Raising a Toast
WAITER,
THERE IS A FLOWER IN MY DRINK!
By : PALLAVI NAIDU Founder & CEO of Alcohowl,
India’s fi rst platform on Fine Drinking Experiences
The buzziest trend in cocktails and why we
will be ‘drinking’ a lot of flowers this year!
The Buzz
Come summer and the
birds and bees are out in full
hordes. And in 2019, they are
usually seen buzzing around a
fancy cocktail that’s adorned
with flowers. No, these are
not your locally produced
Mahua drinks which, for
centuries, are made using
the Mahua flower. These are
the ‘Instagram worthy’ drinks
that are a treat to all your
senses and your followers.
The trend began just last
year when a lot of mixologists
started experimenting with
edible flowers to elevate their
drinks. Before that, flowers
were still a milder addition to
certain cocktails like Rosoli,
Aviation, Rose Collins, etc.
We now see a full-blown
(or full bloom) of flowers in
cocktails of all kind, creating
a beautiful concoction of
textures, aromas, colours and
delicate flavours.
Spirit of the Flower
White spirits traditionally
are better paired with
flowers. Vodka would be
the leading contender in
this category. With a neutral
base, it is the best medium
to carry the delicate nuances
of the floral elements. This is
not to say that other spirits
won’t do well. We have
seen an insurgence of gin
and with it, and now come
the floral gin trend. With
the rising popularity of pink
gins, flowers are the perfect
garnishes to gin cocktails.
Modern mixologists have
moved away from traditional
cucumbers and grapefruits,
to rose gin and others.
Rum and Brandy, with their
inherent sweetness, would
also lend well too many
floral infusions. The sweet
notes will compliment many
varieties of flowers and
their delicate aromas. Wine,
particularly Sangrias, can
be made even prettier and
palatable by adding beautiful
blooms. The same goes for
many new-age cocktails
across spirits.
Talking about flowers their
nectar can’t be far behind.
Honey, when used with
flowers can be a great
Come summer and the birds and
bees are out in full hordes. And
in 2019, they are usually seen
buzzing around a fancy cocktail
that’s adorned with fl owers
Drink Asia
18
September-October 2019