The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi
THE MAHARANI COCKTAIL
During the winter holidays, my brothers and I used to look forward to coming home from our various colleges. My mother would call my older brother, Madhup, ahead of time to ask which cocktail he wanted to make for the family—he chose a different cocktail every year—so she could have the ingredients ready for our arrival. She rarely drank, but she made an exception when we were all together, savoring the limited time with her three children. Madhup would mix the cocktails and we’d stay up late into the night sipping, trading stories, laughing and teasing one another.
Because the dowager queen is a fan of gin and tonics, I asked Madhup to create a cocktail just for her. Enjoy it with a samosa, pakora or any other savories Lakshmi has on offer.
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 oz gin
Pinch of freshly ground cardamom
4 strands saffron
DIRECTIONS:
- Combine and let stand for 5 minutes until flavors are infused in the gin.
- Strain.
- Then add:
3 oz tonic water
3 drops Patrón orange liqueur
Ice
Cheers! Sláinte! Prost! Na zdravi! Cin-cin! Salud!