Whether you have plans to celebrate with your pals or whip up a meal for your partner, one of the best ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day is to raise a toast to the occasion with festive cocktails. Shashank Kapur, assistant Food & Beverage service manager at The Oberoi Grand, has a few tricks up his sleeve to make your V-Day celebrations memorable. He recommends preparing an Old-Fashioned, Cosmopolitan, or Tom Collins to stay in high spirits on February 14.
Shashank Kapur, assistant F&B service manager at The Oberoi Grand, plays ‘date night mixologist’
In a career spanning 12 years, Kapur has worked in some of the top hotels in India such as The Oberoi Bangalore, The Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur, and Trident in Mumbai. He comes from a family of foodies, and his sister Simran Kapur was the IIHM Young Chef India Schools 2013 champion.
Tom Collins
If it’s a day date and your partner is a light drinker, the classic Tom Collins should be your go-to choice. “It’s a gin-based cocktail that any one can make with easily available ingredients,” says Kapur. This ‘built up drink’ was first memorialised in writing by Jerry Thomas, the father of American mixology, in 1876.
Glass: Collins
Ingredients
- 60ml London Dry Gin (brands like Beefeater, Gordon’s, Bombay Sapphire or Goa’s Greater Than)
- 15ml Lemon Juice
- 15ml Sugar Syrup
- Club Soda (Top Up)
- Garnish
- 1-2 Lemon Slices
Method
- Put all ingredients in the glass
- Add 4-5 large ice cubes
- Stir well
- Top it up with soda and a wedge of lime
Old-Fashioned
Take your time with the Old-Fashioned sipping cocktail. “This whiskey-based drink is a personal favourite, if made correctly,” says Kapur. It is meant to make you relish the special moments you spent with your partner.
Glass: Whiskey
Ingredients
- 60ml Bourbon Whiskey
- 2-3 ml Angostura Bitters
- 1 piece Sugar Cube (or 1 bar spoon of granulated sugar)
- 7-8 large ice cubes
- 1 peel of a fresh orange to garnish the drink
Method
- Muddle the sugar cube and bitters in the glass itself
- Add 4 ice cubes
- Pour 30 ml whiskey
- Stir well for 20 seconds until it is properly diluted and chilled
- Add 4 more ice cubes
- Pour 30 ml whiskey
- Stir well for 20 seconds
- Slip in the twist of orange peel and serve
Cosmopolitan
The Cosmopolitan is a vodka-based shaken cocktail. “When you are stepping behind the bar for your partner and shaking up a nice cocktail, it really adds to the charm of the drink,” says Shashank. The Cosmo could be just what you need to spice up your Valentine's Day.
Glass: Martini/Cocktail
Ingredients:
- 45ml Vodka
- 15ml Orange Liqueur
- 60ml Cranberry Juice
- 10ml Lime Juice
- 1 Lemon/Orange Twirl to garnish
Method
- Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker
- Add 5-6 cubes of ice
- Shake and strain into a chilled glass
What dish goes well with these cocktails?
“Something that is easy to do and any one can make with minimal ingredients is the Spaghetti Aglio e Olio,” says Shashank. Keeping it simple saves time and elevates the experience you wish to have with your Valentine or BFF.
Ingredients
- 500 gm uncooked spaghetti
- 90 ml olive oil
- 6-8 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 50gm chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 100gm finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano/ Parmesan cheese
Method
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
- Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite.
- Drain and transfer to a pasta bowl.
- Retain the pasta water.
- While the pasta is cooking, combine olive oil and garlic in a cold pan.
- Cook over medium heat to slowly toast garlic, for about 5-7 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low when olive oil begins to bubble.
- Cook and stir until the garlic is golden brown, about another 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Add the red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper along with the pasta into the pan.
- Vigorously toss it for 2-3 mins on medium heat, while adding about 60-70 ml of the pasta water.
- Take the pan off the heat and finish with the chopped parsley and half of the Parmesan cheese and mix it well.
- Serve pasta topped with the remaining Parmesan cheese.