Savoury Cocktails Is A Trend I Simply Cannot Hype Up, Here’s Why!

It’s a curry! It’s a sherbet! It’s…. a savoury cocktail! 

One of the most up and coming trends in contemporary mixology, a savoury cocktail essentially brings together some kind of culinary element like a curry or sauce, or a veggie that is emulsified or blended into a cocktail concoction with the addition of citrus juices and spirits. 

However, I have to admit, after tasting my fair share of bacon-infused bourbon or a fig reduction or even a drink which I remember once contained a hint of gazpacho, I seem to have drawn a curtain on my experiments with these savoury blends. And I am very much here to say, this is one mixology trend I simply cannot abide by!

A Convoluted Mix

As a gastronome, I am inclined towards trying out different culinary recipes around the globe. From sausages and blood pudding to ramen and karage, everything that is filled with flavour would be among my go-to options at a culinary feast. 

And so is the case with mixology too. Different cocktails complete with abundance of fruity, tart and tangy flavours ranging from the classic margarita or a sweet and sour daiquiri to the more modern blends like an espresso martini cocktail, are all among drinks that I would venture to explore while at a bar. Now, even smoked cocktails with the more complex and woody notes are among my most favoured drink preferences for their sheer theatricality.

But, what remains most off putting for me about savoury cocktails is exactly that attribute which makes these drinks stand out. This is the coming together of the kitchen and the bar in a cocktail glass complete with confused spicy, tangy and umami flavours. 

This cocktail preference is different from having a simple aversion to spicy flavours. No, bring me a spiced mango margarita or a jalapeño-infused gin and tonic, and I am quite on board. But savoury cocktails are quite distinctive. They are a convoluted mix, neither completely a curry, nor entirely a juicy blend. It is difficult to determine the exact flavour profile they are attempting to exude. Amidst a hyper-conceptual mixology used to make these blends, what is disappearing is a clean flavour clarity. It seems to be playing second fiddle to complex mixing techniques. 

I see lemongrass being char-grilled to make a burnt cocktail, I see curry being emulsified into about 30 ml vodka or gin and I am left wondering, ‘Was I supposed to be served steamed rice along with this drink?’

I like a good Thai curry and I like it paired with a classic gin and tonic. But what is going on with a cocktail that has been infused with this green curry paste? 

What this complicated albeit certainly well-meaning mixology attempt then becomes is a performance which misses the brief just a little. After all, who can dismiss a gin and tonic cocktail garnished with a rosemary sprig? Or where can one find a better flavour balance than lemon wedges and mint leaves coming together to prepare a peppery and citrus-filled mojito? Aren’t most punch recipes rather incomplete without the addition of savoury spices like bay leaves, cinnamon and nutmeg? And most importantly, isn’t the iconic bloody mary crafted with the addition of spicy tabasco, celery stalks and even pickled veggies?

It is only evident that certain savoury and herbaceous ingredients have always been part of mixology cultures and are used to develop complexity and nuance in a number of cocktail blends. But the addition of roasted eggplants or a tempering of curry leaves as garnish seems excessive, almost as if the drink is trying a tad bit too hard to impress.

I want a good mushroom ravioli served with garlic bread, and I want an excellently crafted citrusy negroni. But this writer would much rather prefer having both of them brought to the table in separate servingware. 

Because sometimes a blend is just that: sweet, citrusy, tart and herby. A good cocktail doesn’t have to be oddly performative or exaggeratedly layered. It just needs to be cleanly flavoured and simply tasteful for it to work.

Also Read: Savoury Summer Cocktails: Pairing Eggs Benedict With Unique Drinks