5 fusion cocktails to try this season

Have you ever had a drink that stirred a memory, not just a buzz? Drinks are experienced through emotions, where each blends local ingredients with global influences to create a nostalgic yet sophisticated taste.

Here, Chef Ayush Khandelwal, IHM graduate and co-founder, Paro has curated a list of fusion cocktails that will surely offer you the right kick and keep you happy in the company of friends and good food. Jamun G&T

Jamun Crush Botanical Gin • Tonic Water • Fresh MintThis is a drink that feels like home. Remember climbing trees for jamuns? That sweet-tart, purple juice stains your tongue. Jamun crush sets an emotional tone deep, dark, and nostalgic.

Tonic adds fizz while gin brings clarity. Fresh mint recalls the first monsoon rains. It’s a moody, playful memory brought to life.Makhan Madira

Popcorn-Infused Whisky • Caramel Butter • Lemon juice • Bitter • Egg WhiteStep into a single-screen cinema of the past. Popcorn in hand, butter on your fingers. Popcorn-infused whisky smells like aged velvet curtains. Caramel butter with lemon and bitters bring richness and balance. The egg white foam closes with a smooth, cinematic finish.

Kaffir Coast

Coconut Gin • Kaffir-Leaves Vodka • Cheesecake Foam • Citrus BurstYou’ve just kicked off your shoes, and the sand is warm underfoot. Somewhere in the distance, a wave crashes, and you finally exhale. Without the boarding pass, Kaffir Coast is a beach getaway. Kaffir vodka adds a subtle intrigue while coconut gin offers tropical warmth. Then comes the surprise cheesecake foam. Citrus bursts through like the sun slicing clouds.

Salty, sweet, distant.Saddle Spice

Tequila • Kasuri Methi • Agave • Beet Pickle Brine • Jalapeño • Coriander • CitrusIf you want a drink that starts strong and maintains its character, then you should try the Saddle Spice. The combination of tequila with kasuri methi creates an exceptional blend that produces magical results. The pickle brine from beets brings tangy complexity to the drink while jalapeño and coriander bring delicate aromatic notes.

The drink contains agave and citrus elements, but the taste experience produces both heat and joy.Kyoto Dream

Whisky • Yuzu Juice • Matcha • Absinthe Imagine you are wandering through a Kyoto temple garden. The first taste of whisky brings you warmth while the scent of absinthe enters as a mysterious question floating in the air. The yuzu flavour brings you back to the present moment and the matcha arrives at the end to settle everything. The Kyoto Dream feels like a tranquil moment persisting as dusk in a Zen garden.