It’s time to wine and dine like royalty as The Cheroot Malt and Cigar Lounge at ITC Grand Chola has churned out an array of flavourful concoctions inspired by the Chola dynasty. The beverage menu is aptly titled Cholatails and is an ode to the mighty empire.
As we looked for some regal inspi-ration to begin our tasting session with, the first drink, Island hopping — a heady concoction of rum, lemongrass, pineapple, galangal, and kaffir lime leaf — made its royal entry. This drink depicts the celebration of the Southeast Asian conquests of the Cholas. The imperial potion, we think, is an acquired taste. You may not find this zesty enough at first sip, but the majestic drink invariably grows on you. We tried the cocktail with some delectable sliced lamb tossed with Sichuan spices, served on a bed of butter bean hummus, and it seemed like a match made in heaven.
The next beverage on the menu made us stare at it in disbelief. It arrived in a filter kaapi davara set alongside Arisi murukku! While the javaphile in us was in seventh heaven, we descended back to the earth at warp speed as we were quite intrigued by this ‘deceptive’ drink. Named Chukku kaapi, this beverage was a reimagined version of the household remedy used for colds and coughs. The cognac drink is charged with filter coffee, dry ginger, and green cardamom tincture. The coffee gives a sinful twist to the cognac.
We moved on to the ultimate nightcap worthy of royalty, XOXO. This is the most expensive drink on the menu, comprising cognac, peated malt, blended with nannari and saffron, all this with a chocolate cigar on the side! We were first asked to have a sip of the drink, followed by a bite of the decadent chocolate. And we must say, we were caught on the hop! Well, the chocolate tasted and smelled like a cigar! In fact, we could feel the smokey smell lingering in our mouths long after we had taken a bite. But when we sipped the beverage this time around, it tasted heavenly! All things opulent, we say!
Thereafter, we drank a toast to the leader in us with some Thalaivar martini. As the name suggests, this gin-based beverage infused with aromatised wine, Sauvignon Blanc, and vettiver is inspired by the Chola kings and the leader in them. A tad strong for our taste, this one is right up the alley of those who enjoy a good hard drink.
Though we were quite taken aback by these ingenious and bewitching creations, our pick for the night was Pippali, a refreshing and soothing vodka-based drink made with the goodness of guava and thippali (long pepper), charged with Chenin Blanc. The mild sweetness and tang of guava make this a perfect summer drink. The Kozhi ghee roast, grilled sticky rice cake topped with chicken ghee roast and crackling spinach, along with Pippali, made an alluring pair. And giving them some enticing company was the Fresh fruit sambol, a delectable delicacy comprising fresh fruit tossed with chilli sambol, served on cashew nut fluff, toasted cashews, and straw potatoes.
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We then dove into ultimate decadence with Chocolate and orange cigar, Sicilian lemon curd churros and Brown butter miso caramel icecream to provide a fitting finale to the evening that was fit for a king and queen.
Cocktails: Rs 1,200 onwards;
Mocktails: Rs 595 onwards.
At ITC Grand Chola.
sangeetha.p@newindianexpress.com
@psangeetha2112