Monsoon cocktails: Nine bartender-approved recipes for the rains

That first hint of petrichor, and suddenly you’re craving piping hot chai and pakoras. But what if you could distill the aroma of the first rains into a cocktail? Or better yet, build cocktails using indigenous ingredients that make an appearance every monsoon. Think warm ginger, aromatic jackfruit, piquant jamun, luscious guavas and spirits from dark rum to Tequila Blanco. We talk to bartenders and bar founders across the country, to help you layer libations for this monsoon season. 

Distilling petrichor in a glass 

“There is a feeling every Indian knows – that first hit of rain on dry earth and that familiar aroma. Pehli Barish takes inspiration from exactly that.

Karan Dhanelia
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Don Julio Blanco brings an earthiness that mirrors the season, hojicha tea cordial adds the woody warmth of wet tree bark, the custard apple in season (August in parts of Maharashtra ) offers the familiarity of the monsoon,” says Karan Dhanelia, winner of World Class India, Sri Lanka & Nepal, and Bartender of the Year 2026

The hill markets at the bar

“The Monsoon in India is so important for our farmers and the bounty we get during this season dictates our cocktails as well. We have robust seasonal menus for the summer and monsoon period for Delhi. We have mangoes in the summer and monsoon with litchi and jamun, mulberries and gooseberries in the same period,” explains Minakshi Singh, co-founder, CND, Sidecar, The Brook, Delhi NCR

Minakshi Singh
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 While choosing spirits, she does not buy into the myth of dark spirits for cooler months. “When it comes to spirits, Indians like dark spirits for colder months though we balance the white and dark, so we have tequila, gin and whisky on the monsoon menu. Tea is a big part of the monsoon in the hills, so we have a butter tea cocktail from Tibet, a fermented kombucha cocktail and a Darjeeling tea second flush drink as well,” says Minakshi.

Pho Cha by The Brook

Pho Cha takes butter and tea – a combination straight from the hills and builds it into a stirred cocktail that’s beloved locally. A simple concept of ghee-washed vodka, tea wine, brown butter syrup, and a touch of Himalayan pink salt saline. 

Pho Cha by The Brook
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Twink Tonic – Sidecar, The Brook, and Cocktails & Dreams Speakeasy

Twink Tonic was built to capture the feeling of summer tipping into monsoon: that brief moment when the heat finally breaks. Makrut lime leaf-infused gin brings a sharpness while litchi and lavender add the floral element, almost reminiscent of petrichor.  

Taking the nostalgic route in the South-West 

“Jackfruit has long been one of South India’s most generous fruits in the summer and monsoon seasons — sweet, aromatic and deeply nostalgic. Turning it into a preserve not only captures its fleeting season but creates an ingredient that lends itself beautifully to cocktails,” says Karl Fernandes, founder, Roc-a-Coe cocktail bar, Chennai

Jackfruit lends itself beautifully to cocktails
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South Indian Breakfast Martini – Karl Fernandes, Roc-a-Coe

Some of the best breakfasts in South India begin with fruit, preserves and something warm from the kitchen. This cocktail borrows from that memory. Ripe jackfruit preserve balances sweetness with the bright lime and the crisp botanicals of gin.  For those who prefer whisky, the same preserve transforms into a richer, more indulgent sour that’s equally at home over ice.

Jackfruit whisky sour – Karl Fernandes

South Indian Breakfast Martini has two iterations, one with gin and one with whisky using the home-made jackfruit jam as a base.

When the Rain Crafts Cocktails in the East

Cherrapunji Eastern Craft Gin is the only gin made in India with rainwater from one of the wettest places on earth, Cherrapunji in Meghalaya. The juniper, citrus notes from the Khasi Mandarin from Cherrapunji and Kaji Nemu from Assam, feel vibrant, while the smoky undertones from the wild black pepper, cardamom and smoky tea echo the fog, rain, and changing weather patterns that define Meghalaya.

Ingredients that go into Cherrapuni Eastern Craft gin
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“In many ways, drinking the gin during the rains feels like experiencing the landscape in liquid form,” explains the Mayukh Hazarika, founder and master distiller, Cherrapunji Eastern Craft Gin, adding, “The Burmese Coriander Smash showcases the freshness of local ingredients from Meghalaya, and is particularly suited to the rains in the way it amplifies the gin, that is built around indigenous ingredients. The fresh coriander adds a herbaceous lift, while the cocktail’s overall structure allows the gin’s subtle smoky finish to emerge gracefully on the palate.”

When Raag Malhar inspires a spirited take for the monsoon

Inspired by Raag Malhar (Miyan ki Malhar), the iconic Hindustani raga associated with the monsoon, Karnataka’s lush monsoon landscapes and the earthy scent of rain-soaked soil are evoked using Malhar Citrus Gin from Goa, with seasonal floral hibiscus and warming spice notes reminiscent of the rains. The cocktail is smooth, aromatic, and balanced evoking the essence of the monsoon.

A riff on a rainy day classic 

The classic rainy season drink has historically been the Dark and Stormy, a moody rum drink born in Bermuda. 

The Dark ‘n Stormy is fiercely protected. Gosling Brothers holds an active trademark on the name. To legally call the cocktail by this name, it must be crafted using Gosling’s Black Seal Rum and ginger beer only. In Goa, Lolita Sarkar, founder, Unusual Spirits gives us her take on the popular drink using her spiced rum liqueur, Goa Dark. 

Monsoon Ember, Lolita Sarkar’s spin on the Dark ‘n Stormy
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Lolita explains, “For Goa Dark, this monsoon we are doing a simple twist to a classic shot, calling it the Monsoon Ember. The delicacy of the flavours in this spiced rum liqueur, the warmth of the jaggery spirit combined with local ingredients like kokum, from Goa, best expresses its wild nature.”

A Zero ABV Monsoon Drink from the West 

Monin’s spiced jamun syrup makes for a bright cocktail base.
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