Sollasa has made its UK debut. The apéritif, designed specifically to serve as a compliment to Indian dishes, is made with orange zest, lime, Lychee, mint, basil, coriander seeds, cardamom and sea salt.
The 20% ABV grain-based spirit aims to “authentically” complement Indian food.
The brand was created by Vishal and Sajag Patel with the help of chefs, mixologists and food scientists.
Vishal Patel explained: “We were raised on Indian cooking. We love it: it’s vibrant, flavoursome and varied.
“But the choice of drinks to accompany it isn’t. It’s dominated by mass produced lagers and white wine shoehorned into a ‘pairing’.”
Sajag added: “We believe Indian cuisine deserves a delicious drink that authentically complements it – a drink that elevates consumers’ Indian experience. That’s our mission for Sollasa.”
The brand suggests serving Sollasa with tonic, as a lower-alcohol alternative to gin, or you can mix it into a cocktail such as a Sollasa Sour, which the founder recommends enjoying with Tandoor or BBQ grilled dishes such as grilled lamb kebabs:
Sollasa Sour – founders’ favourite
Ingredients:
- 50ml Sollasa
- 25ml Lemon juice
- 15ml Sugar syrup
- 1/2 egg white (optional)
- Angostura Bitters or Lemon
- Ice
Add Sollasa, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white into a cocktail shaker. Dry shake the mixture for 10 seconds. Then add ice to the shaker and shake again for 10 seconds to create a lovely smooth texture. Strain mixture into a rocks glass over ice and add a dash of Angostura bitters or garnish with lemon peel.
The name ‘Sollasa’ is inspired by the Manasollasa, a 12th-century Sanskrit text thought to be one of the first Indian recipe books.
Priced at RRP £29 (US$40.04), the apéritif is available to purchase at the brand’s official website and at select Indian restaurants in the UK. The brand is yet to announce if the spirit will be making it to the US.