What is a soup cocktail?

Imagine getting drunk on soup! Soup cocktails — the coolest trend that took over the top bars in New York earlier this year — is a comforting combination of soup and alcohol. It’s now a hit in the UK and Canada too. Bartenders back home predict that this could be the next big sip! A ripple of rum in Tom Yum soup or a dash of vodka in minestrone soup can take the sip story to a whole new high. Well, literally. What’s more? These cocktails can be served hot in winter and the monsoon months, or chilled in summer and spring. Hic!

Irfan Ahmed' Nostradamus, Fortune Select Loudon

Tomato Shorba Cocktail(with saffron jelly)

Ingredients

200ml water
75gm sugar
Jelly maker
30ml fresh lime juice
12-15 strands of saffron
150ml tomato shorba, cooked
2tbs red tomato puree
1tbs green tomato puree
1tbs red bell pepper puree
2tsp HP Sauce
1tsp horseradish sauce
1tsp balsamic vinegar
10ml juice of gondhoraj lime
Salt and pepper to taste
30ml gin
15ml orange liqueur

Method

Simmer the shorba lightly with coriander and a few drops of fenugreek-flavoured oil. Remove from heat. Add the pureed tomatoes and pepper, HP sauce, horseradish sauce, vinegar, juice of gondhoraj lime, salt and pepper. Strain through a coarse strainer or sieve. Transfer the mix into a pan and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and strain once more. Add the gin and orange liqueur. Pour into a gravy boat or preferred glassware.

For the saffron jelly: Bring the sugar and water to boil, add jelly maker and stir. Remove from heat and add the fresh lime juice and saffron strands. Pour the mix into an ice-cube tray and freeze.

Serve the cocktail with gin-soaked baby naan and saffron jelly on the side.

Prawn Tom Yum Cocktail (with coconut cream sorbet)

Ingredients

Pulp of one green coconut/ cream of coconut
120ml coconut water
15ml juice of gondhoraj lime, freshly squeezed
15ml sugar syrup infused with lemon grass
150ml prawn Tom Yum soup, cooked l30ml white rum
15ml Limoncello liqueur

Method

Bring the Tom Yum soup to boil and then simmer with a mix of white rum and Limoncello on low heat. Strain the mix and pour into a cup. Skewer the prawns from the soup on to a satay stick and garnish the cocktail with it. For the sorbet: Add the coconut water to the pulp (or cream) of green coconut, juice of gondhoraj lime and the sugar syrup. Blend at high speed and deep freeze until frozen. Serve the Tom Yum cocktail hot or chilled, accompanied by

Subhajit Chakraborty, Roxy, The Park

Green Peatini

Ingredients
l30ml vodka
l30ml Blue Curacao
1 cup cooked green pea soup
120ml orange juice
A dash of lemonade

Method
Blend the soup and orange juice. Mix together with vodka and Blue Curacao. Strain into a Martini glass and top it with lemonade. Serve with plenty of ice.

Minestrone Mary

Ingredients

45ml vodka
1 cup cooked minestrone soup
60ml tomato juice
15ml lime juice
A dash of Tabasco sauce
A dash of Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Celery stick for garnish

Method

Blend the soup and strain it. Rim an old fashioned glass with salt. In the glass, put tomato juice, lime juice, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Add the strained soup. Top it up with vodka. Garnish with celery stick and serve

Ranjan Rakshit Roy, ITC Sonar

Cucumber Frappe

Ingredients

90ml fresh pureed cucumber
Fresh basil leaves, bruised
30ml premium vodka
15ml Chenin Blanc
15ml basil infusion

Method

For basil infusion, boil a cup each of sugar and water together to make sugar syrup and add the bruised, fresh basil leaves when cool. Store in a glass bottle.
To the cucumber puree, add vodka and the Chenin Blanc. Add the basil infusion. Shake hard in a cocktail shaker and pour into a glass. Serve chilled. Garnish with a slice of fresh cucumber and a basil sprig.

Watermelon Cappuccino

Ingredients

90ml freshly squeezed watermelon juice
5ml ginger infusion
30ml premium vodka
15ml red wine
1/2tsp castor sugar
Milk froth, to taste

Method

For the ginger infusion, julienne a thumb-sized piece of ginger. Boil a cup each of sugar and water together to make sugar syrup and add the ginger when the mix cools down. Store in a glass bottle.
To the fresh watermelon juice, add vodka and castor sugar. Chill for an hour. Pour into a cup, add the red wine. Float froth of chilled milk on top. Garnish with a slice of fresh watermelon.