7 Diwali Special Cocktail Recipes To Impress Your Guests This Festive Season

Diwali parties are all about food, good company and the evening going on well into the night. You've got catching up with friends, you've got the festive snacks, you've got the cards and the whole thing is just a great evening. Having a few decent cocktails on the menu can really take it to the next level.

If you're planning to host this year, why on earth are you going to stick with the standard drinks? From whisky with masala chai to gin cocktails with Indian botanicals, these seven Diwali cocktail recipes are all very different. Some of them are quite easy to batch up, some of them are a bit more involved.

7 Diwali Cocktail Recipes To Try At Home

1. Godawan Chai Punch

If masala chai is something you drink on a regular basis then this is a great cocktail to give it a bit of a festive spin. It's the Godawan Artisanal Single Malt Chai Punch which is whisky, masala tea, peach syrup and citrus. A very handy drink if you're hosting a big group.

• Ingredients: 200ml Godawan 02 Fruit & Spice, 200ml masala tea, 60ml peach syrup, 75ml citrus juice and 500ml soda or ginger ale.
• Method: Simply combine all the ingredients in a punch bowl or large pitcher and stir gently. Serve over ice and it's ready to go. Yields approx 4-6 cocktails. For a bit more warmth and spice, you can substitute the soda for ginger ale.

2. Golden Ember Sour

Created by Tulleeho, the Golden Ember Sour is a bourbon based cocktail with honey, ginger and lemon. It's a golden drink with a silky foam. A very good candidate for a festive drinks menu.

• Ingredients: 60ml bourbon, 20ml fresh lemon juice, 15ml honey syrup, 10ml ginger syrup, one egg white or 30ml aquafaba and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters.
• Method: Add everything apart from the bitters to a shaker (no ice). Shake for 15 to 20 seconds, add the ice and shake again. Strain into a chilled coupe, add the bitters and garnish with edible gold dust and a dehydrated lemon wheel.

3. Purple Mirage

For those who like their drinks on the lighter, fruitier side, Purple Mirage by Davana Vermouth Indica is definitely worth a go. It's a combination of the tartness of jamun, the herbal notes of Davana Rosso and the citrus of kaffir lime.

• Ingredients: 4ml Davana Rosso, 30ml jamun syrup, 5ml lime juice, two or three kaffir lime leaves and soda to top.
• Method: Shake the vermouth, jamun syrup, lime juice and kaffir lime leaves with ice. Double strain into a highball, top with soda and garnish with a kaffir lime leaf and a salt rim.

4. NANALYTICS

Developed by Nao Spirits & Beverages, NANALYTICS is a rich, bittersweet cocktail, very much in the vein of a dessert. It's made with Pipa Rum de Goa, brandy, Italian amari, date syrup and banana foam. Definitely a cocktail for an after-dinner gathering.

• Ingredients: 15ml Pipa Rum de Goa, 15ml brandy, 15ml Amaro Montenegro, 5ml Fernet-Branca, 5ml date syrup, three dashes Angostura bitters, banana foam and tonka bean dust.
• Method: Stir the spirits and date syrup with ice, then pour over fresh ice. Add the bitters, top with banana foam and finish with a dusting of tonka bean. The traditional recipe makes the foam using banana milkshake and a cream whipper.

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5. Loving Insult

Created by Oxymorons in Hyderabad, Loving Insult brings a tropical twist to your Diwali party drinks. It's a combination of dark rum, light rum, coconut, banana, and black lime to create a sweet, citrusy balance.

• Ingredients: 60ml coconut banana saccharum, 60ml black lime cordial, 30ml dark rum, 30ml light rum, banana leaf and black lime to garnish.
• Method: Prepare the saccharum by resting the coconut, banana peels and sugar together prior to straining. Make the cordial by simmering the black limes in water, then adding the sugar, the acids and the salt. Shake the two together with the rums and ice. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish.

6. Coorgil

Created by Vedant Newatia of Masala Code, Coorgil is a gin cocktail from Coorg. It's pineapple and lime with vanilla- and coconut-oil fat-washed gin and a touch of Campari foam, which adds a bitter finish.

• Ingredients: 45ml fat-washed coconut oil gin, 15ml vanilla syrup, 30ml pineapple juice, 15ml lime juice, and Campari foam.
• Method: Add the gin (prepared), vanilla syrup, pineapple juice and lime juice to a shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled, strain into a serving glass and finish with a good deal of Campari foam. The fat washed gin and foam should be prepared in advance.

7. Stormy Scene

Coffee lovers will love Stormy Scene, created by Bar Stormy in Hyderabad, it is a vodka cocktail made with cold brew, yuzu, orange and vanilla and the milk clarification gives it a very smooth finish.

• Ingredients: 30ml vodka, 20ml cold brew, 5ml yuzu, 10ml orange juice, 5ml vanilla syrup, 15ml milk, 10ml lime juice and 20ml sugar syrup.
• Method: mix the ingredients and milk-clarify, strain and chill. Pour into a glass, top with lavender foam and finish with a drizzle of dark chocolate.

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Author's Note

I've personally tried Stormy Scene, and what stood out to me was its interesting combination of coffee, citrus, and vanilla. It's a refreshing change from the usual cocktails and something I'd recommend trying if you enjoy experimenting with different flavors.

Summing Up

Whatever your preferred spirit maybe these festive cocktail recipes are different and should provide you with plenty of options for your Diwali celebrations. The Godawan Chai Punch is the one you can easily make in bulk, the Golden Ember Sour and the Purple Mirage are the ones to go for, if you're looking for something a bit more eye-catching. With a bit of prep, these Indian-inspired cocktails can give your festive drinks menu a real wow factor.