Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

That perfect blend

Juice shops are now offering exotic blends

PHOTO: S. MAHINSHA

SUMMER COCKTAILS Juice shops are experimenting with flavour combos and fruits

Summer might be long gone and the fizz may have gone out of the colas in Kerala. But that is not the case with summer cocktails. As the monsoon gave way to another hot spell, there has been a renewed interest in fruit and milk shakes in town. There has been a lot of experiments on flavour combos and fruit and milk shake blends.

Just when the hype seemed to have settled down, new names such as `Awafis' and `royales' have sprung up. Traditional names like `Sharja,' `Abu Dhabi' and `Chikoo' seem to be becoming passé as exotic flavours capture the taste buds. Drive-inns juice haunts have now graduated to home delivery and take-aways. Rooftop and roadside juice shops sport new looks and menu cards have been revamped.

Says Shahid, a 21-year-old employee at Arabian Team, Kowdiar, "Variety is the spice of life. You can't serve the same stuff in the same glass all day long. You have got to come up with new concoctions ."

He is seen serving `King's shake,' a three-in-one cocktail of delicious flavours topped with exotic and varying colours. The drink may not be the same the next day as there would be a change of flavours used. The Team offers Royale Faloodas, Awafis, Love Shake and eats too. Now what is Awafi? It is a blend of fruits and flavours in thick milk-shake. Served ice-cold it is love at first sip.

A note of caution though, as most new brews have exotic ingredients, make sure you have a deep pocket. However, some drinks have stood the test of time. If Arabian Team had you watch the cars go by, Eden Park, near Bakery Junction, has your foot tapping to music. One can still relish the sumptuous Strawberry Shake for Rs. 25.

"The mystic feel of this rooftop is not available elsewhere and it is the best place to chill out with friends," says Vipin V.P a Park regular.

The conventional Sharjah and the evergreen pista shake are available at Suhara Juice Place, Sasthamangalam, and Archies. Archies is famous for its ice-creams. The finest kassatas, Eskimos and mixed flavour ice-creams are on offer at the place. Situated inside the Attukal shopping complex, it's a welcome break for families out shopping. The soft melodies being played and the huge aquariums on show give it a homely feel.

For those who prefer the good-old drinks like orange-lime, ginger-lime, jeeraka soda et al, bakeries such as Bhaskara at Uloor have them.

VISHNU MENON M

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail