BENARES BAR COCKTAIL MENU

BENARES'S VERY OWN COCKTAILS £10.50

PASSION FRUIT CHUTNEY MARTINI
This is a drink that has been created with a bit of help from our Chef Atul Kochhar. A combination of house made passion fruit chutney, Smirnoff Black vodka, fresh passion fruit, egg white and a dash of fresh lime. 

MUMBAI MARTINI
Ginger and curry leaves, two of the pre-dominant herbs in Indian cuisine, are what flavors this cocktail. Smirnoff Black vodka shaken over muddled curry leaves, fresh root ginger, lemon juice and sugar offer your pallet a warming zing of Indian flavors. 

PASSIONATE LASSI
Who says that healthy can't taste good? Keeping with Indian tradition, we present our version of the Lassi: natural yoghurt mixed with fresh passion fruit, Smirnoff Black vodka, sugar and mango juice.

BENARES MARGARITA
Taking Margarita to the next level, our head bartender insists on using only the best of our premium spirits. Patron Anejo tequila, Citronge liqueur, fresh lime, sugar and agave syrup shaken together. Served straight up.

PEACH AND LEMON THYME MARTINI
Lemon Thyme infused peach puree mixed with the first premium Mediterranean Vodka, Akvinta, with a hint of lemon juice and sugar syrup, served straight up.

VODKA COCKTAILS £9.50

POMEGRANATE MARTINI
A masterful blend of pressed Pomegranate juice and Smirnoff Black vodka, fresh mint, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur and sugar syrup. This drink is high in antioxidants and a great way to enjoy a healthy, balanced cocktail.

JASMINA
Our very own signature made Jasmine syrup, combined with Smirnoff Black vodka, fresh mint, lime juice, sugar, orange bitters and a dash of soda water. This drink tastes as exotic as it sounds.

RHUBARB MULE
Smirnoff Black vodka, home made rhubarb puree, freshly squeezed lime juice, angostura bitters, sugar syrup shaken together and topped up with ginger beer. In 1941 Jack Martin, owner of Smirnoff vodka, and Jack Morgan owner of cock’n’bull saloon met at the Chatham bar in New York. Martin was worried about Smirnoff’s future while his friend was marketing his ginger beer. Nobody knows which one of them came up with the idea of mixing these two ingredients together. Taking inspiration from the past we introduce to you the "Rhubarb Mule"

RASPBERRY & POMEGRANATE CAIPIROSKA
Fresh raspberries muddled with lime and sugar shaken with pressed pomegranate juice and Smirnoff Black vodka. Awaken your slumbering taste buds with a sweet and sour tang.

STRAWBERRY CITRUS
Ketel One Citroen vodka, fresh strawberries, strawberry liqueur, squeezed lemon juice and a dash of Limoncello. Create a velvet illusion that blankets your pallet.

FRENCH SLING
A Combination of Ciroc premium Vodka which is distilled from the finest of French Grapes, mixed with fresh white Grapes, freshly squeezed Lime Juice, Chartreuse and finished off with a splash of Tonic Water.

GIN COCKTAILS - £9.50

NO - 10
The finest Tanqueray 10 Gin, made with botanicals matured in an oak barrel for 18 months to give it a rich aroma, shaken with lemongrass, chamomile syrup, freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white.  

NAVY SLING
Plymouth Navy Gin is the traditional strength required by the British Royal Navy: It was the benchmark strength which a spirit could be split on gun powder and it would still ignite. Here Plymouth Gin is mixed with fresh raspberries freshly squeezed lemon juice, raspberry liqueur, sugar syrup and finished with ginger beer.

KIWI & LEMONGRASS SLING
Tanqueray Gin shaken with muddled fresh kiwi fruit and lemongrass, with a dash of freshly squeezed lemon juice makes the perfect trio for a perfect drink.

MARTINEZ
Martinez was invented in the late 19th century by "Professor" Jerry Thomas and is ideal for those who like to stick to the classics. A mixture of Tanqueray 10 Gin, Vya Sweet, cherry liqueur and a dash of orange bitters. Served straight up.

PERFECT SLING
Quite simply, perfection in a glass. Beefeater gin shaken with fresh mint, home made cassia bark syrup, freshly squeezed lemon juice and topped up with soda water.

SAFFRON AND CARDAMOM MARTINI
75,000 Hand picked blossoms are required to make a single pound of Saffron. Using Whitley Neils premium London Gin, combined with hand picked Saffron, Cardamom pods, Sugar and a slash of freshly squeezed Lemon Juice, this cocktail is the perfect aperitif.

RUM COCKTAILS £9.50

DARK'N'STORMY
Renowned as the national drink of Bermuda, the producers of ginger beer and Gosling's rum, this cocktail is the brother of the mule family. The compatibility of Gosling's Black Seal rum, fresh lime juice, sugar and ginger beer creates a balance of yin and yang.

MAI TAI
Trader Vic become known as man who created the Mai Tai one evening in 1944. He tasted the drink with his friends. After the first sip, one exclaimed "Mai–tai roa ae" which in Tahitian means "out of this world – the best". Mai Tai is a delectable mix of Aged Jamaican Rum, orange Curacao Liqueur, orgeat syrup and fresh lime. Wonderful!  

HEMINGWAY SPECIAL
Created by Constante Ribailagua, the owner of "La Floridita" bar in Havana, Cuba. Hemingway Special is a combination of Havana 3yr old rum, fresh pink grapefruit, maraschino liqueur, fresh lime juice and sugar syrup. Served straight up.

PINEAPPLE AND GINGER MOJITO
Twisting the classics with a ginger zing, our version of the Mojito consists of fresh pineapple, fresh mint, sugar and ginger beer.

RHUBARB DAIQUIRI
The classic daiquiri featuring Havana Club 3yrs Rum, home made rhubarb puree, freshly squeezed lime juice, vanilla liqueur and sugar syrup.

TEQUILA COCKTAILS £9.50

SILVER SPICE
...and everything nice. Mix of fresh red chilies, Patron Silver tequila, Vya Sweet, freshly squeezed pink grapefruit, fresh lime and agave syrup. Eating Indian tonight?  Then this is your perfect pre-dinner drink.

ELDERFLOWER MARGARITA
A mixture of Gran Centenario Anejo tequila, elderflower syrup, freshly squeezed lime and agave syrup, served straight up. This is a sweet and awakening dance for your pallet.

PASADO DE MODA
This drink is not only elegant but acts as a fabulous aperitif. Gran Centenario Anejo tequila, Vya Sweet, orange bitters and agave syrup. A   great note to start a night!

SOUR CHERRY MARGARITA
Using the finest ingredients- Wild Sour Cherries mixed with Patron Silver tequila, fresh lime, sugar and a dash of Grand Marnier Cherry- we bring a tangy tease to your pallet.

BUMBLEBEE
Homemade mix of mango, honey and pepper, shaken with Patron Silver tequila, fresh lime and agave syrup will leave you buzzing like a bee.

XO
A premium Tequila infused with the finest coffee essence. Patron XO coffee mixed with cherry compote, coffee and sugar. Served straight up.

BRANDY COCKTAILS £9.50

PEDRO MANHATTAN
Originally created at the Manhattan club, New York, for Lady Randolph Churchill, our slightly different Pedro Manhattan is a mix of Buffalo Trace bourbon, angostura bitters, Vya sweet and Pedro Xeminez sherry. Served straight up.

VANILLA OLD FASIONED
Part of the old fashioned family, this cocktail emphasizes the complexity of Bourbon. The combination of Woodford Reserve, home made vanilla sugar, orange bitters and angostura bitters shows you how complex and twisted Bourbon can be.

CHERRY TRACE
Buffalo Trace Bourbon shaken with crushed fresh cherries, Grand Marnier cherry liqueur, freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white. You need to see how this drink is made.

BRANDY BLAZER £11.00
A variation on "Professor" Jerry Thomas' Blue Blazer. This is a fun and aromatic way to liven up your winter nights. Remy Martin, fresh raspberries and blackberries, brown sugar and Chambord flambed: the outcome is a Brandy Blazer!

PEAR SKY £13.00
Talisker 10 years old accompanied by brillet pear liqueur, fresh pear juice, cardamom pods, freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar syrup, and egg white, shaken and garnished with a pear fan.

CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS £11.50

POLISH SPRING PUNCH
Indulge and drown yourself in freshly pressed raspberries and blackberries, Zubrowka vodka, lemon juice and sugar syrup. All this topped up with champagne is sure to take your pallet out of hibernation and awaken it with a tangy buzz!

CURRY 75
A savoury mix that challenges your taste buds. A mix of curry leaves, Tanqueray gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, topped up with champagne.

HONEY BERRY
This is a perfect drink to start off a romantic evening. Fresh raspberries are shaken with honey liqueur and a dash of Chambord and poured over a honey coated champagne flute. The whole process is completed by carefully layering champagne, creating three separate parts of the drink.

RASPBERRY ROYAL
Raspberry puree in a glass lined with raspberry liqueur and freshly squeezed pomegranate juice. Finished with a cloud of fine bubbles.

NON-ALCOHOLIC COCKTAILS £6.50

YANG TAO
With healthy and detoxifying properties, Yang Tao is packed with Vitamin C and Kiwi fruit. Enriched with passion fruit, fresh apple, lemon juice and added sugar; this drink is the one to toast good health and longevity.

DETOX
A mouth-watering mix of fresh raspberries, peach puree, and guava juice. This combination is high in antioxidants and vitamin C.

MOKSHA
Crushed mint leaves, lime juice, apple juice and sugar syrup blended together for a variation on an evergreen classic.

RED RAIN
Freshly pressed pomegranate juice, basil leaves, cranberry juice and sugar syrup. The allure of this drink is in its unexpected complementing flavours.

TROPICAL PASSION
Fresh passion fruit, mango puree, passion fruit juice, mango juice and sugar syrup make up for the irresistible consistency all carefully blended together.