Bartenders shaking things up with new flavours, one urrack cocktail at a time

Panaji: It’s time to shelf the tequila and vodka, as bars and bistros across Goa are seeing a rising demand this summer for cocktails made with the state’s indigenous spirits—feni and urrack. These cocktails are finding favour with tourists as much as with locals. While locals are trying out the cocktails in the hopes of putting a new twist to their favourite spirits, tourists are taking social media recommendations to heart.
Bartenders said that some of the popular flavours to mix with the local spirits in cocktails are kokum syrup, exotic peppers like Sichuan and even tequila.
“The demand is definitely up for urrack and feni-based cocktails this season, with an increasing number of tourists asking for them, too. The alcohol content of urrak is low but the spirit is very flavourful and so it finds favour with more people. Blends are made keeping in mind the taste buds of drinkers,” said Samarth Verma, the manager of a bar based in Assagao.
But even seasoned urrack drinkers are keen to try the evolving concoctions that bartenders come up with, said Moustapha Cassum, mixologist based at a bar in Anjuna.
“When making the cocktails, we try not to veer too far from how the drink is originally consumed. We use kokum, salted lemonade, etc,” he said.
The affordable price also helps push these cocktails over the counter. The starting price of an urrack or feni based cocktail is Rs 300, which is 50-60% lower than the classic cocktails made using vodka and gin.
“Urrack has always been in demand but there has been a slight increase in it over the last few years,” said Gurudatta Bhakta, a distiller. Most of the demand in Goa is being met by two local suppliers and those producing urrack in traditional distillation units, he added.
Macleigh Fernandes, from a bar in Colva, said that the boom in tourism post-pandemic has resulted in an increased interest in local spirits. A special three-hour event was held recently at a bar and restaurant in Vagator focusing on urrack cocktails, but the organisers ran out of urrack within 90 minutes.
“Feni has been appreciated as the local craft spirit that stands on par with international spirits. Consumers are now more educated and open to experimenting with cocktails using feni and urrack. We have even had international bartenders from the best bars come to Goa for the feni experience and have been completely bowled over by how it is made, often comparing it with mezcal from Mexico,” said Fernandes.
Sapna Sardesai, owner of restaurants in Candolim and Panaji, said her establishment makes it a point to promote urrack as Goa’s seasonal drink. “We serve two cocktails with urrack as a base, Urrack Maria and Urrack Kokum Spritzer, and we are even hosting a feni festival,” she said.
The younger lot, new to alcoholic drinks, said that urrack and feni offer a milder option as opposed to cocktails with stronger spirits like vodka and gin.
“Feni is one of the most interesting alcoholic drinks I have tried. The fruit flavours in the cocktails blend well and the drinks don’t have a sharp taste. I tried the mix with kokum for the first time during my recent visit to Goa and it was really flavourful, almost exotic,” said Sarah Bajaj, a student from Delhi.
Devika Singh, a small business owner from Mumbai, said she finds urrack and feni distilled from cashew apples to be a raw and authentic taste which makes cocktails ‘very earthy and natural’. “You can taste the earthy flavours of the drink, just like in kulhad chai,” she said.