World Cocktail Day, celebrated annually on May 13th, honors the art of mixing drinks and the cultural significance of cocktails worldwide. This day commemorates the craft and creativity behind classic and contemporary cocktails that bring people together in social settings. Cocktails are not merely beverages; they are expressions of craftsmanship, blending flavors, and the joy of sipping something unique. Whether enjoying a refreshing Mojito, a sophisticated Martini, or a tropical Piña Colada, World Cocktail Day invites us to appreciate the diversity and pleasure that cocktails bring to our lives.
Dirty Gigi – The Grammar Room by Harish Chimmwal, head mixologist, Olive Group
Ingredients:
Vodka
Vermouth
Gooseberry brine
Pickled gooseberry
Local colors
Ice
Method:
Combine vodka, vermouth, gooseberry brine, and pickled gooseberry in a container.
Blend well.
Add local colors.
Serve in a glass over ice.
Rosie Rosie recipe by Nishant K Gaurav, Lead Mixologist, Guppy
Ingredients:
Whiskey
Aperol
Apple Soju
Lemon Juice
Rose Cordial
Dehydrated rose petals (for decoration)
Ice
Method:
Chill a tall fancy glass.
Decorate glass with dehydrated rose petals.
In a cocktail mixer, combine whiskey, Aperol, Apple Soju, lemon juice, and rose cordial.
Stir well with ice cubes.
Pour over clear ice in the chilled glass.
Garnish with rose petals.
Zombie at Eight, Bengaluru
Donn Beach, also known as Don the Beachcomber, in 1934. Legend has it that the drink was so potent that Beach would limit his customers to only two Zombies each to prevent them from getting too intoxicated. The original recipe was a closely guarded secret, but it typically includes rum, lime juice, various fruit juices, and several varieties of rum. A harmonious blend of dark rum, light rum, falernum syrup, grapefruit juice, and grenadine, creating a taste of tropical paradise in every sip.
Recipe
Ingredients
Dark rum – 30
light rum – 45
Joe falernum syrup -20
grapefruit juice – 60
grenadine – 15
Preparation Method- Add all ingredients one by one in the ice build, stir well then top it up with crushed ice and serve it with straw.
Taste Notes | Fruit sprity & Sour Sweetness
Heat Check – Marièta
Ingredients:
Tequila Blanco
Coriander
Jalapeño
Cucumber
Celery salt
Lime juice
Sweetener
Ice
Method:
Blend fresh coriander and jalapeños.
Filter the blended mixture.
Add cucumber cold press juice and sweetener.
Serve in a glass rimmed with celery salt over ice.
Garnish with charred jalapeño.
Down & Dirty recipe by Monkey Bar Delhi
Ingredients:
Gooseberry brine
Gin
Dry vermouth
Lime
Sugar
Ice
Method:
Blend gooseberry brine, gin, dry vermouth, lime, and sugar.
Pour into a glass over ice.
East India Julep
Ingredients:
45ml Signature premier Whisky
3 Kaffir lime leaves (or 3 chunks of Gondhoraj Lime)
10ml Mint cordial
10ml Fresh lime juice
90ml Soda
Method:
Muddle and build over ice in a tall hi ball glass.
Garnish with a Kaffir lime leaf.
Chicago Smash
Ingredients:
50ml Royal Challenge American Pride Bourbon
30ml Orange juice
15ml Lime juice
15ml Sugar Syrup
Orange chunks
Basil leaves
Soda
Crushed ice
Method:
Crush orange chunks and basil leaves in a glass.
Add bourbon, orange juice, lime juice, sugar syrup, and ice.
Top with soda and more crushed ice.
Rangpur Mogra Martini
Ingredients:
60ml Tanqueray Rangpur Lime
30ml Mogra syrup
20ml Lime juice
Cherry (for garnish)
Method:
Shake all ingredients well.
Strain into a martini glass.
Garnish with a cherry.
Cheers to Love
Ingredients:
60ml Singleton 12/15
2 dashes aromatic bitters
2 dashes chocolate bitters
1 sugar cube
Dark chocolate cube (for garnish)\
Method:
Build all ingredients over ice in a tall glass.
Stir well.
Garnish with a dark chocolate cube.
Malt & Malta
Ingredients:
60ml Johnnie Walker Blonde
20ml Malta orange marmalade
20ml Fresh lime juice
Mint leaves
Orange peel (for garnish)
Method:
Shake all ingredients well with ice.
Strain into a Nick & Nora glass.
Garnish with orange peel and mint.
Salter Melon Spiritz
Ingredients:
60ml Black & White
20ml Melon Syrup
15ml Fresh Lime Juice
2gm Salt
120ml Soda Water
Muskmelon Slice (for garnish)
Method:
Build all ingredients over ice in a highball glass.
Stir gently.
Garnish with a muskmelon slice.
Berry Ginger Dash
Ingredients:
8 pieces Fresh Mulberry
15ml Fresh lime juice
25ml Honey Syrup
10ml Fresh Ginger juice
60ml Soda water
60ml Ginger ale
Mint sprigs
Fresh mulberries (for garnish)
Method:
Muddle mulberries in a glass.
Add lime juice, honey syrup, ginger juice, soda water, and ginger ale.
Stir well.
Garnish with mint sprigs and fresh mulberries.
Reverse Breakfast by Sahil Essani
Method: Stirred
Ingredients:
60ml Biscoff Bourbon
2.5ml Toasted Oat Syrup
2 dash Orange Bitters
2 dash Cacao Bitters
Beat The Heat
Ingredients:
50ml Gordons
150ml Italian Lemonade
Italian Lemon Wedges (for garnish)
Method:
Build all ingredients over ice in a highball glass.
Stir gently.
Garnish with Italian lemon wedges.
Classic G & T
Ingredients:
50ml gin
Jimmy’s Tonic Water
Ice cubes
Lime wedge (for garnish)
Method:
Fill a glass with ice cubes.
Pour gin over the ice.
Top up with Jimmy’s Tonic Water.
Stir gently.
Garnish with a lime wedge.
Elderflower Spritz
Ingredients:
50ml vodka
Jimmy’s Tonic Water Elderflower
Ice cubes
Fresh mint leaves (for garnish)
Method:
Fill a glass with ice cubes.
Pour vodka over the ice.
Top up with Jimmy’s Tonic Water Elderflower.
Stir gently.
Garnish with fresh mint leaves.
Mint Mojito Fizz
Ingredients:
50ml white rum
Jimmy’s Mint Mojito
Ice cubes
Fresh lime slices (for garnish)
Method:
Fill a glass with ice cubes.
Pour white rum over the ice.
Add Jimmy’s Mint Mojito.
Stir well.
Garnish with fresh lime slices.
Umami Bloom
Ingredients:
60ml Clarified Tomato Juice (Agar washed)
10ml Celery Distillate
2 drops Ghost Chili Tincture
3 drops Saline
150ml BeeYoung Beer
Method:
Roll all ingredients together in a shaker.
Top up with BeeYoung Beer.
Serve chilled.
Wake Up Call
Ingredients:
60ml Nitro Coffee
10ml Hazelnut Syrup
150ml BeeYoung Beer
Grated Tonka Bean (for garnish)
Method:
Build up in a highball glass.
Garnish with grated Tonka Bean.
Peachy One
Ingredients:
40 ml / 1 ⅓ oz Belvedere Vodka
10 ml / ⅓ oz Crème de Peche
20 ml / ⅔ oz Lemon Juice
5 ml / ⅙ oz Sugar Syrup
10 ml / ⅓ oz English Breakfast Tea
Method:
Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker and shake over cubed ice. Strain into highball glass over cubed ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Dog in the Park
Ingredients:
60ml Pitbull Dark Rum
90ml Sweet lime juice
60ml Grapefruit juice
Salt & pepper rim
Sweet lime or grapefruit wedge (for garnish)
Method:
Rim glass with salt and crushed black pepper.
Fill shaker with ice.
Add all ingredients and shake.
Strain over fresh ice in the rimmed glass.
Garnish with sweet lime or grapefruit wedge.
Dark and Stormy
Ingredients
3 ounces ginger beer
2 ounces Camikara 3YO pure cane juice rum
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice (optional)
Lime wedge, for garnish
Method
Fill a highball glass with ice cubes.
Pour ginger beer into the glass.
Add Camikara rum on top.
Optionally, add lime juice.
Garnish with a lime wedge. Serve and enjoy.
Aligatorade
Ingredients:
1 slice pineapple
2/3 part lime juice
3 parts coconut water
1 1/2 parts Absolut Citron
3 dashes bitters
Ice cubes
Pineapple leaf, for garnish
Method:
Muddle pineapple in a shaker.
Add lime juice, coconut water, Absolut Citron, bitters, and ice cubes.
Shake well.
Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
Garnish with a pineapple leaf.
Sparkling Scarlet Spritz
Ingredients:
75 ml Jacob’s Creek Sparkling
75 ml mandarin orange juice
5 ml grenadine syrup
Orange quarter moon, for garnish
Method:
Ensure the sparkling wine and juice are well chilled.
Mix Jacob’s Creek Sparkling and mandarin orange juice in a chilled flute or tulip glass.
Gently pour grenadine.
Garnish with an orange quarter moon.
Cinnamon Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
50ml Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel Whisky
10ml cinnamon syrup
4 dashes orange bitters
Ice cubes
Orange peel, for garnish
Method:
Add Ballantine’s whisky and cinnamon syrup to an Old Fashioned glass with ice cubes.
Add orange bitters.
Stir for 30 seconds.
Garnish with an orange peel.
Unvined Riesling Strawberry Fling
Ingredients:
2 fresh strawberries
1 tsp sugar
30ml lime juice
120ml Jacob’s Creek Unvined Riesling
Hibiscus flower or half strawberry, for garnish
Method:
Muddle strawberry and sugar.
Add lime juice and Jacob’s Creek Unvined Riesling to a shaker.
Shake well.
Double strain into a martini glass over a hibiscus flower.
Garnish with a strawberry on the side of the glass.
Ratnagiri Alphonso Mango Smash
Ingredients:
60ml Longitude77 Indian Single Malt Whisky
20ml Alphonso mango juice (aamras)
15ml lime juice
20ml mint syrup
30ml cow milk
Slice of Ratnagiri Alphonso mango or mango leather (aam papad), for garnish
Method:
Add all ingredients (except milk) to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well.
Strain and add milk, allowing it to settle. Filter through a coffee filter.
Serve in an Old-Fashioned glass with an ice block.
Garnish with a slice of Ratnagiri Alphonso mango or mango leather.
GRANT’S PINEAPPLE LEMONADE
Ingredients:
60ml Grant’s Triple Wood Whisky
60ml lemonade
45ml Pineapple Juice
Method:
Add ice, Grant’s Triple Wood whisky, lemonade and pineapple juice in a cocktail shaker.
Double strain over ice in a rocks glass.
Garnish with a slice of pineapple
PARADISIACAL HIGHBALL
Ingredients:
50ml Glenfiddich 12-Year-Old
Premium soda water
Clear ice cubes
Lemon wedge
Method:
Top glass with ice to chill and stir
Drain melt water
Pour 1-part Glenfiddich 12 Year Old
Top with soda water to taste (we recommend 1:3 soda ratio)
Garnish with fresh lemon wedge
SIHI JEEVANA at The Library Bar, The Leela Bhartiya City Bangalore
Every coffee drinker’s go-to cocktail, Sihi Jeevana is perfect if you are in the mood for strong and bitter or light and cold, there’s a tasty blend on the classic recipe. The cocktail derives Indian Monsoon Coffee from the heart of Karnataka settled with whiskey, sweet vermouth and coffee syrup for extra depth and sweetness.
Recipe
Bourbon – 30 ml
Sweet vermouth – 20 ml
Kahlua- 10 ml
Homemade coffee syrup- 10 ml
STARFIRE at one8 Commune Bengaluru
Ingredients
- Lavender Vodka 15 ml
- Vodka 60 ml
- Red Dragon Fruit Juice 45 ml
- Star Anise Syrup 12 ml
- Clove Syrup 12 ml
- Lime Juice 15 ml
- Stillabunt 2 drops
- Basil 3 leaves
- Soda 50 ml
- Basil Leaf (for garnish)
- 2 White Dragon Fruit Balls on a stick (for garnish)
- 1 Star Anise (for garnish)
METHOD
- In a two-piece shaker, combine Lavender Vodka, Vodka, Red Dragon Fruit Juice, Star Anise Syrup, Clove Syrup, Lime Juice, Stillabunt, and Basil Leaves
- Shake the mixture well
- Fill a highball glass with ice
- Strain the shaken mixture into the prepared glass
- Top off with soda, adding 50 ml
- Garnish with a few basil leaf
- Place two white dragon fruit balls on a stick over the glass and one star anise on top for garnish
Snow White at Ouro Bengaluru
Ingredients:
- Guava-infused Gin 45 ml
- Guava Puree 15 ml
- Lime Juice 15 ml
- Rose Water 2.5 ml
- Tonique Water 10 ml
- Rose Flowers (garnish)
Glassware:
Coupe Glass
Method:
For the Guava Infused Gin:
Ingredients:
1 cup Gin
1 ripe guava, peeled and sliced
2 ripe guavas, peeled and chopped
1-2 tablespoons water (if needed)
Method:
- Place the chopped guavas in a blender or food processor.
- Blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water, one tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
- Strain the puree through a fine mesh sieve to remove any seeds or pulp, if desired.
The Cocktail:
- Chill a coupe glass in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the guava-infused gin, guava puree, lime juice, and rose water.
- Shake vigorously until well-chilled, about 15-20 seconds.
- Strain the cocktail into the chilled coupe glass.
- Float a few rose flowers on top of the cocktail for an elegant presentation.
- Serve immediately and enjoy responsibly!
FLORA ADORA WILDGARDEN CUP
The most enchanting wonders bloom in a wild garden! The Hendrick’s Flora Adora Wildgarden Cup is resplendent in a fresh refined floral fruitiness far more from the everyday. A perfectly balanced gin cocktail.
Ingredients
60 ml Hendrick’s Flora Adora 60ml
25ml lemon juice
25ml sugar syrup
Top with soda water
Method:
Fill glass with cubed ice.
Add raspberry & mint to glass, add Hendrick’S Flora Adora, lemon and simple syrup then gently mix
Top with soda, gently mix again and garnish with cucumber
GINGER MONKEY
A crowd-pleasing favourite, there is no more perfect pairing than Monkey Shoulder whisky, ginger ale and orange. The easiest of drinks to make, tastes like…OMG! (Orange / Monkey / Ginger).
Ingredients
60 ml Monkey Shoulder Original
120ml Dry Ginger Ale
1 Orange Wedge
Method
Fill a long glass with ice
Pour in Monkey Shoulder and dry ginger ale
Gently stir and garnish with the orange wedge
Guntur Karam by AIDU Cocktails
Tequila, Mango, Chilli liqueur, Citrus, Sugar, Mango caviar. A homage to the piquant Guntur Chilli from Andhra Pradesh.
Mogra Tini by AIDU Cocktails
Blue Gin, Mogra Syrup, Peach, Peach Air. Transport yourself to the aromatic boulevards of southern India with the essence of Mogra gajra.
Kokum Kolum by AIDU Cocktails
Whiskey, Kokum soda, Magic Pop. A tribute to the sour splendor of Kokum from Kerala and Karnataka.