In the midst of reading this article there will be no words of wisdom from Doug Coughlin or the impish smile of Brian Flanagan (apologies for the spoiler alert). 

The art of the cocktails has evolved from playing safe with the regulars for the faithfuls to the ever evolving palate of the discerning international traveler- with mixologists taking global cues with local infused mixes to create fusion blends and classics alike. 

With the temperature rising, here are a few coolers to play sport in and around Goa.  

Mulled Wine Sangria 

A concept created by the Goan produced Armada Liqueur, the mulled wine sangria is a flavorsum blend of a medium bodied red wine and fanta laced with Armada liqueur and finely chopped apples and oranges with mint leaves. 

Oscar De Sequeira Nazareth, proprietor of Armada states- “Liqueurs are a very popular ingredient in cocktail making – from Jagerbombs to really complex layered cocktails, their colour and flavours lend themselves to all sorts of combinations! I chose to highlight the Mulled Wine Sangria for a couple of reasons: Firstly because Sangrias are a very popular summer drink in Portugal and Spain, where the recipe for Armada originated. Secondly because it allows the subtle spice notes of Armada to really shine through. Thirdly to showcase our liqueur’s versatility: Creating a cool version of a mulled wine is no easy task – to then turn it into a Sangria is the work of a skilled mixologist case in point Nupur Joshi for bringing this concoction to life!”

French 75 

A cocktail made from gin, Champagne, lemon juice, and sugar developed over the 1920s. The combination was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm field gun. Brought back to life by Sunder Aaron & team of Pizza Mia quips “ We wanted something authentic and unique giving a twist to our cocktail selection with the wide variety of Pizza’s on offer. It’s a cooling and refreshing drink, consumed either night or day.”

The Peanut Buttercup 

The best way to savor this cocktail would be atop the cliff with the setting sun for company. Souvik Mishra the mastermind bartender behind this creation at Antares, infused a generous amount of Peanut butter laced with baileys and vanilla caramel based on vodka. He states, “ This is one of our most sought after cocktail, favored by one and all as it blends the tastes of a dessert with every sip. A must try for every gorgeous sunset we witness daily.”  

Poptail 

Imagine a sparkling bubbly Prosecco from Italy with a choice of Ice candy lollipop- Blue Lagoon & Hawaian Chilli. 

This is the brainchild of Chef Xavs Norr from Route 66 in Panjim.

 An experimentalist at heart, he decided to pair a sinful fruity bubbly with the jolt tones of candy flavor in every sip. He explains “ I like to bring an element of fun and passion in every creation. This brings together the two sides to the coin- a grown up adult with their Proseco, a regal drink, and the kid inside us all with the lollipop submerged within. The reaction on their faces is priceless each time I present this drink to them. Many are stumped as to how to consume it. The answer would be, any way you please.”

Cazulo Peru Meru 

A drink born out of circumstance, the Cazulo Peru Meru found its origins from the Bloody Maria- which was riff of the regular Bloody Mary replacing vodka with coconut feni, thus staying true to the basics, but adding a Goan spin on the drink. However one December, Goa was faced with an unexpected shortage of Tomato juice.

 Not being deterred Hansel Vaz, owner Cazulo Feni- innovated and decided to use a juice that isn’t normally used in a cocktail, thus experimenting with Guava- thus the Peru Meru was born. “Our secret ingredient… there is always one.. was creating a rim of chilly powder and salt. Not only is it an interesting blend of flavours, but each sip of the cocktail and the salt chilly rim, invariably takes you back to your childhood school days were Guava smeared with chillypowder and salt was the most sinful thing we ever did before coming home.”

 Amour de Paris 

A drink celebrating Paris in Goa through the Good France Week to promote French cuisine across the world. True to its gastronomic tastes of all things wine and cognac this cocktail is cognac based with triple sec and layered with lemon juice for that after taste zing. The strength of the cognac with subtle flavors of triple sec appeals universally top both stronger and lighter taste palates. Saurabh Khanna, General Manager of The Park Calangute states- “Amour de Paris as the name suggests means ‘Love from Paris’. This is our own libation made of French liquors by our barman Srimanta Dey. An easy to consume drink it is available with us all year round.”

Karp Wheels

‘A twist to the classic bourbon- the Karp Wheels is a symbolic balance of the yin and yang between sweet & tangy much like the effervescent colors inspired by Koi fish. It also looks much like the wheels of a ferris doing kart wheels’ quips Shefali Gandhi of Koi Goa. While it may look subtle and delicate with vibrant hues it’s got a heady mix of Angoustra bitters infused with sugar cubes garnished with lime & lemon wheels with maraschino cherries for company. A dash of grenadine, ginger ale and club soda over a layer of burbon seals the deal for this summer refreshment.  Aziz Lalani further adds ‘ We decided to play around with good ol’ burbon as its a common favourite and not commonly used  as a summer thirst quencher given its heavy hues. However this balances out perfectly and is quite a hot seller at Koi. No pun intended.’ 

This is part of Spotlight- a series showcasing unique gastronomic trends in and around the culinary food world.