New high with fruity gin sorbets

It’s not always that you can sip your cocktail and eat it too. On the occasion of World Gin Day on June 8, Olive Qutub gives you the rare chance to do so with its GinTo Sorbet Week that concludes on Sunday. On offer is a limited edition gin cocktails with sorbets, to comply with the rising trend of culinary cocktails.

Among the small group of mixologists in India who serve blends with sorbets, Harish Chhimwal is one such person. For over 12 years, he’s been developing sorbet cocktails. His version of the Lemon Sorbet, which he claims has raked the most revenue generating pour over, is what he’ll present at the gin week, along with new flavours – berry, passion fruit, blue curacao, and kiwi.

Chhimwal observes how in the last four years, more customers are willing to give gin a try. “What makes gin desirable is its composition. It brings through wonderful fragrances as well as flavours. You have juniper berries, grapefruit zest, orange zest, cassia bark, coriander, cardamom and others making it multi-faceted, as opposed to vodka that’s just plain alcohol down to 42.8 per cent in a bottle,” he says.
Since the week started on June 3, he has sold over 50 glasses, which he considers a great indication. “It’s hot and sticky and people have had it with cocktails that burn inside. Sorbets by the virtue of their composition are light and cool. These are sipped rather than downed as these are to be enjoyed over a slow afternoon,” says Chhimwal, as he gets behind the bar counter to demonstrate his point.

What he creates in the next few minutes is his signature drink, the Lemon Sorbet. Minty, tangy and icy, the yolk shaped sorbet sits in the heart of a chilled Bordeaux glass with a diminutive edible flower purchased from Krishi Cress, a Delhi-based farming initiative that offers fresh quality veggies. The drink is mildy sweet, but quite citrusy. Softness, smoothness and freshness... it concocts all beautifully.

For all his mixes, Chhimwal has used Greater Than gin – the only London dry gin made in India. Replete in botanicals such as juniper, lemongrass, fennel, coriander seeds, chamomile and others, it provides a zesty body to the cocktails. “You can also ask for your choice of gin and we’ll make the same cocktail with it,” he says, speaking highly of the Monkey 47 gin that comes with 47 botanicals.  

We decided to stick to Greater Than for its summery, fruity constitution and waited for the next serving. It was a Berry Sorbet version. Created from Raspberry puree, sugar, water and gelatin, it was more creamy than icy. The notes were luscious and as these dissolved gradually into the base liquor. Once left aside, the drink transformed into a milkshake-like consistency, which was great as the new texture brought out a full-bodied taste and character.

The process is the same for all concoctions. The only contrast lies in the flavours. A set standard of 50ml gin is added to all cocktails and the reason is a well-calculated one. “People who come to Olive don’t want to get drunk. They like to sit back and relax and are, therefore, looking for something that can be enjoyed for hours without it giving them a spinning head. So 50 ml achieves that perfectly. It gives you a high without getting you sloshed,” says the mixologist, though he will tip over some extra gin if you ask nicely.
The Kiwi Sorbet comes in next with a tartness that amalgamates surgery and piquant flavours. This one too, like all others, has a tiny edible flower bobbing in the middle. A dampener was the Blue Curacao, though it’s dyed blue matched the pastel palate of the other drinks, its essence was mildly bitter and oddly thick.

The afternoon culminated with the Passion Fruit variant that we were keen to try given the complex characteristics of the fruit. It arrived with a pleasant lightness to it. Whiffs of mango and citrus came through as we tipped the glass to take the first sip. We liked the fact that it wasn’t as sweet as the others and offered a somewhat sour after taste.

With that, our Gin Day ended on high ‘spirits’. As the last word, drink responsibly.

GinTo Sorbet Week at Olive Qutub
TILL: June 9
AT: Olive Qutub, One Style Mile, Mehrauli
Price: I525 plus taxes