As the party season flows into the New Year, Mumbai eateries and bars are stirring up a smooth balance of sweet and heady concoctions with their take on dessert-inspired cocktails
Blonde
A play on the brownie's paler sibling, the blondie, this cocktail at the brand new restaurant The Runway Project is an unusual mix of key ingredients that make the drink a fashionable tipple. A concoction of milk, vanilla ice cream and mascarpone cheese, all blended with limoncello and finished off with a pinch of granulated sugar is what makes the blonde.
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"This drink is inspired by a rich cheese cake. Mixing milk and alcohol is not common in India and the result achieved can be astonishing. We thought of giving this a spin by adding liquor," explains Varun Sudhakar, head of innovation and operations (beverages).
Varun Sudhakar
At High Street Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel.
Call 49151000
COST Rs 775
Thyme-scented chocolate caramel cookie shots
With a name larger than its actual size, this dessert cocktail shot is a great way to end a meal. The recipe is an interesting one made using chocolate cookie crumbs, Belgian chocolate ice cream, triple sec and Baileys Irish cream along with a few leaves of thyme, all blended together to perfection.
The shot glass is topped with a dehydrated slice of orange and gooey chocolate cookie, and garnished with a sprig of fresh thyme. "I tried making a dessert using the same ingredients, but it lacked flavour and texture. I wanted to create a drink instead, where the crunchy cookie crumbs marry the silky texture of the drink, and complement each other," says executive chef Jerson Fernandes.
Chef Jerson Fernandes
At Jeon, Sea Princess Hotel, Ground Floor, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu.
Call 26469500
Cost Rs 599
Hard caramel creme brulee martini
Complete with a hard caramel shard to replicate the glassy top of a true-blue crème brûlée, this drinkable alcoholic dessert is a custard- and vanilla-flavoured cocktail infused with vanilla vodka and a layer of the aforementioned hard caramel garnish.
"The idea behind the dessert cocktail was to create a party in a glass. Most celebrations are incomplete without indulging in copious amounts of alcohol and desserts and that is what inspired us to blend the two and create one sweet, boozy potion," explains the developer of this cocktail, chef Nester Gracias.
Chef Nester Gracias
At Scribble Stories, 21B, Santhal ONGC Complex, opposite Lilavati Hospital, Reclamation, Bandra West.
Call 26400754
Cost Rs 475
Toblerone
A homage to the popular nougat and honey-redolent Swiss chocolate bar, Toblerone, this after-dinner cocktail of honey, cream, Baileys and dark rum invokes all things dessert.
"The purpose of the Toblerone was to encourage the sale of alcohol towards the end of the meal. Also, the lack of interest in alcoholic desserts pushed us to create a cocktail that can be best enjoyed after the meal. The inspiration was the chocolate after which the drink is named, represented by the chocolate garnish and honey in the drink," says Marzban Amroliwalla, chef, research and development.
Marzban Amroliwalla
At Izaya, NCPA, Gate No 2, Nariman Point.
Call 22821212
Cost Rs 490
Cinnamon crème brulee martini
This one's for both - the James Bond fan and the dessert-loving grown-up kid in you. A delectable dessert in a martini glass, the cinnamon crème brûlée martini may seem like a complex concoction, but is ridiculously simple to put together.
Take 45ml vanilla vodka, 60ml fresh cream and blend them in a cocktail shaker with six ice cubes. Serve this in a martini glass, and dust with cinnamon powder. "The idea behind coming up with this was to give the world-famous dessert an exotic and delectable avatar. Serving it chilled in appropriate amounts adds to the flavour," says Nixon D'Souza, brand manager.
Nixon D'Souza
At Radio Bar, Ground Floor, Hotel New Castle, Linking Road, Bandra West.
Call 9769755542
Cost Rs 420
The Ibrahimovic
A stunner to gaze at, this one is an elevated, desi, hipster take on the white Russian. Its ingredients include cold brew coffee, brandy, buttermilk, malai and orange bitters - all of which give it a dessert-esque appeal.
"Making and serving the white Russian for over 20 years, I was fascinated by ways to enhance the cocktail. The thickness of lassi, thanks to high-quality milk and the malai on the top, make it special. I wanted to bring this sensation to the white Russian, and by using a high-quality brandy and some orange bitters really managed to elevate this classic drink into the Quartersphere!" says Nico Goghavala, co-founder of the space.
At Dine At The Quarter, Royal Opera House, Girgaum.
Call 8329110638
Cost Rs 550
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