ROXY

ROXY GOLD

Talking point: “Gold is the key highlight in this deluxe cocktail, giving a sparkly celebration a whole new meaning. The Dom Perignon coupled with gold makes the drink exceptional and one of its kind,” says Hem Dhillon of The Park.Method: Shake 30ml Johnnie Walker King George V whisky with 15ml cinnamon gold liqueur in a shaker. Pour into a champagne tulip. Add 120ml Dom Perignon champagne and sprinkle gold leaf on top.

Underground

Consomme Cosmo

Talking point: “This is a food-based cocktail. And the sheer novelty makes people give it a try at least once. Since the ingredients contain chicken, the taste is different and unique,” says a spokesperson for Underground, HHI.

Method: Mix 120ml chicken consomme soup, 60ml vodka and 15ml Cointreau together and shake. Strain the mixture into a chilled martini glass and garnish with diced chicken.

Shisha

Americana

Talking point: “The flavour of Italian herbs and fortified grapes makes it different. It’s supposed to be enjoyed and sipped slowly,” says S.K. Samim, manager, Shisha.

Method: Fill a classic glass with ice cubes. Pour 30ml each of Campari and sweet vermouth. Top it off with club soda. Garnish with lemon twists or orange slices.

Plush

Shake Me Up

Talking point: “This sweet and sour mix is popular among the ladies because of its taste and sparkling nature,” says Sumitro Basu, manager, Plush.

Method: Pour 45ml Absolut Apeach vodka in a regular glass. Add 30ml grape juice, 15ml Cointreau, 10ml lime juice and 10ml sugar syrup. Shake well and pour into a pilsner glass. Top it off with sparkling wine.

Tantra

A match made in Heaven

Talking point: “It has two luxurious ingredients — champagne and Louis XIII de Remy Martin cognac. This cocktail is quite an experience!” says Rajnish Rao, manager, Tantra.

Method: Take six or seven fresh cherries and soak in 30ml cognac for two hours. Refrigerate. Place four cherries and a full spoon of the cognac syrup from the soaked cherries in a champagne flute. Top up with 90ml champagne.

9F

Exotica on the 9th Floor

Talking point: “It is made with the luxury French vodka Tigre Blanc. The many fruits that go into it give it a rich fruity flavour,” says Bunty Sethi, owner, 9F.

Method: The Tigre Blanc French vodka is infused with seasonal fresh fruits (orange, peach, lemon, melon) and some olives, cinnamon, basil and bay leaves for about five days. Pour around 60ml of this fruit-infused vodka over crushed ice, ensuring that a bit of each of the fruits is there in the glass. Top up with around 60ml ginger ale. It can also be served flaming with sambuca poured on top.

Nocturne

Champagne Margarita

Talking point: “Whenever I think of exotic cocktails, I think of champagne-based ones. They usually contain less alcohol, so even if you down a few you won’t get very high. You can enjoy both the drink and the night,” says Sovan Mukherjee, director, Nocturne.

Method: Combine 30ml reposado or anejo tequila, 15ml triple sec or Cointreau and zest of one lime in a pitcher. Mix, cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes. Strain to remove the zest and pour it into a margarita glass. Top it up with champagne or sparkling wine, especially prosecco. Garnish with a slice of lime.

Nirvana

Chewing cane

Talking point: “Served in a jar, Chewing Cane is a solid cocktail that people can relish by chewing the cane cubes in it. It’s exotic because the tequila used in the drink is one of the most expensive available,” says Nirvana’s bar supervisor Imran Khan.

Method: Mix 90ml Corralejo Reposado (tequila), 90ml Bacardi Carta Blanca (white rum), 60ml sugar syrup and two wedges of lime. Add 12 cubes of sugar cane and soak them in the mixture overnight. Serve chilled in a margarita glass.

afraa

Afraa brain Haemorrhage

Talking point: “Not to be confused with the shooter called Brain Haemorrhage. We have used cinnamon in this coffee-flavoured flaming cocktail, using some of the most expensive spirits. As the name suggests, one drink is enough!” says bartender Suman Jana.

Method: Pour 15ml each of gin, tequila, white rum and vodka in a cocktail glass. Add a cinnamon stick and caramelised banana (banana marinated with Cointreau). Pour 15ml each of Kahlua and Baileys Irish Cream in two separate shot glasses. Ignite the banana and serve the drink. Pour the Kahlua and Baileys simultaneously and sip.

MAAYA

The french treasure

Talking point: “It has an exquisite golden colour, the ingredients are stirred to perfection and the taste is out of the world,” says Sushant Kumar, head bartender at Maaya, Swissotel Kolkata Neotia Vista. The drink is served with a platter of marinated steamed prawns, smoked salmon and breads like Lavash and Grissini, along with Swiss cheese and dry fruits.

Method: Put 60ml Remy Martin V.S.O.P. (cognac), 30ml Martini Rosso (vermouth), 30ml cranberry juice, 15ml Cointreau and 10ml sugar syrup in a shaker with ice cubes. Stir well. Serve in a martini glass.

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Irfan Ahmed of Nostradamus picks the world’s top three luxury cocktails

Winston

Where: Club 23, Melbourne, co-owned by Shane Warne

Price tag: $12,500

Created by: Joel Heffernan

Mixed with: 1858 Croizet cognac, Grand Marnier Quintessence and Chartreuse VEP, along with chocolate nutmeg dust, poppy seed essence, rose essence and a little coconut.

Trivia: The cocktail was named in honour of Winston Churchill. It is said that Churchill and the Allies commander General Dwight Eisenhower shared a rare bottle of 1858 Croizet (the main and most expensive ingredient in this cocktail) on the eve of the Invasion of Normandy by Allied Forces in 1944.

Salvatore’s Legacy

Where: Playboy Club, London

Price tag: £5,500

Created by: Salvatore Calabrese

Mixed with: Vintage 1778 cognac, 1770 bottle of Kummel liqueur, an 1860 Dubb Orange Curacao and a tiny bottle of 19th-century Angostura bitters.

Trivia: The first time Salvatore attempted this cocktail for the Guinness World Records, a rare bottle of 1778 Clos de Griffier Vieux Cognac, worth £50,000, was dropped and smashed to bits.

Ono Champagne Cocktail

Where: Encore Wynn, Las Vegas

Price tag: $10,000

Mixed with: A rare Remy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl cognac (a bottle of which retails for $100,000), some Charles Heidsieck 1981 Champagne Charlie, orange juice, Sence rose nectar, apricot puree and ice.

Trivia: It comes with an 18K gold necklace with Tahitian black pearl for women drinkers, while men get a pair of 18K gold Montblanc cufflinks!