World Class India - The Cocktails Part 1

I have some good days at work and some great days at work. Hosting the Diageo Reserve World Class India Finals for the 2nd time was one of the greatest days. Over the next few posts I'll be posting cocktails by some of the finalists and prove that India is well and truly World Class!

Sequel Eighteen 42 

by Devender Seghal from Ellipsis Mumbai

Glass Highball
Method Dry shake, add ice, get someone else to shake until their arms fall off. Strain into a chilled glass and top with soda
Indgredients
45ml Tanqueray No.TEN
20ml St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
30ml Heavy cream flavoured with homemade vanilla syrup
3 Drops Orange Blossom Water
1 Egg white
30ml Freshly squeezed lemon & lime juice (50:50 mix)
Splash of soda water

Golden Age

by Devender Seghal from Ellipsis

Glass Old Fashioned

Method Stir all ingredients with cubed ice and strain into a glass filled with fresh ice

Ingredients

50ml Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve

15ml Taylors 10yo Port

7.5ml Drambuie

1 Barspoon Homemade Spice syrup

2 Dashes The Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters

A most unusual discovery

I'm a self confessed spirits geek. I admit that the words 'small batch' and 'artisanal' excite me.

There are those occasional days when people that don't share my passion surprise me. Today was one of those days.

Whilst setting up a new bar in a 5 star hotel, mention was made of a couple of bottles of 'expensive' Scotch whisky that had been in the stores for a while, but had never sold. Famous names and big numbers were thrown around and a few minutes later two bottles appeared at the bar.

The first bottle, a 1991 bottling of the legendary Glenfiddich 50 (bottle number 475 from a batch of 500 to be exact) complete with box, scroll of authenticity and the other gumph that comes with such bottles is a rare enough find in India.

The second bottle tho. Oh the second bottle! There are cool bottles, sexy brands, products that make bartenders go a little weak at the knees and then there is pure, unadulterated booze porn. The kind of rare bottlings of liquid that you'd sell your first born just to have a taste of and leaves people wondering if there's a Mars bar in your pocket.

In 1926, the Master Distiller at Dalmore distillery (long before Richard Patterson or Vijay Malaya), laid down whisky that would remain in the barrel for 50 years. So in 1976 it had reached perfection and was removed from the barrels, blended and placed into a modest ceramic decanter that couldn't be further removed from the frankly ridiculous crystal decanters that clothe modern bottlings and add a third to the price of the liquid.

A quick scan of the Mc-internet shows a valuation of around $30,000 USD!

So if you're feeling wealthy, perhaps they'll put it on the menu.

Dalmore 50YO Pure Mal

December 1926 to 1976