Get high on golas with an alcoholic twist

Woodside Inn gives the good old gola an alcoholic twist with its Bubbles and Fizzle menu

It is almost noon when I reach Woodside Inn after braving the scorching sun. The door leads to a different world, a languid land of eternal evening. The music is slow and the ambience has a soothing effect on my senses. The new Bubble & Fizzle menu brings a smile to my face. Sean Pereira, the manager of the restaurant, along with Pankil Shah, the co-owner, has put together this impressive cocktail menu keeping in mind the sweltering summers. And it is a playful mix of citrus fruits, bitters, simple old-school syrups and sparkling wine. We sample a few and it come out feeling all sunny inside.

Aperol Flip Cocktail (Rs 395)
A sunny side up is not my idea of a cocktail. A closer look reveals otherwise and although it contains egg white its tangy, bitter orange smell is too refreshing to resist. The sparkling wine adds an extra zing. And a sip transports us to a tropical beach — it is light and sunny and just perfect to drown the summer blues.

Cosmo Gola Fizz (Rs 345)
Imagine Carrie Bradshaw sucking on an ice gola. Her favourite concoction of sparkling wine, vodka, tripple sec and cranberry juice gets a street makeover and the result is quirky. However, we find it a tad overwhelming to manage the ice gola and the martini glass and the tempting pieces of dried cranberries lie at the bottom — to sip, or bite or slurp? Also, the cocktail starts losing its spunk once the gola begins to melt. Also, I lose my gola in the sea of wine and vodka and cranberry juice midway through the endeavour.

Rum Cafe Gola (Rs 345)
This one is our favourites. It takes us back to our school days when cold coffees and golas used to be a luxury, and merges the two like a dream. Also, due to the heavy concentration of dark rum, espresso and condensed milk drizzle, the ice gola manages to hold the cocktail much better.

Horn of Plenty (Rs 395)
This one is a colourful tongue teaser, and indeed a cornucopia. The tartness of the Grenadine is perfectly offset by the sweet, bitter and spicy flavour of the Campari, while the Tripple Sec gives it a refreshing citrusy twist. Sparkling wine adds that extra zing.

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