With cold weather and chilly breeze winter has arrived. Our sweaters and blankets are out, and we are already relishing the warm and cozy delicacies of this season. Gajar ka halwa, undhiyu, sarson ka saag, ghustaba and thukpa are some popular winter dishes in India. When it comes to beverages, teas, coffee, kahwa, haldi doodh and hot chocolates are some of our top choices.
Besides the mentioned drinks, cocktails are also an integral part of winter. Made with spirits, liqueurs, juices, syrups and garnishes, these delightful concoctions are perfect for all kinds of celebrations. The best thing about cocktails is they can be improvised according to one’s preferences.
So, if you are also looking for some exciting cocktails for this season, here are two recipes for you:
Mulled Wine
By Ratnesh Kumar, Senior Mixologist, SAGA, Gurgaon
Ingredients
- 1 bottle of full-bodied red wine
- 2 oranges, sliced
- 6 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2-star anise
- 4 large slices fresh ginger
- 50 ml sugar syrup
- 60 ml Cognac or brandy
- lemon to taste
Method
- Add the wine, orange slices, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, ginger and Sugar Syrup into a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, cover and turn down to a simmer.
- Keep simmering for 15 minutes or up to 3 hours. Do not boil as this will evaporate the alcohol!
- Strain with a bowl underneath.
- Put it back into the saucepan and add the Cognac or brandy. Pour in a glass and enjoy.
Snowballs
By Sushil Dhanai, Mixologist, Dhansoo Café, Gurugram
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1/2 pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- small pinch salt
- 1 ½ ounces dark rum
- 6 ounces boiling water
- 2 scoop vanilla ice cream shredded in sweetened coconut
- ground cinnamon or nutmeg sprinkler for garnish
Method
- Place 2 tbsp prepared Hot Buttered Rum batter in a mug. Add rum and boiling water.
- Stir until butter mixture is melted and fully dissolved.
- Top with shredded sweetened coconut vanilla ice cream and a sprinkling of ground cinnamon and nutmeg. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.