWheel of LemonWheel of OrangeMethod- Pour gin into a glass- Half fill the glass with tonic. Add ice- Put a wheel of lemon and orange in glass- Top up..
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Ingredients Gin: 60 ml Orange syrup: 15 ml Mace tarmerice syrup: 15 ml Orange slice: 2 Grapes (chopped): 3 Rosemary: 2 sprigs Berries: 4 Cucumber: 2 slices Smoked with dry rosemary: 1 sprig Tonic water
Method - Shake maze turmeric syrup and gin in shaker with ice - Pour into glass, followed by cucumber, berries, rosemary, chopped grape & orange - Top up with tonic water & smoked with dried rosemary
Ingredients Beefeater Dry: 20 ml Campari: 20 ml Sweet vermouth of preference: 20 ml Ice (cubed/hand-chipped or block) Orange slices: 2 for garnish
Method - Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass and stir together to chill and dilute to release flavors and aromas of the drink - Strain into the glass with a single block of ice - Garnish with orange
(Courtesy: Beefeater)
Glass: Old fashioned/tumbler/rocksIngredientsBeefeater Dry: 20 mlCampari: 20 mlSweet vermouth of preference: 20 mlIce (cubed/hand-chipped or block)Orange slices: 2 for garnishMethod- Pour all ingredi..
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Ingredients Gin: 60 ml Cucumber: 6 slices Green tea syrup: 30 ml Litchi juice: 45 ml Lime juice: 15 ml
Method - Muddle cucumber in shaker - Add gin, green tea syrup, litchi juice and lime juice - Serve in champagne saucer - Garnish with cucumber stick
(Courtesy: Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty)
IngredientsGin: 60 mlCucumber: 6 slicesGreen tea syrup: 30 mlLitchi juice: 45 mlLime juice: 15 mlMethod- Muddle cucumber in shaker- Add gin, green tea syrup, litchi juice and lime juice- Serve in cha..
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Ingredients Gin: 30 ml Jagermeister: 30 ml Peach Schnapp: 15 ml Orange Juice: Top Up Lime Juice: 15 ml
Method - Pour in all the ingredients in a Hurricane glass. No shaking or stirring necessary - Garnish with peach slice
(Courtesy: The LaLiT, New Delhi)
IngredientsGin: 30 mlJagermeister: 30 mlPeach Schnapp: 15 mlOrange Juice: Top UpLime Juice: 15 mlMethod- Pour in all the ingredients in a Hurricane glass. No shaking or stirring necessary- Garnish wi..
