The Valley’s emerging Modern-Indian dining scene got a boost when chef Sujan Sarker opened a second location of his Michelin-recognized Chicago restaurant, NADU, in Desert Ridge this summer. Partnering with Zest Hospitality of Feringhee note, Sarker and his team went straight to work fusing Indian culinary traditions with ingredients and influences from around the globe – and they didn’t stop with the food menu.
Consider this bewitching, clarified libation, named – like all the signature cocktails at NADU – after a foundational Indian culinary staple. Combining mango (known as aam in Hindi) with habanero and elderflower, among other aromatic actors, it manages to capture both the subcontinent and the Southwest in one luscious sip.
Beware: This is also not a cocktail to whip up at the last minute on a Friday night. The clarification process takes a day and you’ll want to make a batch. Combine 5 parts tequila, 2 parts elderflower liqueur, 2 parts mango purée, 1.5 parts *Gondhoraj lime juice, 1 part jalapeño brine, a few dashes of habanero bitters and a slice of a jalapeño per drink portion in a container. Add the clarifying agent Pectinex at 0.25 percent of the cocktail’s total weight and blend thoroughly. Allow the mixture to rest overnight, then slowly strain it through a coffee filter. Serve over a chilled cube of ice and garnish with a slice of dehydrated raw mango with chile to add aam to your cocktail vocabulary.
* Frozen Makrut limes, available at specialty grocery stores, are a good substitute.
$16
NADU | 21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix | 480-773-7754 | naduphoenix.com
