BENGALURU: The slogan ‘old is gold’ is the perfect line for classic cocktails. And I say that twisted throwback cocktails are ‘Old that is the new gold’ with a little twist on vintage cocktail recipes. The classics will always have a special place in bar menus, and I am using the classics’ recipes and creating a twist to make it interesting.
While I’m all about contemporary cocktails, you simply can’t go wrong with tried-and-tested-true vintage cocktails. I’ve heard many times, and I’m sure you have too, that you’ve got to know the rules to break the rules. The same goes for the cocktail world. Make changes to the recipes, and play with the ingredients without affecting the character of the original drink.
A good twist is by taking something we know, something familiar, and turning it on its head. This is especially true with classic cocktail recipes, where a small change in ingredients or technique can transform the familiar into the unexpected, but the character will be the same. Here are my two favourite classics with a twist to remember.
Old Fashioned Cuba Libre
Ingredients
Method
Place the sugar cube in the old-fashioned glass and saturate it with bitter, and add a dash of cola. Muddle until dissolved. Fill the glass with ice cubes, add whiskey, rum and stir gently. After 18 to 20 stirs, add cola and gently stir 3 to 4 times. Garnish with orange slices and a cocktail cherry.
Thai Twist Margarita
Ingredients
Method
First, muddle the cucumber and basil leaves in a cocktail shaker, then add the rest of the ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake the mixture until chilled and strain into a chilled salted-rimmed cocktail glass or serve it on the rocks in a salted rimmed Rock glass. Garnish with lime peel.