Behind an elegant green terrazzo-style bar in Bengaluru, India, Neil Alexander is mixing what he says is a variation on a martini.
But there isn’t any gin or vodka. Instead there is dukshiri – a Goan spirit made of coconut sap and infused with sarsaparilla roots, a plant native to India with the sweet aroma and textures of smoke.
The vermouth is infused with cinnamon, cloves, star anise, bay leaf, coriander seeds and garlic, adding richer flavours than you would find in traditional bottles of the fortified wine.
The soft-spoken bartender serves his cocktail, not with an olive or a twist, but with a garnish of cacao molasses “caviar” on a bay leaf.
Neil Alexander’s Mandya Sour features forest-honeycomb-infused whisky, sugarcane and black pepper molasses, lemon juice, aquafaba and liquorice root bitters. Photo: Instagram/@neilalexandermixology
The drink tastes nothing like a classic martini, except for the dryness. Instead, it has a stunningly unique flavour of spice and nuttiness with herbal brightness from the vermouth.
It is a recognisably Indian-flavoured combination that would pair well with fish curry or spicy seekh (meat) kebabs.
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