💎 Kohinoor

Macallan Scotch, Indian cardamom, clover honey, Oloroso sherry & vermouth

Scotch Whisky (Macallan)
5 min
Stirred
Old Fashioned Glass
~25%
Musaafer (SAAQI bar)
Ingredients
  • 60ml Macallan 12 Double Cask Scotch (or any sherry-finished Scotch)
  • 10ml Oloroso sherry
  • 10ml sweet vermouth (Cocchi Torino preferred)
  • 10ml cardamom honey syrup (warm 3 tbsp honey + 5 crushed cardamom pods + 2 tbsp water, cool, strain)
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • Large ice cube
  • Green cardamom pod & orange zest to garnish
Method
  1. 1
    BuildPlace a large clear ice cube in an Old Fashioned glass.
  2. 2
    StirCombine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir 35 seconds until well chilled.
  3. 3
    StrainStrain over the large ice cube.
  4. 4
    GarnishExpress an orange zest over the surface. Rest a green cardamom pod on the ice.

About This Cocktail

The Kohinoor (meaning 'Mountain of Light') was the world's largest known diamond when it was mined in India. It passed through the hands of Mughal emperors, Persian invaders, Sikh Maharajas, and the British East India Company before being forcibly taken to England in 1850 where it sits in the Tower of London. Musaafer's cocktail programme at their Houston restaurant honours this history through drinks named after Indian cultural heritage. The Kohinoor — their flagship — uses Macallan's sherry-aged Scotch (itself aged in Oloroso sherry casks), then adds cardamom honey and more Oloroso sherry to double down on that connection.

Variations

Indian Single Malt VersionUse Paul John Bold or Amrut Peated instead of Scotch — the Indian single malt with sherry and cardamom is extraordinary and more appropriate to the name
Kohinoor SourAdd 20ml lemon juice + 1 egg white to the above recipe, shake, and serve up — the sherry-cardamom flavours shine even more in a sour format
Hot KohinoorServe warm in a pre-heated glass — the spiced honey unfolds completely different when warm
Bartender Tips

The Oloroso sherry plays double duty — it adds a nutty, raisin-like oxidative sweetness that bridges the Scotch's sherry-cask notes and the cardamom honey's spice. Cardamom honey syrup keeps for 4 weeks refrigerated. For a more affordable build, use Glenfiddich 12 or Glenmorangie instead of Macallan. The vermouth is present in a supporting role — it should not be tasted separately, only felt as added complexity.

Source Restaurant
Restaurant
Musaafer (SAAQI bar), Houston, Texas and New York City
Spirit
Scotch Whisky (Macallan)
Method
Stirred
ABV
~25%
Scotch Guide All Indian Cocktails Indian Mocktails Cocktails A–Z
Where to drink this
Restaurant
Musaafer / SAAQI Bar
Address
5115 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77056
Style
Modern Indian fine dining & cocktail bar
Accolades
Houston's most acclaimed Indian restaurant · national cocktail recognition

Musaafer ('traveller' in Urdu) is the flagship of Houston's Indian fine dining scene, with SAAQI — its dedicated cocktail bar — as one of the most ambitious Indian bar programmes in the United States. Head bartender Bhavna Bhatt has built a menu that treats Indian spirits (Old Monk, Amrut, Paul John), syrups, and infusions as equal partners with global classics. The cocktail menu here is as serious as the kitchen.

Visit musaaferrestaurant.com