A couple of weeks ago, a group of us friends decided to go out for a drink one evening to one of those smart, contemporary restobars with a lovely outdoors sit-out, which is all the rage in Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad. The idea was to knock down a couple of spirit-boosting cocktails, over some serious catching up on each others’ lives.
When it was time for the barman to ask what my poison was, however, I was a bit stumped for choice. For a keen browsing of the beverages, menu showed up some rather smartly-crafted mocktails choices, which seemed healthier. Since I was having acidity issues of late, on hangover mornings, I decided to go for lighter, non-alcoholic options, (not the non-alcoholic beverages though as Im just not a fan of those) much to the dismay of my friends.
A Sparkling Nannari on the menu had caught my attention and for those who have tried the subtle-on-palate nannari in its sherbet will know why I was attracted to the name. Nannari or Sarasaparilla is a wonder root known to cool body temperatures in summer and is found across India from the Himalayan regions in the north, to the coastal regions of the south, Assam etc.
The Sanskrit name for nannari is anantamool or eternal root, whose woody roots and leaves are very aromatic and packed with healthy benefits. Nannari is endorsed especially in South Indian households (Tamil Nadu, AP & Kerala mostly) for its medicinal properties of purifying blood, curing constipation and reducing body temperatures, much needed during the searingly hot summer months in India.
Coming back to the evening, the Sparkling Nannari, in an attractive golden saffron shade, came in a white wine glass, bearing an orange rind and the dried nannari root as garnish. The subtle vanilla-reminiscent notes of nannari contrasted wonderfully with the lemon juice and the slight amount of sugar added and the sparkling water which comprised rest of the drink and I ended up feeling “happily high” that evening, without needing to imbibe alcohol. In fact, my friends ended up ordering Sparkling Nannari during their second round of orders!
Most F&B establishments have risen to the need for doing a complete makeover of their mocktails menu for gone are the days when non-drinkers of “hard drinks” would opt for a mock version of a mojito or a virgin mojito (which by the way is still very popular, according to my bartender friends) or a virgin Mary or a Pina Colada or (God forbid!) Fruit Punch which is now even being poured out straight from tetra packs, thanks to processed food majors recognizing a consumer opportunity here.
I remember not too long ago, having picked up a Pina Colada on a hot summer afternoon, at a vegetarian-teetotaler wedding, for lack of choices, as the other single alternative was a dubiously dark pink drink which I knew would be too sweet for me. But the Pina Colada did no better as both the coconut juice and the cream had both a greasy and stale aftertaste and I swore off all Pina Coladas, alcoholic or otherwise.
Thankfully, things are changing now and there is increasing use of fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. Fresh infused waters and syrups are increasingly used in place of synthetic ones, and even where ingredients are not sourced locally, like say Californian grapes or Mascarpone cheese, it is the real thing or freshness which matters.
Customers are also opting for healthier and lighter-on-the palate drinks, shares my friend Ramakant Pujari who works as F&B manager at Mercure Hyderabad. Keeping health-conscious patrons in mind, Ramakant has added local-flavoured, healthy drinks, other than the sparkling Nannari alluded to, on the beverages menu. There is Tender Coconut water added with Glucon D (a great pick-me-up for energy sapping summers) or Rose Milk with Sabja seeds (made with chilled milk, rose syrup), fresh green Aam Panna with black salt and freshly roasted jeera powder, known to cool off the digestive systems.
Rose syrups and the cloyingly sweet Rooh Afza while being a tad much when had alone, do manage to add both fragrance and identity to mocktails like milk-based drinks. At an iftaar party hosted by a cloud kitchen run by women chefs called Luqma by Safa had a delightful concoction called Sharbat E Mohabbat which had watermelon, both chunks and blended with chilled milk, Rooh Afza and rose syrup. I remember most guests asking for more.
Farzi Café which is known for adding quirky twists to their food and beverages, also added a summer mocktails menu high on fresh seasonal fruits. Ganesh Rao Boinapally bar manager at Farzi Café Hyderabad says that since mango rules over almost everything in summer it was a no-brainer that they would add a Spicy Mango Delight to their mocktails repertoire. Fresh mango chunks, chilli flakes, fresh lime juice, sugar syrup and ice cubes make up this golden delight which is of a slush consistency, but as you keep sipping and the cubes start melting you get a thick juice kind of a drink with the outstanding flavours of mango tinged with a bit of spicy tartness. Obviously, it is a seller already!
Farzi in keeping with summer trends has also got a Hydrate Me on its menu, fresh coconut water, lavender syrup, fresh lime juice and fresh basil and some soda added for the fizz. Why would anyone want to drink a virgin mojito or a (mock) daiquiri, margarita, Shirley Temple, for that matter, in this brimming with mocktail ideas scenario?
However, some classical puritans like Anirban Kundu, beverages manager of Park Hyatt Hyderabad feel that classic mocktails are here to stay. One out of three mocktails ordered, I have noticed is a Virgin Mojito or a Blue Curacao, he shares.
Food and drink are one’s personal choices. As for moi, if I am going to stay away from spirits, which is not too often, I would much rather have a fresh take on the by and large, sugary, synthetic mocktails. Aam Panna and a Mango Lassi would do just fine to quench my thirst for “spirits”. And if I want to have fun, I would perhaps try Farzi’s Greek Goddess, which has Green Apple Chunks, green tea, green apple syrup, fresh lime juice, sugar syrup and basil leaves and soda.
But even better is the hugely varied Indian flavor palette, which can be put to good use in mocktails. Health Bhi Aur Taste Bhi, as the wise chef of a cookery show remarked.