Bitter Lemon

Bitter lemon :

Didn't know when we started doing Tulleeho that we'd be reduced to finding recipes for Bitter Lemon but here goes: · Lemons - 2 · Water - 600 ml (1 pint) · Sugar - 110g (4 oz) Method · Cut the lemons into pieces, put in a saucepan with the water and bring to the boil. · Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, until the fruit is soft. · Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. · Remove from the heat, cover and cool. Strain before using. Serve with soda water, if liked.

Parfaot Amour Liqueur

Parfait amour liqueur :

Means Pure Love. It is a purple liqueur made from spirit, lemon, coriander and sugar

Pani Puri Ka Pani

Pani puri ka pani :

Highly spiced liquid which into which the Golgappas (also called Pani Puri-difficult to explain here without arm-waving and diagrams) are dipped. Depending on the person selling it can range from being very mildly flavoured to highly spicy.

Green Chartreuse

Green chartreuse (yellow) :

Chartreuse is an aromatic liqueur, originally made by French Carthusian monks. It is made from a mixture of 130 different herbs, and is aged on oak barrels. Chartreuse come in two varieties, green and yellow. Green Chartreuse gets its green color from the addition of chlorophyll. It is higher proof, drier and spicier than the yellow variant. Yellow Chartreuse is made with the addition of honey, and is colored pale yellow with saffron. It is lighter and sweeter in flavor and is lower proof than the green variant. Looks like those monks were upto more than just wild sex in those abbeys.

Cinammon Liqueur

Cinammon liqueur :

Same as above except you replace peppermint with cinnamon. Cinnamon is the brown bark like thing, which can be found in most Indian kitchens.

Peppermint Liqueur

Peppermint liqueur :

Clear spirit with peppermint flavour for want of another explanation. What did you think it would be? If you want to experience the taste get some vodka. Powder some Polo (with or without hole) and stir into vodka. Let is stand for a while. Drink.

Kahlua

Kahlua :

A Mexican coffee liqueur with herbs and vanilla. Reaches its peak in the Black Russian and the Mudslide.

Orgeart/Orjeat

Orjeat syrup (also spelled Orgeat, but all the same to us) :

Orgeat syrup is a sweet syrup made from almonds, sugar and rose water/orange-flower water. It was, however, originally made with a barley-almond blend. It has a pronounced almond taste and is used to flavor many cocktails. Nothing that can be procured easily at your local booze shop. Lots of traditional Yunani sherbets may actually taste like this and could make good substitutes.

Cider

Cider :

Distillate of fermented apple juice is the most simplistic explanation. At the top end are Calvados made in Normandy. In India HPMC makes good Cider.

Cointreau

Cointreau :

Cointreau is a clear, mildly bitter, brandy based liqueur, flavored with the peel of sour and sweet oranges from Curacao and Spain. Attained great fame in the Margarita. Was introduced with great fanfare in India at the same time as the Dhabol project. Dhabol lasted longer here. Yet another victim of over-estimation of market size.

Khus

Khus :

Nothing to do with Pilulaw Khus, the Chumash elder. Scientific name is Vetiveria zizanoides. Poppy seed and the essence is used widely as a perfume and a flavouring agent. Bio-piracy bait from India unless protected.

Roohafza

Roohafza :

Very popular sherbet made by Hamdard Labs in India and a very well kept secret. Used widely in flavouring sweets, ice-creams, milk shakes and a summer cooler. Off late it is also finding acceptance as a cocktail mixer.

Thandai

Thandai :

Traditional Indian cooler made with nuts herbs and other condiments. Has a milky base. Yet another part of India's massive bio-wealth which will be pillaged by some unscrupulous scum unless its is protected.

Arrack

Arrack :

Depending on where you are could mean different things. In India the generic name for any locally (and normally illicitly) made hooch. In Sri Lanka arrack means a tremendous brew made from Coconut and aged for three years in wood. Awesome to drink. In Israel is an aniseed flavoured brew.

Grenadine

Grenadine :

Grenadine (grenadine syrup) is blood-red, strong syrup made from pomegranates. It is the number one among fruit syrups, and is used in many cocktails not only for sweetening, but also to give them a red color. The best pomegranates available in India are the Kandahari variety (which may now become cheaper one hopes). Very red, very juicy and very sweet. Juice can be made in a Sumeet Asia Kitchen Machine.

Creme De Banana

Creme de banana :

Creme de Banana is a classic fruit liqueur and is increasingly gaining currency as a mixer. Tastes like banana in case you missed the point.

Vermouth

Vermouth :

Wines infused with herbs (ranging from 20 to 30). Used widely as an aperitif and reached its pinnacle as mixer in the Martini.

Amaretto

Amaretto :

Almond liqueur A classic Liqueur from Southern Europe, Amaretto brings a refreshing almond flavour to ay drink that it is a part of.

Kiwi Liqueur

Kiwi liqueur :

Infused with a flavour of Kiwifruit this green liqueur is becoming increasingly popular.

Worcestershire Sauce

Worcestershire sauce :

An English condiment whose recipe was apparently discovered in the East Indies by Sir Marcus Sandys a native of W'shire. It's made of malt vinegar, molasses, sugar, shallot, garlic, tamarind, clove, anchovy essence and meat extract. Don't try and make it. Just pick up a bottle of Leah and Perrins.

Grand Marnier

Grand Marnier :

From the Lapostolle family, Grand Marnier is a first class orange flavored liqueur. It is made from Cognac flavored with the peel of bitter Haitian oranges (that is what is supposed to make it diff from others who have to slum it with oranges from Curacao and in some despo cases Nagpur), spices, and vanilla. First attained world renown in a dessert- the delectable Crepes Suzette.

Triple Sec

Triple sec :

Poor man's Grand Marnier.

Tia Maria

Tia Maria:
A coffee liqueur with attitude and Jamaican origins

Tabasco

Tabasco :
An American sauce consisting of chilli peppers marinated in spirit vinegar with salt. The hot red peppers originally originated in Central America, and were planted in Louisiana over 130 years ago.

Sambuca

Sambuca :
Sambuca is an Italian liqueur made by infusing Witch Elder Bush and licorice. I'm guessing you already know what licorice is, and I'm gonna leave it up to your imagination as to what the hell Witch Elder Bush is. Suffice it to say, Sambuca is a licorice-flavored booze that tastes very similar to the anise-flavored Ouzo, the national beverage of Italy's close neighbor, Greece. Sambuca comes in at 25% alcohol-by-volume, or 50 proof. Grappa is a clear, distilled alcohol produced from grapes. It's not particularly unique in this respect, it's common to serve either of them by themselves with few coffee beans floatin' on top. The difference with Sambuca is that they will traditionally light it on fire, letting it burn for about 30 seconds before snuffin' it. The result is a warm, smooth licorice buzz. Uhmmm...

Peach Schnapps

Peach Schnapps :
Peach flavoured schnapps. Schnapps itself is a pretty broad name for an alcoholic beverage made from grain (or potato spirits) and flavoured with various herbs or fruits.

Maraschino Liqueur

Maraschino liqueur :
Maraschino is a clear, relatively dry liqueur made from Marasca cherries, including the crushed pits which give it a subtle bitter almond flavor. The cherries are processed and distilled much like brandy, and later combined with a pure cane syrup before it is aged and filtered. There are several distillers of this liqueur, but one of the foremost brands are produced by the Italian company Luxardo (see links) Maraschino liqueur should not be confused with the juice from Maraschino cherries or other cherry liqueurs, that are both much sweeter.

Maraschino Cherries

Maraschino Cherries :
Cherries are used mainly as garnish to decorate a cocktail before it is served. A maraschino cherry is a cherry that has been macerated in a flavored sugar syrup, and then dyed. Red maraschino cherries are usually almond flavored, while green are mint flavored

Jagermeister

Jagermeister :
A self-styled cult liqueur made from 56 (exact aren't we!) herbs, roots and fruits from around the world. Cinnammon from Sri Lanka, Bitter Orange from Australia, etc. etc. Run, Lola Run.

Grappa

Grappa :
Grappa is a clear, distilled alcohol produced from grapes. It's not particularly unique in this respect, it's common to serve either of them by themselves with few coffee beans floatin' on top.

Galliano

Galliano :
The Distinctive Liqueur Galliano is an Italian herb liqueur made from more than 30 herbs, spices, berries and flowers from both alpine and tropical regions. This liqueur is unique, not only in the shape of its bottle which recalls a classical roman column through its colour and name, but also in its extraordinary taste and aroma which is derived from a special bouquet combination. The marriage of Italian herbs and spices with tropical aromas can be traced back to Arturo Vaccari, a brandy producer from Livorno in Tuscany. Created in 1896, Galliano was originally intended for the Italian market. But the drink rapidly developed an international following, thanks to Italians who travelled to every corner of the world.

Feni

Feni:
There are two types of feni, cashew and palm. Coconut or palm feni is distilled from the toddy that is tapped each morning. Cashew feni, the more popular (with the local populace) of the two, is distilled from the fruit of the cashew nut.

Drambuie

Drambuie :
Made from the finest Scotch and herbs. It's first recorded serving was when the Mackinnon family offered it to Bonnie Prince Charlie when he escaped from the English forces. As we all know B P Charlie went down as one of history's great losers. So was wondering what the subsequent History of Scotland would have been if they had not served him that. Maybe given him oatmeal or Haggis or something.

Creme De Menthe

Creme de menthe :
Emerald green in colour it has a strong peppermintish flavour.

Creme De Cacao

Creme de cacao :
A sweet, chocolate-flavoured liqueur. The white one has no colouring, while the dark one is coloured.

Canberry Juice

Cranberry Juice :
A juice made by cooking cranberries in water, a pinch of salt and depending upon your preferences, orange juice. Add sugar if you must. The berry itself owes its name to the Piligrim fathers who called it a craneberry because it's blossom reminded them of a crane. The was dropped later. Did you know that the amount of Vitamin C in one cup of raw cranberries is about one fourth the recommended dietary allowance for an adult.

Curaçao

Curaçao :
A general term for orange-flavored liqueur made from the dried peel of bitter oranges found on the Caribbean island of Curaçao. Curaçao can be colored orange (known as Orange Curaçao or only Curaçao), blue (Blue Curaçao), green (Green Curaçao) or left clear (White Curaçao). All variants have the same flavor, with small variations in bitterness. Blue and green Curaçao are often used to provide color to mixed drinks.

Chartreuse

Chartreuse :
Evolved for medicinal purposes by Carthusian monks near Grenoble in the 17th century. It is said to contain 130 different herbs. It comes in two colours, a strong, green chartreuse and a slightly weaker and marginally sweeter yellow one.

Chambord

Chambord :
Also the name of a Chateua in France's charming Loire valley, Chambord is a liqueur made primarily from Black raspberries (framboises noires).

Campari

Campari :
A bitter sweet liquid, vivid red in colour

Benedictine

Benedictine :
Made of secret blend of herbs in the monastery at Fecamp in Normandy since 1510. It is also bottled as `B & B', blended half and half with cognac.

Aromatic Bitters

Aromatic Bitters :
This has been shamelessly lifted of the packaging of a bottle of Angostura bitters. As the story goes,we owe this concoction in an oblique manner to Simon Bolivar, for it was while serving under M/s Bolivar, in the fight for South American independence from the yoke of the evil empire in the 1820's that a certain Sr. J.G.B.Siegert perfected the formula for his Angostura aromatic bitter, which was made extracted from tropical herbs and spices. Don't ask for the recipe, it's a close family owned secret. Whenever I read something like that, it makes me suspect that they've just lost the damn piece of paper, and are now making it by gut feel. Anyway, to confuse things a little bit, aromatic bitters, are not in fact called Angostura bitters, because they contain Angostura bark (which I'm sure, is what u our knowledgeable reader would have guessed) but because it originated in the town of Angostura, Venezuela (now renamed Ciudad Bolivar). Let me repeat, Angostura is merely a brand name for Aromatic bitters. If your head's not spinning by now, then mine is while writing this. There are other aromatic bitters, but only one branded Angostura, which as the company claims is the original. Who knows. They may be other brands of aromatic bitters (which are not called Angostura) which do in fact contain Angostura bark. Anyway, be that as it may, Angostura's aromatic bitters are generally regarded as the real mccoy the world over (they're even By appointment to Q.Elizabeth II) and u can make out a genuine bottle of the same, with a signature of the same Dr. Siegert scrawled down the side. Anyway, amongst its many uses is that as a stimulant for the appetite and for flatulence. However that's not why it finds favour in these pages, but due to its usage in several most excellent cocktails, such as the Manhattan and the Old Fashioned. So spring to it and buy that bottle. No home bar, would be seen dead without one.

Amarula Cream

Amarula Cream :
A cream liqueur made from the fruit of the wild marula tree that grows in the open plains of Southern Africa, where it is also known as the elephant tree, because of their love for the ripe and fermenting fruit.

Aftershock

Aftershock : Aftershock is a shooter liqueur which comes in two flavours. One is Cinnamon flavoured and is a shocking red colour. The other is Peppermint flavoured and is sky blue colour. Best had as a shooter, really cold over ice. Comes in a frosted bottle with a silver cap.

Abysnth

Abysnth :
Irish herb liqueur available in 70, 75 and 78% proof, expensive but worth it. Like all the rest of our advice, this piece too is based on strictly theoretical grounding. We've never tasted it in our life. Enjoi!

Ouzo

Tis the year of Greece. It began with “Troy” (Illiad for dummies), has moved on to their stunning triumph at Euro 2004 and now will culminate in the Olympic Games. What better time than to talk of Ouzo, the national drink of Greece.
Ouzo is an aniseed spirit, which will remind Indians of "saunf". It turns cloudy when water is added, for reasons too complex to explain unless you have a degree in chemistry.
Ouzo is made from a combination of pressed grapes and herbs and berries. It begins as alcohol made from grape skins or other local produce. It is then brought together with herbs and other ingredients, including star anise, coriander, cloves, angelica root, licorice, mint, wintergreen, fennel, hazelnut and even cinnamon and lime blossom.
It is usually served as an aperitif, but is also used in some mixed drinks and cocktails. In Greek cafés ouzo is served with mezedes (Greek term for appetizers). The mezedes can be anything from a salad, stewed meat and vegetables, sardeles pastes (really fresh sardines), koukia (beans), sweetbreads, meatballs, cheese, sausage or fried fish.
The island of Lesvos in Greece is believed to be the origin point for ouzo. Famous brands include Ouzo Giannatsi from Plomari, Plomari by Arvanitis, Ouzo Mini, Ouzo Veto, Ouzo Kefi & Ouzo No 12.

Scotch

Introduction:
From its earliest days, scotch has been known for its curative and creative properties. It evolved into a unique cultural icon of the people who savoured it. Who can ever forget the distinctive bottle of VAT 69 in a Hindi movie. Today scotch is enjoying yet another revival as a cultural icon.
Legend has it that the ancient Celts knew how to distill grains at least as far back as 800 B.C. Given that they lacked the climate to grow the more fragile grapevines, they used cereals such as barley and rye. Those Celts viewed their fiery brew as a gift from their gods that literally brought the dead to life and warmed even the coldest spirit. In fact, in Celtic whisky is called "uisge beatha" (ooshka baha)-the water of life.

Gin

History : Gin is often regarded as the most specifically `English' of all spirits, and they did drink an awful lot of the stuff, but gin is, in fact, a creation of the Netherlands. It is believed that an apothecary, possibly in the sixteenth century, re-distilled a neutral spirit with juniper berries for medicinal purposes - to use as a `diuretic' and in all probability as a `cure-all' potion as they were wont to in that era.
An English legend tells of how their troops, sent to the Low Countries by Queen Elizabeth in 1585 to fight against Philip of Spain, came back marvelling at the `Dutch courage' shown by their partners-in-war, and carrying it with them in `bottles'! The English soon began distilling it themselves. A century later, in 1688, with the accession of Dutch William to the English throne, gin became truly the patriotic spirit to drink.

Wine

Wine has been cultivated ever since pre-history and was probably the first thing that mankind used to get plastered. Every civilization and culture has drunk it. It was popular among the Sumerians, the Egyptians, the Greeks, Roman and of course our own
venerable ancients who used it in large quantities in various sacrifices and generally devoted large tracts in the scriptures in praise of Soma. One of the greatest historical mysteries according to Tulleeho is the composition of Soma. If only one knew the ingredients of that nectar.
Anyway, here we hope to demystify wine. For far too long , wine and all aspects related to it have been tangled in a web of jargon. This may have resulted in people (particularly us in India) developing a healthy vinophobia. By the end of your read we hope to have dispelled that.

Tequila

If there ever was a spirit replete with history, mystery and intrigue, it must be tequila. Even today, years after it's arrival on bar shelves, tequila is often regarded as a strange Mexican potion containing worms, hallucinogens, et al. And these same wondrous attributes have probably contributed towards establishing tequila as the most `hip' liquor to drink. Almost everyone I meet seems to want to know where they can find a bottle of this happening liquor. Yet most are uncertain about what it really is. There seems to be a strange fascination for drinking something which might have a worm floating in it. Yuck! Does it really??
Let's discover the inside story. Tequila-like spirits have been produced in Mexico from the age of the Aztecs, long before the arrival of its Spanish conquerers in the 16th century. It was in 1795 that Jose Cuervo, under a license from the government, began distilling tequila in the region of Jalisco (which includes the town of Tequila), where there was an ample supply of the Weber blue agave `cactus'. Actually, the agave is not a cactus at all but a sort of succulent, related to the aloe and lily family! Jose Cuervo is still one of the foremost brands of tequila in the world.

Beer

Along with wine, beer is probably one of the oldest alcoholic beverages known to man and the most popular one at that. All over the world, with the possible exception of France, Italy and Portugal, people guzzle beer in copious quantities.
Even in India, beer is one of the fastest growing segments within the liquor industry. But it is in England and Germany where beer drinking takes on an entirely new meaning. It is, in fact, almost a religion. Consider the numerous English pubs with their individualistic styles of beers; the stein wielding barmaids at a German beer garden. It is a way of life rather than the road to destruction. You could go on a `beer trail' and drink zillion different kinds of `tap' in one evening, then wonder how the simple beer could reach heights thought unattainable. Read on to figure out the basics about beer, how it's made, what the different types of beer are, what's the best way to drink it, so on and so forth.

Vodka

VODKA

There is a small section of historians who strongly support the theory that it was vodka that was in great measure responsible for the `bloody' end of the Czarist regime in Russia! The Reds, it appears, made up for lost drinking time imposed by the imperial ban of 1914 (as a war-time measure), fuelling the already existing mayhem. Crazy idea, what? Not quite. Attempts to re-impose the ban on vodka after the revolution in 1917 failed miserably with Lenin resignedly saying, "Drunkenness is better than slavery!"
Vodka has its origins in Russia, but it has been distilled in Poland and Finland as well since forever. The base is usually grain (wheat, rye, corn), though in Scandinavia they use a lot of potato - and call their drink `aquavit'. In Denmark and certain parts of Central Europe it is known as `schnapps'. Schnapps and aquavit are quite often flavoured, but are drunk much in the same way as vodka is - ice-cold in small shooter glasses, and neat; accompanied by caviar and other strong fishy stuff.