After a six-month hiatus, The Finch has reopened its doors and has brought on board Ron Ramirez as its creative director of mixology. Originally from Thailand, Ramirez is one of Asia's most revered culinary mixologists and at Finch, he not only created exciting cocktails but is also conducting a mixology class that draws a fine balance between fun and education.
We attended one of his mixology classes earlier this month and learnt his signature cocktail - The Bird Cage. A tequila-based cocktail, which becomes spicier with time, the drink is demanding when it comes to preparation. One would need red wine salt, chilli ice cubes (both red and green), rosemary-infused honey among other ingredients. Thankfully, they were prepared beforehand for us participants, and once the ingredients are ready, making a cocktail is quite easy or so he made us believe. Throughout the session, Ramirez keeps the environment light and patiently helps every participant learn using a shaker or rimming a glass with salt properly. Ramirez, who is known for transforming drinks into full-blown pieces of art, also gives a lesson or two on garnishing your drinks in this class, from adding a simple dried fruit to creating drama and using an actual cage in this case. We paired our cocktail with an array of appetisers, including Broccoli Tort and Patti Wrap Tikka. The tart had a filling of finely chopped broccoli and cheddar cheese and was mildly flavoured and so was the wrap made from Zucchini. The latter was stuffed with panner and veg mix, and the filling was so tender that it almost melted in our mouth. Both went well with our drink which was rather spicy. Overall, our experience was fun and tipsy, thanks to the cocktails we were making and tasting and found it apt for a fun date night.
We also liked his signature drink so much that we asked Ramirez to share with us his recipe for our readers, along with instructions to prepare the ingredients at home.
The Bird Cage
Recipe by Ron Ramirez, Creative Director of Mixology, The Finch
Ingredients: Blue Agave (White Tequila) 30ml, Orange Liquor 15ml, Pink Grapefruit Juice 45ml, Honey Rosemary Infusion 20ml, Lime Juice 15ml, Red Wine Salt 15ml (Michelin star technique), Dried fruits
Preparation:
1. First blend 500ml water together with green and red chillies. Slightly blend till the chillies are crushed. Freeze overnight
2. Infused five springs of rosemary with one cup of hot water and add two cups of honey
3. Sauté 200gms rock salt in a fry pan with 30 ml red wine till it’s become dry (about seven minutes).
Method:
Step 1: Rim glass with red wine salt
Step 2: Put two pieces of chilli ice cubes in a rock glass or old fashioned glass and set it aside
Step 3: In a cocktail shaker combine tequila, pink grapefruit juice, lime juice, orange liquor, honey rosemary infusion
Step 4: Shake it with normal ice in a cocktail shaker for 10 seconds
Step 5: Strain the cocktail and transfer to the glass with chili ice cubes
The mixology class is happening every Saturday between 6 to 9 pm. Advance booking is mandatory. Charges: Rs 1700 per head