Desi Spritz

Nimbu pani, a simple and delicious concoction of citrus, spices, salt and water, is popular throughout South Asia—from India to the Maldives to Sri Lanka. The thirst quencher is a traditional beverage to beat the heat of the tropics. Now, it’s making the leap from India to Indiana as a local brand steps up to help Americans soothe our panting palates.

On a Zoom call, I meet entrepreneur Maxine Henderson, a 46-year-old daughter of Indian emigrants, former electrical engineer, mother of four and wife of retired NBA player Alan Henderson. She hopes her drink—named Bollygood, a play on the “Bollywood” moniker for movies from India—will become as well-known here as it is in her parents’ homeland. According to her press release, it may be the first canned nimbu pani (literal translation: lemon water) marketed on our shores. Born and raised in Canada, Henderson recalls her parents taking the family on trips to their home region, the coastal state of Kerala in southern India. Located on the Malabar Coast, the locale is known for its rich food culture. It even has the nicknames “Spice Garden of India” and “Land of Coconuts.” As parents, they wanted to imbue a sense of their former country into their growing family, so they visited annually. On a particular familial excursion, the group visited the famed Taj Mahal, closer to Nepal than the Arabian Sea. She remembers, “It was so hot, maybe over 100°, and my older sister fainted. And the first thing that was brought to her was [this] lemon drink. Our mom would whip that up fast for us if we ever needed something. We weren’t really a big fan of sweet things, but we found it refreshing and hydrating.”

The drink has an extensive history dating back to the first century, largely because sugar and lemon both began their cultivation in India. Sugar-making (extracting juice from the sugarcane plant) started around 4,000 BCE in the country’s tropical areas. According to The Nibble, a digital specialty food publication, lemon tree farming was documented in a 10th-century book on agriculture. Other citrus, such as mandarins and citrons, was already being grown.

“Lemon water” comes in as many variations as there are tastes. Today, throughout India, parched people can find nimbu pani stands on many streets. “There are many ways to make nimbu pani,” Henderson says. “My twist on it was to add the sparkling water, to give it some effervescence. Also pink Himalayan salt. I didn’t feel the more traditional use of black salt would be palatable for Americans.” Henderson refers to kala namak, a salinated mineral used throughout Southeast Asia known for its sulfurous smell. I concur.

ALAN HENDERSON COURTS CHANGE AT THE BAR

What do you do when you retire as a professional National Basketball Association player? If you’re Alan Henderson, formerly of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, you create an artisanal liquor company around African Americans who handcrafted it before. When Henderson started the company in 2013, he recognized a lack of diversity in the spiritsmaking industry, both now and historically. His investigations led him in 2020 to launch Birdie Brown Plain Hooch, named after one of the few Black female homesteaders and home-distillers of great “hooch” (Prohibition slang for bootlegged alcohol). His next creations were in honor of Tom Bullock, head bartender at the St. Louis Country Club. The mixologist is most notable for writing the 1917 book The Ideal Bartender, containing 173 cocktail recipes. His name graces the Kentuckymade bourbon Tom Bullock’s Burnt Orange and Old Tom gin, concocted in the United Kingdom. Henderson’s mantra “Diversifying the Bar” doesn’t only mean in what we drink but also that these pioneers weren’t allowed in many establishments.

DESI SPRITZ

Tiffanie @thedrinkingcoach crafted this cocktails using Bollygood and spirts distributed by Henderson Spirits Group.

Makes 1 drink

1½–2 ounces Birdie Brown Plain Hooch 1 ounce carrot juice ½ ounce lime juice ½ ounce honey syrup OR simple syrup 4–6 basil leaves (leaving 2 for garnish) 4 ounces Bollygood Lime Basil Cumin Sparkling

Combine all ingredients except Bollygood Lime Basil in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake cold. In a tall glass filled with fresh ice, pour shaken contents inside and top with Bollygood Sparkling Lime Basil Cumin. Garnish with remaining fresh basil.