Carom seed-infused gin, Campari & sweet vermouth — Colonel Saab Holborn
Carom seeds (ajwain in Hindi — Trachyspermum ammi) are one of the most distinctive spices in Indian cooking, used in everything from deep-frying batters (the seed is always added to samosa and pakora dough for its flavour and digestive properties) to parathas to dal. Their flavour is intensely thymol — like an extremely concentrated version of thyme, with sharp medicinal notes and a unique bitterness that integrates beautifully with Campari's own complex bitterness. Colonel Saab infuses gin with ajwain and builds a Negroni that is simultaneously fully recognisable as the great Italian aperitivo and unmistakeably Indian in its spice character. At £14.50 (Holborn menu), it is one of the best-value cocktails on the London Indian dining scene.
Ajwain is available at all Indian grocery stores and most UK supermarkets (in the spice aisle). 4 hours is the correct infusion time — beyond 6 hours the thymol (the essential oil) becomes overwhelming. Beefeater 24 (which already has Japanese sencha tea as a botanical) creates an especially interesting base. Cocchi di Torino is a richer, more complex alternative to Martini Rosso.
Add a dash of cardamom bitters (Fee Brothers) for an additional Indian spice dimension.
An elegant homage to the era of the Indian Army officer — refined North and Central Indian cuisine in a handsome Holborn dining room. Colonel Saab's bar programme is built on house-spiced spirits and techniques drawn from both the subcontinent and the British raj era, producing some of London's most inventive Indian cocktails.
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