Follow the fragrance of ginger, saffron and cardamom to discover Surrey’s burgeoning cocktail scene
Exploring Discover Surrey’s new Culinary Spice Trail has been an excellent way to find terrific new eateries in this booming city, especially South Asian ones. But alongside the dosas, pakoras and momos, there is also an exciting cocktail scene developing here.
Exotic fruits and spices find their way into every glass. Think passionfruit and pineapple, cardamom, ginger, star anise, saffron and cinnamon. The cocktails often connect to a heritage on the subcontinent, like the azure hue of Afghan Kitchen’s Band-e-Amir cocktail, which evokes the six famously blue lakes in Afghanistan, for instance. Even when they don’t, there is an element of spice, as in Dominion Bar + Kitchen’s tropical take on a classic mule, Mainland Whisky’s cinnamon-and-cardamom-scented “cream” cocktail or the delicate saffron-and-almond fragrance of My Shanti’s Badam da Naasha.
You can find craft cocktails on the menu at Afghan Kitchen, Clove–The Art of Dining, Dominion Bar + Kitchen, Mainland Whisky and My Shanti, with more to come soon.
Make these cocktails at home:
Shaam Masti (Night Party) from My Shanti
Band-e-Amir from Afghan Kitchen
Badam da Naasha (High on Almonds) from My Shanti
