The man behind the cocktails at Khar’s two-decade-old eatery Out of The Blue, Gaurav Prasad knows the importance of a tipsy weekend. So if a chilled beer isn’t our calling this season, he has got us covered with monsoon cocktails. The first cocktail, love at first sight, reminisces of romances in the rain. It’s a vodka-based blend with sparkling wine and the tropical flavours of passion fruit and pineapple. His second creation is the espresso martini to kick up the gloomy weather. This one has vodka, Kahlua liqueur, and a strong shot of coffee. Prasad explains the inspired pick, “Think monsoon, and you might turn to spiced rum, smoky whisky, or an infused brandy, but I wanted a challenge, and vodka is the perfect base to elevate any cocktail.” If you’d like to experiment with cocktails at home, Prasad suggests adding warmer notes with star anise, clove and cinnamon: “These are good starter ingredients to infuse into a spirit for more complexity. You can also use a smoking gun to infuse a layer of depth and warmth to a cocktail.” 

Gaurav Prasad