MONSOON COCKTAIL
Two Hot
Cocktails to Warm You up in the Rain
By
VIKRAM KARVE
Monsoon Rains
have arrived in Pune. It is raining incessantly all day – windy, damp, cold,
squalls of rain drench me from the insides as I stand in my balcony in Wakad
enjoying the awesome view of the Misty Mula Valley, surrounded by the instantly
Green Hills, and the silhouette of the mighty Sinhagad Fort barely visible in
the distance.
In order to
enhance the experience of such moments you desperately need something to warm
your insides.
A cup of tea?
Let us
fortify your tea with something stronger.
Here are two
recipes for Tea Based Hot Cocktails from my Foodie Archives – Take your pick …
WHISKY TEA TODDY
Here is one of
my favourite “Hot Cocktails” – a rousing Whisky Tea Toddy – just the right
thing to fire you up inside out on the dampest of days and coldest of nights –
a recipe breathtaking in its simplicity.
By the way, I
am sure you know there are five ways of
making a cocktail:
1. Layering
2. Building
3. Blending
4. Shaking
5. Stirring.
Here we will “build” our Whisky Tea Toddy, which
means that we will pour the ingredients directly in a large mug (or a glass
tumbler), one by one, strictly in the order given in the recipe below.
Brew one cup
of steaming hot tea (orange pekoe steeped for 5 minutes if you prefer the
flavour and aroma or your usual “boiled” CTC tea if you want it strong and
rejuvenating).
Strain and keep
the tea brew piping hot on the stove or in a vacuum flask.
Now let us
“Build” our Whisky Toddy Cocktail.
1. First, pour
a generous spoon of Honey into a
glass (or mug). Let the honey settle at the bottom of the glass.
2. Add a large
peg of Whisky.
3. Optional Ingredient (Lemon Juice) - The
person who taught me this recipe liked to squeeze in a wee bit of lemon juice,
but I prefer it without the lemon juice – you can experiment and see for
yourself, but if you do add just a very few drops. Remember, just add the drops
of lemon juice – Do Not Stir at this stage and ruin the Cocktail.
4. Pour in the
steaming hot brewed Tea
Now that you
have “built up” your Cocktail you can give it a light stir to enable all the
ingredients to mix.
Now cuddle up
on your warm sofa and sip the invigorating Tea Toddy.
Close your
eyes, focus on your insides as the hot whisky toddy goes down inside you and experience
how it warms you inside out.
If you prefer,
try a large peg of Brandy instead of
Whisky, but do not substitute Rum in lieu of the Whisky.
Rum Toddy is made differently – this cocktail is “blended” not “built”
and you will really have “spice it up”.
I am giving
below the recipe for Rum Toddy.
RUM TODDY - A ZESTY HOT COCKTAIL
(A Spicy Cocktail with Tea, Rum and
Brandy)
1. Brew one
cup of steaming hot tea (orange pekoe steeped for 5 minutes if you prefer the
flavour and aroma or your usual “boiled” CTC tea if you want it strong and
rejuvenating).
2. Strain the
tea in another vessel and keep this tea brew simmering on a slow flame.
3. Add a few
cloves (lavang), a pinch of nutmeg (Jaiphal) powder, a small stick of cinnamon
(dalchini), close the lid and simmer for some time.
4. Blend in a
teaspoon of honey.
5. Pour in One
Large Peg of Rum and blend in.
6. Pour in
One Large Peg of Brandy and blend in.
7. The moment
the concoction boils, strain and pour into a glass tumbler.
This steaming
hot spicy rum cocktail is guaranteed to warm your insides and drive away the
chill on a cold, damp, wet, rainy day.
(If you are
allergic to tea, use water instead of tea and caramelized sugar instead of
honey, for both the Whisky and Rum Hot Cocktails)
Hey, what are
you waiting for?
Just rush to
your Kitchen (or Bar) and quickly make your Hot Cocktail and “Down the Hatch” –
I guarantee it will enliven your spirits on the dampest, wettest and coldest of
monsoon days.
Do tell us
which of these two cocktails you liked more.
Cheers.
Top Up and
Dance in the Rain and enjoy the Monsoon Season.
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2012
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
Did you like this COCKTAIL?
I am sure you will like the 27 fiction short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAIL
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-81910 91844?affid=nme
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-ka rve.html
COCKTAIL ebook
If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925
Foodie Book: Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9 mr2o
About Vikram Karve
A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional research papers in journals and edited in-house journals for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.
Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
Did you like this COCKTAIL?
I am sure you will like the 27 fiction short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAIL
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-81910
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-ka
COCKTAIL ebook
If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925
Foodie Book: Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9
About Vikram Karve
A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional research papers in journals and edited in-house journals for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.
Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
Vikram Karve! You posted on my blog on Railway Toilets several monsoons ago. I was wandering on the blogosphere and got to read your hot Monsoon cocktails (Both the Whiskey and Rum Toddy). Sounds very warming. Must try it. you write very well. I am considering putting together a book on food experiences. Must read your book. will pick it up somewhere. George
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