Diwali Cheers: 6 Must-Try Fusion Cocktails To Make This Diwali

Diwali is a time to celebrate all things lights, laddoos, and…liquor? Well, this year, it’s time to upgrade your Diwali celebrations and celebrate it with some delicious fusion cocktails. Imagine the soft glow of the dim fairy lights and earthen diyas and the beautifully presented cocktails lined up on your home bar. From cocktails that embrace their inner desi identity to cocktails that are just the right amount of fusion bling, here we have 6 must-try fusion cocktails to make this Diwali.

Fusion Cocktails This Diwali: 6 Must-Try Cocktails For This Festive Season

1. Imli Margarita

Imli or tamarind is a key ingredient in most Indian households, utilized in the Indian kitchen to add a spicy zing of sour and sweet in your dishes. However, it can also perfectly blend in your cocktail, lending a deliciously tangy taste in each sip. The key to making a delicious Imli Margarita is to not dilute the tamarind syrup too much. Keep it balanced with sweet and tangy flavors and add a little dash of tajin seasoning for some extra spice!

Ingredients:

• Tamarind syrup
• Lime
• Lime juice
• Tequila
• Triple Sec
• Simple syrup
• Salt and tajin mixture

Process:

• Run the edge of half a lime against the edges of a glass. Then, gently press these edges into a salt and tajin mixture and refrigerate the glasses.
• Combine the tamarind syrup, lime juice, tequila, simple syrup, and triple sec in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
• Shake the cocktail shaker until the contents inside are chilled.
• Pour the contents into the refrigerated glass and serve with a garnish of a lime slice.

2. Masala Chai Sour

Whisky Sour is a classic cocktail that is about to receive a desi twist with the Masala Chai Sour. This spin on the classic Whisky Sour reimagines flavors, introducing the irresistible flavor of masala chai into the cocktail. Fragrant, smooth, and slightly robust – would you have this rendition of masala chai this Diwali?

Ingredients:

• Tea bags
• Cardamom pods
• Cinnamon sticks
• Peeled and sliced ginger
• Sugar
• Water
• Bourbon
• Lemon juice
• Egg white
• Bitters

Process:

• Prepare the masala chai syrup by combining water, sugar, tea bags, cardamom, ginger, and bitters in a saucepan.
• Bring it to a boil and remove from heat. Steep for at least 48 hours to extract the rich flavor of tea, cardamom, and other spices.
• Strain the syrup and refrigerate until you’re ready to prepare a Masala Chai Sour.
• Add bourbon, lemon juice, chai syrup, egg white, and bitters to a cocktail shaker without ice.
• Shake vigorously and then add ice. Shake again until chilled.
• Strain into a serving glass and serve!

3. Jaljeera Gin & Tonic

It’s refreshing, it’s rejuvenating, and definitely quite addictive! Many of us have grown up drinking jaljeera, a delightful drink made of water, roasted cumin seeds, coriander and mint, and lemon juice. Now, this nostalgic drink is set to receive a boozy spin in the form of a Jaljeera G & T that is equal parts indulgent and refreshing. With just a few ingredients, Jaljeera G & T gets prepared in a matter of minutes!

Ingredients:

• Gin
• Lime juice
• Cumin
• Honey syrup
• Tonic water
• Black salt
• Chaat masala
• Basil leaves

Process:

• Make the honey cumin syrup first by roasting cumin seeds in a pan for a few minutes. Add water and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Take it off the flame and add honey syrup. Mix it well and let it rest for at least 30 minutes or until it is cool.
• Shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker except the tonic water.
• Pour the contents into a cocktail glass and top it with tonic water.
• Garnish the drink with basil leaves and serve!

Also Read: Where To Drink In Bangalore This Weekend (10th To 12th October)

4. Everest

This festive season, it’s time to take a sip of the Everest! No, we are not talking about the iconic mountain peak but a decadent, smooth, and creamy cocktail that will definitely impress you and your guests. It combines ingredients that wouldn’t usually go together – such as coconut and curry powder, and gin. But worry not, the result is a cocktail that is delicious, decadent, and truly perfect for your Diwali parties and get-togethers.

Ingredients:

• Curry powder, plus extra to garnish
• Cream of coconut
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Gin
• Bay leaf for garnish

Process:

• Mix curry powder with the cream of coconut to form a paste.
• Now, add the paste into a shaker with ice along with lemon juice and gin.
• Shake vigorously until chilled and then pour into a serving glass.
• Garnish with a sprinkle of curry powder and bay leaf and serve!

5. Jamuntini

Martinis, we think, will never go out of fashion. After all, there is plenty of room for experimentation and there are so many different ways to play with the classic, humble Martini. One of them is to concoct a Martini that captures the essence of the jamun fruit, a beloved berry consumed widely in India. Jamuntini is easy to prepare, is sweet and fruity, and just perfect for a festive occasion like Diwali.

Ingredients:

• 7 - 8 Jamuns
• Gin
• Freshly squeezed lime juice
• Simple syrup
• Chili/tajin and salt mixture for garnish
• Garnish: Chili-salt rim

Process:

• Muddle jamuns in a cocktail shaker.
• Add ice and gin, lime juice, and simple syrup to the shaker.
• Shake well until chilled.
• Rim the glass edges with salt and chili powder mix.
• Double-strain the contents into a cocktail shaker glass.

6. Indian Winter

Indian Winter is a delightful cocktail to mark the beginning of the winter season, and what better occasion to do so than Diwali? This cocktail is reliant on cardamom for its spice, with this spice adding a nice, exotic flavor. The Indian Winter is a spiced vodka that takes on the classic Whisky Sour, just like the Masala Chai Sour.

Ingredients:

• Honey
• Water
• Cardamom pods
• Bourbon
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Egg white
• Angostura bitters

Method:

• Combine water, honey, and cardamom pods (lightly crushed) in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until blended and then cool and strain.
• While doing so, set aside a lowball glass to chill in the refrigerator.
• Add bourbon, lemon juice, egg white, and this freshly prepared syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
• Shake vigorously for 20 to 25 seconds.
• Strain the cocktail into a serving glass and garnish with angostura bitters.

Also Read: Maharashtra Govt Clarifies: Shops Can Operate 24×7, Bars and Liquor Stores Excluded

Summing Up

These fusion cocktails are set to make your Diwali more blingy and fun! Be it the tangy sweetness of an Imli Margarita or a creamy and indulgent Masala Chai Sour, these cocktails each tell a different story that is rooted in Indian flavors and festivities. So, out of these six cocktails, which one has caught your fancy? Which cocktails are you eyeing to make and serve this Diwali?