Diwali at Monkey Bar Kolkata

Eating and drinking are at the heart of all Indian festivals, and Diwali is no exception. And at most festive gatherings, the sherbets, introduced to India by the Mughals, is a top favourite. Most popular during Indian festivals are milk-based drinks such as "badam" (almond) milk as milk has long been considered special and auspicious in our country. Milk infused with almonds, and saffron and then slightly sweetened is a great celebration drink.  So this festive season Monkey Bar brings you a special cocktail “Peena Colada” which is our take on the classic Pina Colada combined with the Indian flavours of a badam milk sherbet. 

It's an interesting combination of white rum with homemade rabri or thickened milk flavoured with saffron along with traditional badaam Shirin (a traditional badam syrup which is usually added to flavour milk), topped with slivered almonds and a pinch of saffron to give a delicious and heady spin to an old favourite.  Peena Colada priced at Rs 375+ taxes comes both as a regular cocktail or as 4 shots for the same price - depending on the style and company you want to drink it in.  It's the season for all things exotic and Indian - so badam syrup, thickened milk and saffron add that festive flavour to our rum cocktail. 

In the true spirit of the gastropub tradition, Monkey Bar’s cocktails have always raised the bar, steering away from sweet, syrupy concoctions to fresher flavours with depth and variety. Our inspiration here was picking up some old Indian favourites and combining them with unique ingredients to make signature cocktails at Monkey Bar.