Woodford Reserve Bourbon, salted kithul treacle & bitters — Trishna London
Kithul (කිතුල් in Sinhala) is the treacle of the Caryota urens palm — the fishtail palm found across Sri Lanka and the Malabar coast of South India. Unlike palm sugar from other varieties, kithul has a complex, intensely aromatic flavour: caramel, dark toffee, light smoke, and a subtle spiciness unlike any other sweetener. It has been used in Sri Lankan cooking for centuries — in kithul toffee, in treacle-and-curd (a national dessert), and as a sweetener for everything from porridge to pancakes. Trishna brings it into the Old Fashioned format: bourbon (whose caramel and vanilla notes already rhyme with kithul's toffee depth), bitters, and the crucial addition of salt (which amplifies the kithul's complexity, drawing out its smokier notes). Served tableside — poured from a small vessel by the waiter — it is one of the most theatrically South Asian cocktail presentations in London.
Kithul treacle is available at South Asian grocery stores in the UK (especially in areas with Sri Lankan communities — Tooting, Wembley) and online from Sous Chef (souschef.co.uk). It is distinctly different from golden syrup or palm sugar — its smoky-caramel depth is unique. If unavailable, the closest substitute is date syrup with a drop of blackstrap molasses. Woodford Reserve's wheat-forward flavour profile pairs particularly well with kithul's complexity.
Use Talisker 10 (smoky island Scotch) instead of bourbon for a more intensely smoky version that echoes kithul's own smokiness.
One of London's most celebrated Indian restaurants, Trishna is known for extraordinary Keralan-influenced seafood and an exceptional cocktail programme. The bar team draws on coastal Indian botanicals — coconut, raw mango, curry leaf, kokum — to create drinks that feel as considered as the kitchen's cooking.
Visit trishnarestaurant.com