Scotch whisky, mango, ginger & lemon — Rasa Burlingame
The cobra is India's most iconic snake and the centrepiece of the King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), found across South and Southeast Asia. In Indian mythology, cobras are associated with Shiva and are symbols of power, transformation, and danger. This cocktail is named for the drink's bite: Scotch whisky (with its assertive peat and malt character) stings first, mango and ginger provide the tropical middle, and lemon closes with bright acidity. The Fang in the name nods to the original Cobra Fang tiki cocktail from the 1940s, but this version is thoroughly South Asian in its flavour profile. It is a cocktail that could only have been conceived in a Bay Area Indian restaurant by bartenders who love both Johnnie Walker and Alphonso mango.
Blended Scotch works better than single malt here — the mango and ginger need the whisky's backbone, not its individual character. Johnnie Walker Black is the bar's own suggestion. Fresh mango juice (blend ripe mango with a little water, strain) delivers more depth than bottled. If mango is not in season, use a high-quality canned Alphonso purée thinned with a touch of water.
Use mezcal instead of Scotch for a smokier, more Mexican-adjacent version (a natural partner with mango and ginger).
Rasa in Burlingame has built one of the most accomplished Indian cocktail programmes in the Bay Area. The bar draws from the restaurant's coastal Indian kitchen — kokum, raw mango, fresh turmeric, curry leaf — and creates drinks that feel like a natural extension of the tasting menu. An essential stop for anyone exploring modern Indian hospitality in the South Bay.
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