Wanted a post-dinner drink to relax and listen to some Bengali songs. Went with an India-Japan combo of Lychee Juice (Mazaa brand) and Japanese Gin (Etsu from the Kyoto Distillery). Nice, sweet and soothing.

Continuing with the India-themed cocktails.

This is Badam milk (a rich, fragrant Indian drink made from ground almonds, milk, and flavorings like saffron and cardamom) with Smokelabs Vodka (a unique vodka made from basmati rice!) and a dash of Tia Maria coffee liqueur.

Smokelabs is headquartered in Delhi, although the distilleries are in Punjab (and Goa).

Continuing with my India-themed cocktails… The base alcohol is Jodhpur Spicy Gin. Aam Panna makes up most of the drink’s body. Mixed a bit of Tajin salt to get some tangy notes. And then, for the nose, I went with grated lime peel and ginger as a garnish on top.

Also, used a short glass to add some novelty.

Today, I brought out the guava juice that Sharmila had bought from Suvidha. Given the sweet taste, I went with the Jodhpur Spicy Gin and some dry Vermouth to get it close to a Martini.

I don’t think I had ever tried passion fruit juice before. Sharmila picked some up from a local Indian store, and after tasting just a few drops, I loved it. Not sure why I hadn’t tried it earlier.

Since the juice is quite sweet, I thought adding a bit of spice and a touch of salt would balance it nicely.

I used Sharmila’s Indian dry chili powder, Tajin salt, “S” vodka from Punjab, and passion fruit juice to create the drink.

I named it “Aztec Gold” in a nod to the origins of chili peppers and Tajin seasoning, with “Gold” reflecting the rich color of the passion fruit.

This weekend, I went back to the Guava juice from India. Used Jodhpur Spiced Gin and topped up with some Sprite. Loving the kick of the Indian gin.

Sorry for the terrible pun in the name but here is another India themed cocktail. This time, I used spicy jeera (cumin) soda, Indian vodka, ginger liqueur and some lime juice. Garnished with a spicy tamarind ball.

Another one in the India themed cocktails. This one has Jodhpur Spicy Gin with Mango juice, orange liqueur, lime juice and sugar syrup.

The pursuit of making cocktails with an Indian theme continues. This Guava Cosmopolitan has Guava juice, Grand Marnier, and Smoke Lab vodka from Punjab.

I am trying to make some cocktails with distinctly Indian theme. We will see how many I can come up with. Today’s was Khatta Meetha. This literally means “Sweet and Sour”.

Tamarind juice with Old Monk rum from India and sugar syrup. Garnished with a cinnamon stick.

By the way, did you know India has the highest per capita consumption of rum in the whole world?