At Cheerot, at the ITC Grand Chola, we try Chennai’s most expensive cocktail, rich with Cognac and saffron

Xoxo features Cognac XO and peated malt infused with saffron along with a dash of nannari

It is 9 pm. We are at the Cheroot Malt and Cigar Lounge. But why is there a tumbler of filter coffee accompanied with a perfectly round, crisp murukku in front of us?

This is Cheroot’s version of black kaapi, seasoned with dry ginger, green cardamom tincture, filter coffee and Cognac — a part of Cholatails, the sparkling new bar menu stitched together with a little help from the history of the Cholas, along with beverage recipes and ingredients from the region.

Chukku Kaapi

Shaariq Akhtar, general manager, ITC Grand Chola, believes this is a fitting tribute. “While ITC Grand Chola is an ode to the history, architecture and culture of the mighty Cholas, this book aims to represent little nuggets of flavours, ingredients and anecdotes about the dynasty and the Madras we know today,” he says.

Cholatails showcases seven cocktails and five mocktails, each incorporating ingredients such as nannari, coconut water, guava, jamun, hibiscus, vettiver, tamarind, jaggery… Bovonto, Virudhunagar’s pride and Tamil Nadu’s answer to international cola brands, also finds itself on the menu. The mocktail is aptly named 1958 after the year Bovonto was launched.

Meanwhile, the bartender sends us another drink — Puli, a dark brown concoction served in a tall glass and garnished with a hat of applam and mor milagai (sun-dried chilli). The savoury and mildly tart cocktail packs a punch with flavours of tamarind, jaggery, green chilli and black salt.

The highlight of the evening, however, is Xoxo. Priced at ₹6,000, this is Chennai’s, and perhaps India’s, most expensive cocktail. It features Cognac XO and peated malt infused with saffron along with a dash of nannari. With it comes a plump, crunchy chocolate cigar — take a bite of the cigar and chase it with a sip of the drink. And the result: an explosion of smoky, decadent flavours.

“Eighty per cent of our clientele are outsiders. We want to give them an experience of what local flavours are. And for locals they get to see the familiar flavours in a different avatar,” says Shaariq, who is a self-confessed beverage and music aficionado.

This compact menu has been co-curated by Ajit Balgi, beverage expert and founder of The Happy High bartending academy, Mumbai. “In February this year, Shaariq got in touch with me to create this menu. We wanted the drinks to be tasty,” he says. “While curating the menu we kept in mind what was available, the skill set at the bar, the ingredients available and their availability through the year…,” says Ajit.

For him, the most complex cocktail was The Expedition, which fuses Irish whisky, Amaro Montenegro with jaggery, clove, and Calcutta betel leaf. This signifies the victory of Rajendra Chola over king Mahipala, in a battle fought on the Gangetic plains, Ajit explains.

Other than Cholatails, the ITC Grand Chola has also launched four other “beverage books” that have recipes and concoctions inspired by the hotel’s food and beverage venues such as Peshawri, Ottimo, and Cafe Mercara Express among others. The team, headed by Shaariq, spent the last few months researching and experimenting. “Seven Venues, Seven Menus has been curated to elevate every guest’s experience with a fusion of in-house creativity and craftsmanship. The books together feature over 100 recipes, including intriguing concoctions and cult favourites,” says Shaariq, adding, “We have focussed a lot on food. Now, we are trying to bring in the beverage element.”