Not Your Everyday Cocktails: 5 Desi Flavours Reimagined with Vodka

​Indian flavours have always had a way of making their mark, and now they’re finding a place beyond the plate. From the tangy comfort of chaas and the indulgence of butter chicken to the festive sweetness of ghewar, the nostalgia of meetha paan and the warmth of masala chai, these familiar flavours get a spirited new avatar with vodka. Here are five unexpected desi-inspired cocktails that bring together Indian flavours and modern cocktail culture.

1. Masala Chaach Fizz

Ingredients

• 60 ml ZigZag Original Vodka

• 90 ml chilled buttermilk (chaas)

• 15 ml fresh lemon juice

• 10–15 ml simple syrup

• 1 small pinch of salt

• Ice

• Optional: pinch of roasted cumin powder

Method

1. Add vodka, buttermilk, lemon juice, simple syrup and salt to a shaker.

2. Add ice and shake well for 8–10 seconds.

3. Strain over fresh ice into a rocks glass.

4. Garnish with a light sprinkle of roasted cumin powder or a small lemon wheel.

2.  Makhani Spice Martini

Ingredients

• 60 ml ZigZag Orange Flavour Vodka

• 30 ml tomato juice

• 15 ml cream

• 10 ml lemon juice

• 10 ml honey syrup

• 2–3 drops chilli oil

• 1 pinch garam masala

• 1 pinch Kashmiri chilli powder

• 1 small pinch salt

• Ice

Method

1. Lightly coat half the rim of a chilled coupe glass with butter.

2. Dip it into a mix of Kashmiri chilli, cumin and salt.

3. Add vodka, tomato juice, cream, lemon juice, honey syrup, chilli oil, garam masala and salt to a shaker.

4. Add plenty of ice and shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds.

5. Double strain into the prepared coupe glass.

6. Garnish with a tiny roasted chilli or coriander leaf.

3. Kesar Ghewar Martini

Ingredients

• 60 ml ZigZag Original Vodka

• 20 ml saffron-cardamom syrup

• 15 ml fresh lemon juice

• 10 ml rose water

• 15 ml chilled cream

• 1 small pinch of saffron

• Ice

Method

1. Lightly coat the rim of a chilled martini glass with honey or condensed milk.

2. Dip the rim into crushed pistachios and dried rose petals.

3. Add vodka, saffron-cardamom syrup, lemon juice, rose water and cream to a shaker.

4. Add ice and shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds until chilled and slightly frothy.

5. Double strain into the prepared martini glass.

6. Garnish with saffron strands, pistachio slivers and a tiny dried rose petal.

 

4. Meetha Paan Elixir

Ingredients

• 60 ml ZigZag Original Vodka

• 20 ml paan syrup

• 15 ml fresh lime juice

• 15 ml coconut cream

• 5 ml rose syrup

• 2–3 drops kewra water

• 1 small pinch fennel powder

• Ice

Method

1. Coat the rim of a chilled martini glass with a thin layer of gulkand.

2. Dip the rim into the fennel, coconut and pistachio mixture.

3. Add vodka, paan syrup, lime juice, coconut cream, rose syrup, kewra and fennel powder to a shaker.

4. Add plenty of ice and shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds.

5. Double strain into the prepared martini glass.

6. Garnish with a small paan leaf, gulkand and a couple of fennel seeds.

5. Spiced Chai Martini

Ingredients

• 60 ml ZigZag Original Vodka

• 45 ml strong masala chai, chilled

• 15 ml jaggery syrup

• 15 ml fresh cream

• 2–3 drops vanilla extract

• 1 pinch cinnamon powder

• 1 pinch cardamom powder

• Ice

Method

1. Lightly coat the rim of a chilled martini glass with jaggery syrup.

2. Dip it into the jaggery + chai spice + cinnamon mixture.

3. Add vodka, chilled masala chai, jaggery syrup, cream, vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom to a shaker.

4. Add plenty of ice and shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds.

5. Double strain into the prepared martini glass.

6. Garnish with a small cinnamon stick and 2 cardamom pods.