Viva Lewes Issue #122 November 2016

DRINK
Cocktails at Chaula's
Anyone for a Tamarind Madras?
Sometimes an assignment falls to you just at the right time.
It’s Saturday night, and we’re on our way to a party, and I
suddenly remember - ‘hey, I’ve got to review the cocktails at
Chaula’s - shall we pop in?’ Not many would turn that offer
down… my wife Rowena certainly doesn’t.
Chaula’s have turned their upstairs space, which they used to use for weekend overflow customers, into
a little bar, and as well as serving traditional cocktails (and draught lager, and wine, and straight spirits)
they’ve devised a menu of drinks with an Indian twist to them.
We decide to get two, and share, and the barman (Chaula’s son) spends a while going through the
wonderful motions of shaking and stirring and rattling and pouring. The Chaulito is a Mojito made
with coriander rather than mint, which is served in a nice tin tumbler. The Tamarind Madras is a mix of
tamarind, lemon, syrup and gin, and, it must be said, isn’t the most attractive-looking drink. But…
We both sip both drinks and realise that one of them is sending acute pleasure signals to the area above
our eyes. We work out that it’s the tamarind one; the sensation is so pleasurable we don’t hesitate to fork
out £14 for two more of these drinks. Something about the sweet and sour and alcohol mix really hits the
button. I mean… wow.
As I say, sometimes an assignment really falls to you just at the right time. The party is a mere walking
distance away, and we find ourselves in just the right mood to enjoy it to the full. Alex Leith
Photo by Alex Leith