Desi Daru debuts new signature serves
British-Indian vodka brand Desi Daru has collaborated with drinks consultant Greg Almeida to create a new range of recipes.
The cocktails embrace Desi Daru’s motto of ‘inspired in India, born in Britain’, featuring ingredients influenced by its two homelands.
Husband-and-wife team Mohit Singh and Aneet Kaur founded Desi Daru together, which launched in May 2023.
The new recipes feature both the brand’s Original and Mango expressions, the latter of which was crowned The Vodka Taste Master in 2023.
Desi Daru was also recognised as Vodka Brand of the Year at The Spirits Business Awards 2024.
Almeida said: “Working with Desi Daru was an amazing experience. It was my first brand partner and it was really important for me to take the same approach I do with operators: listen to Mohit’s vision, understand his needs and come up with a clear plan.
“Learning about and blending cultures is one of my favourite things to do when it comes to food and beverage, and with Mohit really keen on highlighting Indian flavours, we decided on a path early on.
“The catch was to create Desi Daru-based serves that would highlight the versatility and premium quality of the brand, while making sure the general public would be able to replicate most of the serves at home. Of course, cocktails had to be unique, delicious, modern and aesthetically stunning, with each liquid deserving their own distinctive serves.
“I am extremely pleased by the final result, I cannot wait for everyone to see what we did together and look forward to working more with them in the future.”
The new serves include a Desi Daru twist on a Dry Martini, featuring cardamom bitters and a discarded orange zest finish.
The Mango expression’s new signature serve is a Mango Gimlet, which blends the vodka with a coriander seed cordial and Cocchi Americano.
Beyond the signature cocktails, each expression also has a ‘simple’, ‘intermediate’ and ‘advanced’ serve.
Simple serves include Desi & Tonic and a Paloma with Achari Masala salt, while more advanced recipes include the Thandai Desi Lassi, made with Indian cream, Bénédictine, cardamom bitters, and a house-made Indian aromatics powder.
Singh added: “We are always so impressed with what bartenders do with our liquid, and we have our favourite ways to enjoy our vodkas at home, however we wanted to work a professional to help us create hero serves that are not only delicious, but reflect who we are and what our vision is at Desi Daru.
“Greg took the time to understand what we were looking for and created a range of serves that we’re truly proud of.
“It was great to see these brought to life by [photographer] David Lineton. He and his team were true professionals and captured the essence of these drinks in such an exciting and authentic way.”
Mango Colada Milk Punch
- 40ml Desi Daru Alphonso Mango vodka
- 10ml Aluna coconut rum
- 10ml Fair passionfruit liqueur
- 10ml Martini Bianco
- 25ml Pineapple acid cordial*
- 5ml Lime juice
- 20ml Tonka syrup*
- 30ml Green and jasmine tea*
- 37.5ml Whole milk
Garnish: Grated tonka bean, orange zest discard and edible flower
Glassware: Rocks glass
In a container, mix all the ingredients except whole milk. Add the milk slowly to the cocktail. Without stirring or shaking it, place the container in the fridge until the milk curdles. When the acids turn the milk into solids, you will see the top part of the cocktail become clear. Using a coffee filter, slowly strain the cocktail, including the milk solids. Let the cocktail strain itself until only milk solids are left in the filter. Bottle and keep refrigerated for up to three months.
To serve, pour the Milk Punch into a rocks glass on ice. Garnish.
*Homemade ingredients
Green and jasmine tea
- 200ml Water at 80ºC
- 3g Green and jasmine tea (1 tsp)
In a bowl, add the loose leaves to the hot water. Let the tea brew for three minutes. Fine strain, bottle and keep in the fridge until needed for the Punch.
Pineapple lime acid cordial
- 500ml Fresh pineapple juice
- 16g Citric acid
- 10g Malic acid
In a container, mix ingredients until powder is dissolved.
Tonka bean syrup
- 7g Tonka beans
- 500g Sugar
- 250ml Water
With a mortar, lightly grind the tonka beans. In a vacuum-sealed bag, add all the ingredients and cook sous-vide for one hour at 80ºC. Fine strain, bottle and keep refrigerated.
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