9 Utterly Delicious Old Monk Cocktail Recipes Shared By Mumbai's Best Bars

Indian specialty Old Monk dark rum has become something of a cult drink in our country, only the cult is everyone you know, and they’re not hiding their obsessive worship behind any kind of closed doors either.

There are several reasons for it too. For one thing, it tastes like home, local and delicious. And for another, it’s incredibly cheap considering it’s incredible taste. No wonder then that you gulped down six amazing old monk recipes that you could make at home, as shared by some particularly creative Homegrown readers, before we could even say drink up.

Today, however, we went a little bit further down the rabbit hole. We got seven of the city’s best bars to share personal Old Monk cocktail recipes from their own vault and we couldn’t be happier with the results.
From Woodside Inn’s old-monk and espresso infused gola cocktail to Bombay Canteen’s ode to a dark monsoon mash-up, trust us, you’re never going to go back to plain ol’ Old Monk and coke again.

I. Algoquin at The Daily

Always wanted to go to the Caribbean but couldn’t really afford it? This drink at The Daily costs way less than a plane ticket and if you close your eyes as you sip it, you might just be able to convince yourself you’re at a beachside club in Turks & Caicos instead of a packed Mumbai Bar (maybe).

What’s in it: 60 ml Old Monk, 60 ml pineapple juice, 10ml peach Monin, 10 ml almond Monin, coriander, 60 ml Barmix.

How they make it: Coriander is tapped and dropped in to the mixing glass. The rest of the ingredients are added and shaken with ice for eight to 10 seconds before being double strained into a decanter with wood smoke (using a smoke gun and wood chips). The decanter is swirled for eight to 10 seconds before the drink is poured into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice and garnished with a slice of orange before being served. Chin up.

Learn more here

II. Bombay Nasty at The Daily

This drink is a shout out to Mumbai and its street offerings. Remember your corner fruitwala and how deftly he slices watermelon into a tiny plate for you to eat? Yep, his spirit is in this drink via chunks of watermelon. So is the chaat masala that the juicewala sprinkles into your juice, the coriander your bhelwala strews on top of your sevpuri, and a whole bunch of other things.

What’s in it: 60 ml Old Monk, 10-12 mint leaves, five pieces of watermelon, coriander, five milliliters of Cucumber Monin, and 45 ml of Barmix, a blend containing equal parts lime juice, sugar syrup and water, and a dash of Angostura bitters.

How they make it: First, they muddle watermelon in a mixing glass, before adding mint and coriander. The rest of the ingredients follow before the drink is shaken with ice for eight to 10 seconds and double strained into a margarita glass, half the rim of which is lined with chaat masala and nutmeg.

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III. Coke And Cane Old Monk at The Social

We love a lot of stuff The Social churns out across its many locations, but when we’ve had a long day and need some comforting, it’s always the Coke and Cane Old Monk. It’s familiar with a twist.

What’s in it: 60 ml Old Monk. 15 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice, 15 ml sugar syrup, one sachet of Eno Cola, 200 ml of Coke.

How they make it: The freshly squeezed lime juice and sugar syrup is poured into a beaker and mixed. Ice is thrown in and coke is poured on top. Next comes the rum, which is filled in a syringe and laid on a wooden tray besides the beaker. Finally, a playing card is placed on top of the beaker before the drink is served.

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IV. Funky Monk at Bonobo

Bonobo has some spectacular cocktails, but we find ourselves going back time and again for the Funky Monk. The coffee and sugar syrup in this drink gives it that extra kick that helps you keep going all night as the in-house DJ knocks out the slick beats that this Bandra bar is known for. Better still, it’s incredibly easy to make yourself too!

What’s in it: 45 ml Old Monk, 15 gm coffee, and 10 ml sugar syrup

How they make it: All the ingredients are combined in a shaker and shaken up before being poured into a Collins glass. The drink is then topped with coke and garnished with coffee powder.

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V. Lick My Peach at Bonobo

If you’ve never had a peach cocktail, you’re really missing out. It’s fruity enough to make you think you’re having a light drink, but when the alcohol kicks in (which it inevitably does) it’s a not-so-subtle punch. Naturally, we love it. Especially if the peach drink in question is Lick My Peach.

What’s in it: 45 ml Old Monk, 10 ml peach syrup, 10 ml lime juice

How they make it: All the ingredients are mixed up in a shaker with ice before being poured into a glass. Clean and simple.

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VI. Planter’s Punch at Escobar

Escobar describes this drink as ‘mixed fruit juice on ice with a dark rum float’. Sometimes simplicity is the key and this Bandra hotspot nails it.

What’s in it: 60 ml orange juice, 60 ml Old Monk, and precisely four ice cubes.

How they make it: It’s not rocket science—slosh in the rum, top up with chilled OJ and dunk in the ice. Then hit the dance floor.

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VII. Rum Café Gola at Woodside Inn

When we were kids, we overdosed on golas during the hot summer months. Now that we’re adults and we’ve noticed that life is hard and throws you curveballs, we’ve realised that alcohol might be a far better coping mechanism. But sometimes, we do find ourselves craving the worry-free simplicity of youth. Which is the perfect time for Woodside Inn’s rum café gola—it’s got that hard-packed ice that takes you back to your childhood, but the strong kick of rum that reminds you that you’re an adult who has to show up to work tomorrow, so suck it up.

What’s in it: Crushed ice, 30 ml Old Monk, one shot of espresso, 60 ml condensed milk, and cocoa powder to garnish.

How they make it: A handful of crushed ice is taken and moulded into a gola around a stick of sugarcane. The rum and coffee mixture is then poured over it and the ice turns a lovely, rich brown as it absorbs all the sticky goodness. Finally, it’s drizzled with condensed milk and a sprinkling of cocoa powder.

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 VIII. The Dark Monsoon at The Bombay Canteen

The Bombay Canteen calls this drink their local take on the classic Dark n’ Stormy cocktail. Think of it as an ode, if you will.

What’s in it: 45 ml Old Monk, 30 ml lime juice, 10 ml ginger syrup, three dashes of Angostura bitters, ginger ale, mint sprigs and a slice of lime.

How they make it: While Dark n’ Stormy is made using Goslings rum, The Dark Monsoon is all about Old Monk. The alcohol is mixed with The Bombay Canteen’s house-made ginger syrup. Lime juice is then added and the glass is topped up with ginger ale, garnished with mint sprigs and a bright yellow slice of lime.

Learn more here

The Old Monk Swizzle at The Good Wife

 
Research by Sanyukta Shetty