Feni Vidi- Femina - Indiatimes

Sit back and relish these delicious feni-based cocktails made by celebrity chef Fernando Da Costa

White Satin
Serves: One
Time required: 10 minutes

60 ml coconut feni
45 ml coconut juice
1 scoop vanilla ice-cream
1 tsp caster sugar
clear juice of half a lemon
crushed ice
For the garnish:
1 cherry
a slice of lime
instant coffee powder for dusting

Briskly blend the coconut feni with the coconut juice, ice cream, sugar, limejuice and ice, in a shaker. Pour it into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the cherry and lime slice. Dust the cocktail with instant coffee powder.

Coconut Sling
Serves: One
Time required: 10 minutes

a few ice cubes
45 ml coconut feni
15 ml pineapple juice
15 ml fresh lime juice
1 tbsp sugar syrup
1 tsp grenadine syrup
For the garnish:
1 pineapple cube
1 cherry
1 shoe flower

Place four to five ice cubes in a highball glass. Pour in the coconut feni, pineapple juice, lime juice and sugar syrup and stir together. Pour grenadine syrup into the centre of the glass. Garnish with the pineapple cube, cherry and flower.

Konkan Storm
Serves: One
Time required: 10 minutes

45 ml cashew feni
1 bottle chilled soda
2 tbsp kokum syrup
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
crushed ice
For the garnish:
1-2 tsp cinnamon powder
Wedge of pickled baby mango on a cocktail stirrer with a cube of pineapple and a periwinkle flower.

Mix the cashew feni, soda, kokum syrup, ice cream and crushed ice in a pitcher. Stir well and pour into a champagne glass. Dust with the cinnamon powder. Garnish and serve.

Summer Serenade
Serves: One
Time required: 10 minutes

60 ml cashew feni
45 ml fresh mango juice
crushed ice
30 ml fresh cream
chocolate powder for dusting
For the garnish:
a cube of pickled carrot
1 cherry
1 olive on a cocktail stirrer

Blend the cashew feni, mango juice and crushed ice well. Pour into the glass. Gradually, top it with the cream and dust with the chocolate powder. Garnish with the cubed pickled carrot, cherry and stick the stirrer with the stuffed olive in and serve.

Coconut Thrill
Serves: One
Time required: Five minutes

45 ml coconut feni
15 ml anise syrup
15 ml limejuice
10 ml sugar syrup
a bottle of lime soda
For the garnish:
a slice of lime

Mix together all the ingredients. Garnish with the slice of lime and serve in a Tom Collins glass.

Cashew Margarita
Serves: One
Time required: Five minutes

60 ml cashew feni
15 ml orange liquor
juice of 1/2 a lime
sugar syrup as required
ice cubes as required
For the garnish:
1 tsp brown sugar
Pour the cashew feni, orange liquor, limejuice and the sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Shake well and pour into a cocktail glass rimmed with brown sugar.

Know Your Feni
COCONUT feni is distilled from coconut toddy - a sweet juice obtained from the tender shoots of the coconut tree. The toddy is obtained twice a day - early mornings (the extract is very sweet) and late afternoons (when it turns sour due to the effect of the sun). However, there are a few variations to coconut feni. The best among them are:

Jirem feni: Distilled from coconut feni after adding a pinch of cumin seeds ('jirem' in Konkani) to the distillate. Known to have medicinal value, a sip of this feni can cure gastric problems. It is stored in jars after the addition of the cumin seeds.

Allem feni: Distilled from coconut feni with the addition of ginger root ('allem') to the distillate. It has a very pleasant bouquet and is recommended for those suffering from stomach upsets or colds.

Dudhsheri feni: Distilled from coconut feni with the addition of certain roots having medicinal properties. It is known to have laxative properties; hence it is best drunk in small portions.

Caju Coolers
Urraca de Caju: This is the first distillate of caju juice obtained after crushing the caju apple. No additives are added during the distillation and it is usually had neat or after flavouring the drink with fresh lime juice. Bottled during the month of April or May, Urraca is presumed to have medicinal value in keeping minor colds at bay.

Caju Feni: This is the first distillate of Urraca, with a very strong flavour. It is often compared to Tequila for its potency and can be quite a shot for an amateur having her first shot of feni. Can be had neat, if you have a strong stomach. For the weak hearted, a flavouring of soda and lime juice should suffice.

Caju Forte: The second distillate of caju feni is known as caju forte. It is very potent and is around 22 per cent proof. It is very effective for colds and fevers. It is normally drunk without any flavouring, but with the addition of a little sugar. The mixture is then flambéed and had neat. Caju forte is also used to give cold compresses during high fevers.