Vikas Khanna - Mocktails, Punches & Shrubs: What to drink when youre not drinking

Contents Heres to health and happiness Whether served in crystal decanters or in antique silver teapots, artfully styled drinks provide the perfect prelude to an afternoon or evening of fine food, creating an atmosphere of warmth, conviviality, and hospitality. This dazzling collection of drinks, including some timeless classics and exciting modern recipes, will go a long way to creating a room full of happy and appreciative guests. One of the most important aspects of anything we eat or drink is pleasure. We are bombarded with scents and flavours every day, and these experiences can be stored with surprising vividness for a very long time. We all have childhood memories of our ultimate comfort drinks: as kids, some of us woke up to the smell of coffee, while for others it was fruity, juicy morning drinks. For me it was warm milk scented with cardamom, sometimes garnished with almond slivers.

I spent most of my childhood experiencing flavours and tastes of foods and drinks from around India. The nostalgia of smelling perfumed cardamom chai in a clay pot, and the kokum-flavoured coconut milk served before a lavish spread of south Indian delicacies, still lingers on. I also learned how to combine the woody flavour of cumin with the liquorice taste of star anise, or cool mint with lemony coriander, and I remember creating a thick jam in Kashmir using the sweet-tart flavours of cherries and combining them with the slightly liquorice flavour of fennel seeds. Inspired, I embarked on a quest to collect and catalogue as many flavours and scents from foreign cultures as possible. A plethora of tasting experiences provided me with insights on what is mixable, edible, and, most importantly, what can stimulate and benefit us in a positive way. This collection of drinks is a fruition of all those experiences and insights.

Ranging from herbal infusions to new combinations of teas and tantalizing elixirs and smoothies to shrubs and slushies, these drinks take little time to prepare, yet taste so good. Put your own spin on classic concoctions, mix and match garnishes and adornments, and stir up some modern fusion drinks using ingredients such as passion fruit, kumquats, and radishes; with a few of these simple preparations, you will have something new to bring to the table. These versatile recipes will also allow you to play with your imagination and create drinks for any occasion, while keeping the flavour and wholesome goodness of the ingredients intact. So, get ready to serve up some good-spirited fun and dazzle your guests with your creativity. Hope you enjoy working with these recipes as much as I did creating them. Cheers!

essential ingredients While the recipes in this eBook include a wide variety of ingredients and exciting flavours, there are certain basic ingredients that you should keep handy so that youre always prepared.

Citrus fruits Refreshing, tart, and acidic, citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, and oranges are key ingredients in many drinks. For the best flavour use fresh fruits, not the bottled juices you see in the store. Fresh root ginger Ginger root is the rhizome of the ginger plant, which is native to warmer parts of Asia. Despite its pungent, earthy, sweet-spice flavour, ginger is an incredibly versatile ingredient that pairs well with almonds, apricots, cinnamon, cranberry, honey, lemon, and salt, to name just a few. It also acts as a great counter-balance to greens such as kale, spinach, and parsley. Grenadine Both sweet and tart with a deep red colour, grenadine is a popular ingredient in drinks.

Its traditionally made from pomegranates, however today some brands are made from just corn syrup and colouring. For the best flavour, check the ingredients on the bottle and make sure youre purchasing one made from real pomegranates. Mint Cool, clean, and refreshing, mint is a classic garnish in summer drinks. Use only fresh mint and use it as soon as possible. Discard any leaves that are wilted or brown as they will spoil the flavour and appearance of your drink. Peppercorns Pepper has different characteristics depending on its origin.

Black peppercorns have a bold and biting taste, whereas white peppercorns have a sweetish afternote. Tellicherry, a variety of black pepper grown in Kerala, India, has the largest berries and is considered by many to be the best quality. Pepper adds a pungent flavour and warm aroma to drinks. Pink peppercorns The berries of the Brazilian pepper tree, pink peppercorns are pleasantly fruity, with a clear note of pine, but lack the heat of black pepper. Although resembling black peppercorns in both shape and taste, pink peppercorns are not actually peppercorns at all, but a member of the cashew and mango family. The berry of a pink peppercorn has a brittle outer shell enclosing a hard seed.

Pomegranate Considered a symbol of life in many cultures due to the scores of jewel-like seeds contained inside the tough skin, pomegranate is used extensively in Middle Eastern cuisine. It imparts an earthy, sweet and sour flavour into drinks. When buying pomegranates look for fruits with shiny, unblemished skins and avoid any that have soft patches. A fruit that is heavy for its size will yield the most juice. Sea salt Salt blocks bitter flavours and enhances sweet and sour flavours, which means in small quantities it can help to perfectly balance a drink. Think of the classic caramel and sea salt pairing and how the salt helps to bring out the rich flavours of the sweet caramel.

The same principle can be applied when mixing drinks. Soda water Carbonated water is an integral mixer in many drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic alike, due to its neutral flavour that can be used with anything from fruit juice to shrubs. The fizziness can make a simple drink suddenly seem like a special indulgence. Always keep several bottles on hand so you never find yourself without a mixer. Sugar Just like sour, salty, and bitter, sweet is one of the recognised basic flavours of taste. For well-rounded food and drinks that dont seem overpowering, flavours should balance and complement one another.

Sweetness acts as a counter-balance to sour, helps to minimize bitterness, and provides body to a drink. There are many different types of sugar available, from simple white caster to dark brown muscovado, all with their own special flavours and uses. Vanilla extract Vanilla is the bean-like fruit of a climbing orchid native to Central America and other tropical areas, such as Kerala in India. Vanilla extract is made by macerating the pods in alcohol. It has a sweet aroma and delicate taste and is commonly used to flavour desserts.

Warm Mango, Pineapple, and Chia Punch Serves Takes 10 mins, plus chilling overnight Ingredients 2 tbsp chia seeds 240ml (8fl oz) mango pulp, or the flesh of 1 large mango, blended until smooth 240ml (8fl oz) pineapple juice Method Add the chia seeds to 120ml (4fl oz) of hot water and stir to disperse them evenly.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. Combine the mango pulp and pineapple juice in a saucepan and cook over a low heat until warm. Pour the warmed juice into 4 glasses. Add a spoonful of soaked chia seeds to each glass and serve immediately. Although all tropical fruits blend well, it is the mango and pineapple flavours that take centre stage here; Loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants, these two fruits make a delicious and uplifting summer drink.