XO Pisco, chocolate & cold brew coffee — Indian Accent NYC
A nightcap is a bedtime drink — something warming and slightly sweet to close a long meal. Indian Accent's version uses Pisco (the Peruvian grape brandy), specifically an XO expression aged in oak, which gives it a complexity approaching Cognac but with a distinctly fruity, floral character native to Pisco's Muscat grape base. Chocolate and cold brew coffee are the partners: chocolate for depth and slight bitterness, cold brew for intensity without acidity. It is a drink that drinks like a very elegant Tia Maria with a Peruvian accent — which makes perfect sense in a restaurant that finds the whole world interesting.
XO Pisco (Pisco with extended oak aging) is harder to find but worth it — Macchu Pisco's XO and Barsol Primero Quebranta are good options. Cold brew concentrate should be unsweetened; the simple syrup in the recipe handles sweetness. Mozart Dark Chocolate liqueur has excellent baking chocolate depth; Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao is a great alternative.
Add a dash of Angostura bitters to push the drink toward an Old Fashioned profile.
Manish Mehrotra's Indian Accent is one of the most important Indian restaurants in the world — a place where classical Indian cooking traditions are reinterpreted through modern technique, international ingredients, and impeccable plating. The NYC location brings the same philosophy to Manhattan, with a cocktail programme that matches the kitchen's ambition: Indian botanicals in conversation with global spirits, presented with precision.
Visit indianaccent.com