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News18
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Cocktails That Taste Like Stories: Spiced, Stirred, And Infused With Culture
Last Updated: These curated cocktail recipes are more than just sips. They are a mood, a moment, and a statement crafted to match the energy you are chanelling this season. Not all cocktails are created equal, and these aren't your run-of-the-mill bar orders. Whether you're craving something smoky and spiced or crisp and citrusy, this curated lineup delivers more than just flavour. Each cocktail is a mood, a moment, a statement, crafted to match the energy you're channelling. 1. DEWAR'S Espresso Martini This isn't your everyday espresso martini. Crafted by Myles Carroll, DEWAR'S Brand Ambassador, it's a dessert and a conversation starter all in one. Ingredients: 45 ml DEWAR'S 12-Year-Old Whisky 30 ml fresh espresso (chilled) or cold brew 25 ml masala syrup Method: Shake hard with ice and strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass. Garnish with coffee beans or a piece of dark chocolate. Expert Tip: For the masala syrup, crush 30 black peppercorns, 1 knob of ginger, 1 cinnamon stick, 10 elaichi, and 10 cloves. Add 500ml boiling water, steep for 1 hour. Strain and mix with 200g sugar and ½ tsp salt. Refrigerate. Crafted by Bacardi India, this citrusy, honeyed Scotch cocktail is light yet flavourful, making it ideal for summer afternoons or laid-back gatherings. Method: Fill a highball glass with ice. Add whisky, lemon juice, honey syrup, and bitters. Serve in a highball glass. Top with soda water and stir gently. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a sprig of mint. 3. The Weller Paper Plane This cocktail is balanced, bold, and effortlessly confident. Ingredients: Method: Shake all ingredients with ice until well-chilled. Strain into a coupe glass. 4. The Patrón Margarita Classic, edgy, and refreshingly real, this drink is SPF, respect, and peace in a glass. Ingredients: Method: Shake all ingredients with ice. Pour into an old-fashioned glass rimmed with salt. Garnish with a lime wedge. 5. Golden Elixir This refined yet grounded cocktail blends tradition with modern flair. Ingredients: Method: Shake Scotch, honey, lemon juice, and bitters with ice. Strain into a black salt–rimmed wine glass. Top with soda. Serve in a wine glass and garnish with an edible flower or lemon twist. view comments Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: July 28, 2025, 18:24 IST News lifestyle » food Cocktails That Taste Like Stories: Spiced, Stirred, And Infused With Culture Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
07-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
11 new spirits for the monsoon: Best tequilas, whiskeys and gins
The rains have arrived early this year — and with them, a sharp new crop of spirits. A legendary Nepali rum has entered the Indian market, there's a pink vodka that leans into fruit and florals, and homegrown distillers continue to push boundaries with aged malts and layered gins. From limited-edition whiskies to additive-free tequilas, here are some recent launches that have caught our attention. Earlier this year, in an interview with this newspaper, Bacardi India MD Vinay Golikeri noted strong traction in the super-premium tequila segment. The Patron El Cielo — Bacardi owns Patron — sold out almost instantly, he said. A similar reception is likely for El Alto, which is set to launch later this week. Endorsed by Punjabi music star Karan Aujla, the luxury tequila is a blend of Extra Anejo, Anejo, and Reposado tequilas. El Alto, which will be priced at ₹29,500 in Mumbai, is made from 100% Blue Weber agave sourced from the Jalisco highlands and aged in a mix of American and French oak barrels. The result is a smooth, layered spirit with notes of cooked agave, vanilla, caramel, and ripe fruit — aimed squarely at the sipping tequila segment. The tequila wave is not just about global giants. It is also drawing in Indian entrepreneurs such as Delhi-based Shivankar Bahl. The hospitality entrepreneur recently launched Las Maracas, a premium tequila, in Delhi with plans to expand to Mumbai, Goa, and Haryana. Produced in Jalisco, Mexico, in small batches without additives, Las Maracas is made from 100% Blue Weber agave and pure spring water. The range includes Blanco ( ₹5,300), Reposado ( ₹6,400), aged for four months in oak barrels, and Anejo ( ₹9,500), matured for 18 months to develop notes of vanilla and oak. Revelry Distillery is a new craft-focused operation in Goa founded by beverage industry professional Vaniitha Jaiin. Its debut release, Vanaha Gin, is positioned as India's first gin to follow a five-step production process, combining copper pot distillation, vapour infusion, steeping, vacuum distillation, and post-distillation maceration. This layered approach, according to the company, allows the distillers to extract nuanced flavours from each of the 24 botanicals used, which include Deodar wood, patchouli, Assam lemon, wild berries, and cacao nibs. Vanaha is described as 'a complex gin with bright citrus top notes, warm spice mid-palate, and a slightly earthy, dry finish.' The gin is currently priced at ₹2,400 in Goa. Amara, a pink vodka from Goa-based Spaceman Spirits Lab, also follows a five-step production method that includes a ruby filtration process. The vodka is made from Bangalore blue grapes and rice from the Deccan Plateau, and includes natural flavours such as strawberries, citrus, rose petals, and cherry blossom. The premium vodka is currently distributed across India by Tilaknagar Industries, which owns a stake in Spaceman Spirits Lab, reflecting a broader trend of larger alcobev companies investing in craft startups to diversify their portfolios and appeal to younger, premium-seeking consumers. The vodka, priced between ₹2,500 and ₹4,500, is available at select premium retail stores, high-end bars, and luxury hotels across Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. Piccadilly Distilleries has just released a limited edition 11-year-old single malt under its Indri label, matured in ex-Bordeaux red wine casks. Only 1,100 bottles are available globally. The whisky is bottled at 50% ABV for India and 58.5% ABV for international markets. It is described as a robust single malt with dark fruit aromas and a palate of spices, vanilla, and oak-derived sweetness. The GlenJourneys Pioneer edition, launched by actor Ajay Devgn and spirits entrepreneur Moksh Sani, is another whisky worth keeping an eye out for if you are travelling. Limited to just 600 bottles, the 21-year-old whisky is aged in American oak casks and bottled at 48% ABV. The whisky is available through select international travel retain outlets. In August, the brand also plans to introduce a Cask Series, featuring non-age-statement expressions matured in rum, bourbon, and sherry casks, priced between ₹7,500 and ₹9,000. Paul John Whisky has added two new expressions to its Select Cask range: the Port and the Madeira. Both are unpeated single malts, matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished in fortified wine casks sourced from Portugal. Each is bottled at 48% ABV. The use of fortified wine casks adds layered sweetness and complexity, and one can expect a burst of luscious flavours and aromas. These expressions are currently available in Goa ( ₹8000), Karnataka ( ₹7,700), and Maharashtra ( ₹18,000). With sales of 1 million cases for two consecutive years (2022–23 and 2023–24), Radico Khaitan's Morpheus Brandy is a bonafide best-seller. Building on this success, the company recently launched the Morpheus Super Premium Whisky, blending imported Scotch malts with Indian grain spirits, matured in bourbon barrels, and bottled at 42.8% ABV. Priced between ₹1,200 and ₹1,500, this marks Radico's entry into the premium whisky segment. If you've been to Nepal, chances are you've had some Khukri Rum. Launched in 1959 in Kathmandu by three Parsi businessmen, Khukri, named after the traditional curved dagger of the Gurkhas, is the country's most famous rum. About a month ago, Kathmandu-based MCKT Beverages introduced India to the rum, which is aged in Shorea robusta (sal wood) casks, an uncommon practice in rum production. The rum is available in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Goa in three expressions: XXX, Spiced, and White. The Khukri Coronation, which comes in the iconic dagger-shaped bottle, is also being readied for launch. The XXX Rum is priced at ₹1,765, while the Spiced and White variants retail for ₹1,975 (Maharashtra). A Danish non-alcoholic beverage made with a blend of up to 13 organic teas, Copenhagen Sparkling Tea is now available in India through Bebida Hospitality. The drink occupies a growing niche between wine and tea, and is positioned as a complex, celebratory option for those avoiding alcohol. Three blends have been introduced in India: Lyserod, a rosé-style with hibiscus and red berries; Lysegron, with citrus and green tea notes; and Bla, which features jasmine, chamomile, and Darjeeling First Flush. The launch comes at a time when interest in low- and no-alcohol beverages is rising, particularly among younger urban consumers exploring 'sober curious' lifestyles. Priced at ₹3,500, the sparkling teas are being stocked at luxury hotels and are also available for direct purchase online.
