Look beyond just popping open a bottle of bubbly, or wrestling with a wine cork this year. As more people plan to celebrate an intimate Valentine’s day at home, skipping the chaos of crowded restaurants and bars, cocktails are an easy way to make a dinner at home memorable. We speak to experts across the country to source six recipes that are simple, but elegant, and designed to impress.
All recipes serve one.
Before you go on to add ice into your shakers, here are few tips from Vikas Kumar, Bar Manager, PCO Delhi.
- When it comes to mixing drinks at home, first ensure you have all the tools of the trade such as a shaker, jigger, bar spoon, fine strainer, etc.
- Ice is a key ingredient. Ensure you have good quality, clear ice for the drink. For shaking, you should have solid ice cubes.
- It’s also important to have good quality fresh and seasonal fruits and herbs. Make sure you create your own syrups at home or choose ones that are less synthetic. You can also make use of ingredients like honey, jaggery, maple, etc.
- Always refrigerate your vermouth, Campari, and Aperol as these are low-ABV (alcohol by volume) and tend to ferment once opened. It’s also important to refrigerate sugar-based liqueurs like Baileys, Kahlua, etc.
PCO or Pass Code Only is India’s first speakeasy-style bar with classic pre-prohibition and prohibition cocktails “Since we opened in 2012, we have been giving a contemporary touch to classic cocktails that our patrons are nostalgic for,” adds Vikas.
Chocolate Martini
Chocolate Martini
Ingredients
Vodka – 60ml
Cold brew coffee – 45ml
Melted chocolate – 30 ml
Method
1. Pour chocolate syrup onto a shallow plate. Dip the rim of martini glasses into chocolate syrup. Drizzle some chocolate syrup along the inside of the glasses.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake until thoroughly chilled or for about 20 seconds.
3. Serve cold.
La Vie En Rose
La Vie En Rose
Ingredients
Gin – 60ml
Lime juice – 20ml
Sugar syrup – 15ml
Fresh pineapple juice – 20ml
Strawberries – 2, muddled
Method
1. Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake until thoroughly chilled for about 20 seconds.
2. Serve cold
Recipes by Vikas Kumar.
Beyond the Horizon
Beyond the Horizon
Ingredients
White Rum – 60ml
Fresh pineapple juice – 30ml
Fresh lime – 20ml
Raw turmeric ginger honey – 15ml
Soda – 30ml
Thyme for garnish
For raw turmeric ginger honey
Honey – 300ml
Ginger Juice – 30ml
Water – 100ml
Turmeric powder or freshly grated raw turmeric – 1 barspoon
Mix all the ingredients until they blend well together.
Method
1. Take a wine glass, chill it with ice.
2. Into a cocktail shaker, pour all the ingredients. Mix well. Add ice to the shaker and shake well.
3. Strain the mixer into the chilled wine glass.
4. Garnish with a sprig of thyme and serve cold.
Strawberries and Sparkles
Strawberries and Sparkles
Ingredients
White Rum – 60ml
Fresh lime juice – 20ml
Strawberry syrup – 10ml
Grapefruit syrup – 10ml
Grapefruit soda – 90ml
Dried berries and edible flowers for garnish
Method
1. Take a highball glass and fill it up with ice.
2. Into a cocktail shaker, add all the ingredients except the soda. Stir the ingredients well for the ingredients to mix well.
3. Add ice to the shaker and give it a nice shake. Strain the mix into the glass using a fine strainer.
4. Add the soda and mix the drink well. Garnish it with a flower and some dried berries.
Recipes by Abhirup Bhattacharyya – Brand Ambassador, Maka Zai, Goa
Madikeri Mudslide
Madikeri Mudslide
Ingredients
Vodka – 30ml
Fresh Expresso – 20ml
Baileys – 20ml
Kahlua – 20ml
Cinnamon syrup – 5 ml
Coffee Beans for garnish
Method
1. Shake the vodka, espresso, Baileys, Kahlua and cinnamon syrup together in a cocktail shaker.
2. Serve it into a coupe glass and garnish with the coffee beans.
Curry Leaf Negroni
Curry Leaf Negroni
Ingredients
Gin – 25ml
Sweet Vermouth – 25ml
Campari – 25ml
A tender twig of curry leaves for garnish
Method
1. Pour the Gin, Vermouth and Campari into a cocktail mixer with ice. Add in curry leaves and muddle it. Stir it well.
2. Strain into a tumbler and add some fresh ice.
3. Garnish with a tender twig of curry leaves and serve cold.
Recipes by Justin Dias – Bar Manager & Mixologist, RCB Bar & Cafe, Bengaluru
