28 March 2026

From the bartender’s corner – Aztec Gold

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.

27 March 2026

New country for coffee

This is from Germany. To be clear, Germany does not produce coffee beans. These are Arabica beans procured from Central America and South America. And then, roasted in Germany. This is their Espresso 57 Dark Roast variety.

I liked the taste. Lower in acidity and fuller-bodied.

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11 March 2026

Tried this “Kaapi” beans

Bought this coffee bean packet from the Indian coffee place that goes by the same name in Atlanta. Ground it and then did the normal “filter kaapi” process. Did not come out as well. I now realize that the distinct flavor and aroma comes from the chicory that is added to coffee beans in the traditional South Indian coffee.

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