New apéritif developed to complement Indian cuisine
Sollasa, an apéritif designed specifically to serve with Indian dishes, has made its UK debut.
The 20% ABV grain-based spirit is made with orange zest, lime, lychee, mint, basil, coriander seeds, cardamom and sea salt, with the aim of "authentically" complementing Indian food. The brand was created by Vishal and Sajag Patel with the help of chefs, mixologists and food scientists. Vishal Patel explained: “We were raised on Indian cooking. We love it: it’s vibrant, flavoursome and varied. "But the choice of drinks to accompany it isn’t. It’s dominated by mass produced lagers and white wine shoehorned into a ‘pairing’." Sajag added: “We believe Indian cuisine deserves a delicious drink that authentically complements it – a drink that elevates consumers’ Indian experience. That’s our mission for Sollasa.” The brand suggests serving Sollasa with tonic, as a lower-alcohol alternative to gin. The name 'Sollasa' is inspired by the Manasollasa, a 12th-century Sanskrit text thought to be one of the first Indian recipe books. Priced at RRP £29 (US$40.04), the apéritif is available to purchase at www.sollasadrinks.com and at select Indian restaurants in the UK.
