Masala Cocktails

February 1, 2019 11:04 PM

I made masala infused vodka. It is divine. I tried it in some cocktails but none have done it justice. Help me create the perfect masala vodka cocktail.

I made my masala vodka by infusing 1.5 l of vodka with the ingredients for Adriene's yogi tea minus the black tea (recipe in video description) for around 3 weeks.

A little shot by itself is superb but so far I can't figure out the cocktail to make it sing. I thought it would be amazing in a White Russian, but the coffee liqueur overpowers the masala too much*.

I also tried Moscow Masala Mules but the lime was too much. It is very good with a gentle ginger mixer and just a splash of lime though. But I'd like to test it with some more creative combinations that bring out the masala rather than cover it. Who better to help me that than the cocktail creators of MeFi? Hit me!

Bonus: best answer shall be known forever more as the MeFi Masala.

*my next plan is to infuse coffee liqueur with masala spices for 6-8 weeks because a masala white russian that worked would be awesome.

posted by roolya_boolya to Food & Drink (17 answers total)

I can’t help you, but I would kill to get invited to one of your cocktail parties!
posted by spacewrench at 11:15 PM on February 1, 2019 [4 favorites]

I think berry flavors work really well with masala spices, especially the black pepper and cinnamon. Maybe some muddled strawberries or something like a blueberry infused fizzy water for a mixer.
posted by Mizu at 11:16 PM on February 1, 2019

Bloody Mary? I've made a pretty wicked "Tikka masala" drink that way. It was ... weird ... but good?
posted by aramaic at 11:43 PM on February 1, 2019 [4 favorites]

I wonder if you’re going to be wanting sour mix or some homemade version in there, maybe. It adds fullness/dimension to some kinds of flavors.
posted by Smearcase at 11:49 PM on February 1, 2019

If you're concerned by flavors overpowering another but you're determined to find that pair, why not keep messing with the ratio? You could put more masala in the booze, or more booze in the mix. I encourage you to tweak with the pieces that almost fit!
posted by panhopticon at 12:07 AM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

Your instinct with white russian also came to me, and I can see it going two ways:
1. Masala vodka, coconut milk, symple syrup, and lime juice,
2. Masala vodka, Thai tea, condensed milk

Could see this doing nice things for a mint julep-type drink

Would also recommend aramaic's tikka masala bloody be garnished with cilantro
posted by Jon_Evil at 12:32 AM on February 2, 2019 [5 favorites]

Tip: cruise the menus of fancy cocktail bars in India and reverse engineer. My local makes two drinks with chai spices: a kind of long Island iced tea and a punch with light rum, dark rum, fruit juice (orange and maybe pineapple?), cut fruits, and spices. Masala vodka could easily be added to the rum punch in place of or addition to white rum. Yum.
posted by athirstforsalt at 1:57 AM on February 2, 2019 [2 favorites]

I've used garam masala in place of cinnamon in recipes like apple pie, banana bread, peach cobbler, etc with good results. I don't know cocktails with those flavors, but if you do that might lead you down an interesting path.
posted by Fig at 4:31 AM on February 2, 2019

Maybe a spiked pumpkin lasse? This is not my area, but I have been known to tweak pumpkin dishes with a pinch of masala. And while I love mango lasse, I’ve never made one.
posted by childofTethys at 6:10 AM on February 2, 2019

Dumb thought: what about tea? You could do the white Russian thing but with strong strong tea instead of Kaluha?
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 6:54 AM on February 2, 2019

Find recipes that call for spiced rum and substitute. My bartending cookbook has a recipe for a spiced rum and chocolate martini: 2 oz rum, 2 tbsp chocolate liqueur (such as Godiva). Shake with ice, strain and serve.
posted by gryphonlover at 9:48 AM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

Instead of kahlua, try amarula.
posted by sciencegeek at 11:05 AM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

One of my favorite bars is attached to an Indian restaurant and serves Indian-inspired cocktails. They have a drink called a Bangalore Old Fashioned that lists the ingredients as Old Port Rum, Lemonhart 151 Rum, Plantation OFTD, garam masala, blackstrap, and Jamaican #2 bitters. They have an extensive menu so sadly I haven't tried this one, but they make excellent cocktails in general so I thought it might provide some inspiration.
posted by wuzandfuzz at 1:08 PM on February 2, 2019 [3 favorites]

Dumb thought: what about tea? You could do the white Russian thing but with strong strong tea instead of Kaluha?

The other approach to this would be infusing the vodka with black tea (basically, just leave a bunch of good loose-leaf tea in a bottle of vodka overnight, and strain and rebottle it the next morning.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 1:13 PM on February 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

I've used garam masala in place of cinnamon in recipes like apple pie, banana bread, peach cobbler, etc with good results. I don't know cocktails with those flavors, but if you do that might lead you down an interesting path.

One of my favourite cocktails is an apple pie cocktail.

I feel like hot drinks would really work for this. Try spicing up a hot toddy? Or just make a regular masala chai, but add your liquor.
posted by divabat at 7:45 PM on February 2, 2019 [2 favorites]

Mix it with good ginger beer and add a few dashes of cardamom bitters (scrappy's makes a good one) or a few drops of rose water.
posted by ananci at 2:33 PM on February 3, 2019

I had a paan shot at an Indian restaurant in Atlanta a few years ago. It was devine! This concoction sounds like it would go perfectly with that!
posted by PeaPod at 12:15 PM on February 4, 2019