A healthy cocktail is not an oxymoron. Certainly not for Bensan Varghese, beverage manager at JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu, who recently launched the Gin-Seng festival at Dashanzi, the progressive Asian restaurant. Inspired by ginseng — the tawny-hued, short plant with fleshy roots — the festival will feature six gin-based cocktail concoctions comprising six healthy ingredients. These include ashwagandha, saffron, rose petals, bird eye chilly, pomegranate and galangal, which are known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and are also used to boost immunity.

"Ginseng is a perennial herb, which is traditionally used for its medicinal benefits. Over the years, it has gained popularity as a stimulant and stress reliever and is now an integral part of a host of beverages across America and Europe. Like ginseng, there are indigenous herbs, which can be used to achieve the same benefits," he says.
While you can head to the restaurant to sample the cocktail, Varghese shows us how you could concoct it on your own.