From Gondhoraj To Tamarind, India’s Hyperlocal Flavours Are Now In Your Cocktail Glass

Amidst a rapidly proliferating terroir-aware, ingredient-forward cocktail culture, Indian bartenders are eager to experiment with hyperlocal ingredients for creating craft cocktails with a regional nuance. This is more than just lending a desi twist to already existing recipes. Indian mixologists are taking these infusions a step further to conceptualise blends around seasonal, local ingredients which are commonly found in Indian culinary and mixology spaces.

With this, there is a steady rise in the use of citrusy elements like gondhoraj limes, amla or Indian gooseberries in cocktail-making along with souring agents like kokum and other fruity ingredients like mango powder, preserves like nannari and even fresh, tropical mixers like coconut water. These ingredients are used to prepare cocktails which showcase the regional nuance from whence they originate and encapsulate a local story through their flavourful character. Keeping to the classic citrus, spirit and sweetener formula, Indian mixologists are coming up with interesting ways to incorporate these ingredients into cocktail craft. 

The Citrusy Gondhoraj

Known also as the ‘king of lemons,’ this Bengal lime carries potent citrusy, tart, sour flavours. It can be used to add that tangy element into numerous cocktails while also lending them a bright, aromatic and almost floral quality. Gondhoraj is being incorporated into a number of tropical blends such as coolers and spritzers prepared with the addition of 30 ml Ketel One Premium Distilled Vodka or any other premium vodka of choice. It is also infused in a number of savoury-forward cocktails made using 30 ml Tanqueray No. 10 Gin or any other premium gin of choice, to lend its tart and tangy effect to these flavourful blends.

Mango Powder Or Amchur

Just black salt or kala namak is used for rimming glasses or as a drizzle on top of finished drinks, so too, amchur powder or raw mango powder can be stirred into syrups, dusted on finished cocktails and infused in base spirits to add its tang and zing into numerous cocktails. Amchur powder carries a bright, zesty and sour quality which instantly lends a vibrant personality to numerous blends. Amchur, nannari or even the brine from pickled mangoes are all among the hyperlocal ingredients becoming popular for bringing their regional flair into carefully curated tequila or vodka-based fizzy drinks and spritzers.

Also Read: Six Tamarind Cocktails To Amp Your Cocktail Making This Spring

Tangy Tamarind

As a souring agent, tamarind hardly needs an introduction. It is used widely in Indian culinary spaces to add its acidic touch into numerous curries and vegetables. Tamarind chutney is also one of the most essential ingredients in making chaat, a very popular streetside snack. Now, mixologists are recognising the potential of tamarind as a tangy, sour, sweet element which adds a touch of earthy nuance into a number of different mixes. This ingredient works exceedingly well in sour cocktails made using 30 ml Johnnie Walker Black Label or any other premium whisky of choice.

Tender Coconut Water

Another local ingredient found across the expanse of the vast Indian coastline is tender coconut water. Bartenders are widely incorporating the creamy, nutty and slightly luxe qualities of this fresh and cool coconut water in cocktail craft, to curate drinks with a tropical flair. Sometimes, toddy or fermented sap or even arrack is incorporated into sour cocktails as a nod to the fermentation cultures which are trending across bartending spaces. Tender coconut water is an excellent addition to white rum or smoked rum-based cocktails as it blends well with their caramelised, earthy nuance.

The Purple Kokum

At a time when purple cocktails are making waves across Indian bars, kokum is coming to the forefront as an ingredient which not only adds sour and tangy flavour depth to drinks but also infuses a rich, violet hue into them. Hailing from the Konkan coasts and complete with a tropical touch, kokum is an excellent addition to fizzy cocktails made using 30 ml Don Julio Blanco Tequila or any other premium tequila of choice. The slightly smoky, sweet flavours of kokum and its striking colour makes this ingredient pop across Indian bars as it is incorporated in shrubs, bitters or in spritzers.