India may have nothing to do with the origin of gin, but several gins have Indian names, and the classic gin and tonic cocktail has a very interesting Indian story behind it. Under the British rule, in the early 19th century, there was an outbreak of malaria, which was a deadly disease then. Quinine was a cure to some extent, but it was very bitter tasting. Forced to have quinine, British soldiers started adding several ingredients to it to make it palatable. These ranged from sugar, water, lime, soda and gin. The combination of gin and quinine was the genesis of the popular sundowner of present, gin and tonic, or G&T, as it is famously known. All tonic water has some amount of quinine added to it. It is because of this story that many tonic waters are known as Indian tonic waters, and several gin brands have Indian names such as Bombay Sapphire, Maharani or Jodhpur.
Having originated in 1934 at the St Regis New York’s King Cole Bar by bartender Fernand Petiot, the Bloody Mary was originally known as the Red Snapper. Over the years, putting prudishness aside, the cocktail of vodka and tomato juice has come to be known as the Bloody Mary. The original recipe is still being served at the King Cole Bar in NYC.
However, every St Regis property around the world has its own local spin on the signature drink – with ingredients from beet juice to olive oil to various seasonings and spices. At the newly-opened St Regis Goa Resort, the drink takes on the flavours and vibrancy of the state’s natural beauty and Portuguese past. The Goan Mary, served exclusively at The St Regis Goa Resort, is inspired mainly by the popular spicy and tangy recheado masala of Goa. It is a vodka-based cocktail infused with the local Recheado masala made from Kashmiri chilli, vinegar, garlic, cinnamon and local spices. The spicy red mix is then combined with tomato juice, cracked black pepper and fresh lime juice, resulting in a drink very reminiscent of the spirit of Goa.
Shanker has been serving the drink since the resort rebranded as a St Regis in October last year. Spread across 49 acres, the St Regis Goa Resort is located on the Mobor Beach in south Goa, surrounded by waters of the Sal River and Arabian Sea on three sides. The rooms and villas are spread over the large area interspersed with freshwater lagoons and gardens with over 30,000 trees.
The St Regis Goa Resort being the first St Regis resort in India, the response to the re-branding has been promising, with the property being fully booked in peak season.
Marriott took over the property from Leela Hotels and having newly renovated the Great Hall (lobby), has plans to renovate the rest of the resort in a planned upgrade by end of 2024, including the rooms, banquet areas, spa and a host of new food and beverage outlets and programming.
The Goan Mary is just a start.
