Marrakech the Blue Room Shisha’s Six Out

Peter Matika, Drink of the Week

FOR a fairly regular shisha lover, staying hydrated during the session must be a priority and to be frank who wouldn’t enjoy it while sipping on a cocktail?

Although, the combination of hookah and drinks might bother you at some levels, such as what and how much you should drink alcoholic beverages are not the only option.

After finally convincing the manageress at Marrakech, also known as the Blue Room to create a cocktail that will be up for review, she set a date and created a special cocktail she termed the Six Out.

Valentine Ndlovu, the manageress at the establishment said the drink was the best way to kick-start your weekend and the best way to enjoy it was to indulge in the drink while smoking on a hookah.

“I call it the Six Out because it reminds me of the American action vigilante thriller film — Six Underground. I shan’t delve into the plot twist of the movie but I will say that this drink, for it to be enjoyed, needs a crew,” said Valentine.

She said the drink is best served in a Martini glass and the crew needs to be well fed and have a robust palate so as to enjoy it.

“The ingredients are simple. All you need is gin, soda water, ginger ale, bitters and of course your garnish, I prefer cucumbers or oranges,” said Valentine.

“Firstly when mixing the drink, you pour two thimblefuls of clear gin of your choice, add some soda water to build a fizz, add some ginger ale as well to build on the taste and then add some bitters. With this drink you can enjoy it with ice or without as long as the other ingredients such as the cordials are cold. I would recommend that you take the drink without any ice so as to enjoy the full essence of the beverage,” said Valentine.

She said there are a variety of cocktails available and urged patrons or those that haven’t visited to try out some of their exciting hookah flavours.

“There’s the usual hookah and water. Hookah and water are the best choice when it comes to having drinks with hookah.

Water beats everything by miles. You can mix water with almost everything and we prefer lemon or cucumber for better taste. Drinking water is all about following the ground rules of a refreshing hookah session. It keeps you hydrated and refreshing all the time plus it doesn’t ruin your taste.

“Then there’s the hookah and green mint tea. The combination of hookah and tea is growing expeditiously. Today it has become a tradition mostly in the Middle East and Arab countries. Black tea alone might not taste that good but taking a few sips of black tea between your shisha sessions can purify your senses, tastes and mind,” said Valentine.

She said her favourite hookah sessions were a combination of hookah, beer and wine.

“We all enjoy different alcoholic beverages with shisha at many of our shisha establishments around the country and mainly here in Bulawayo. But here we suggest sticking to classics of beer or wine. Undoubtedly, the sparkly bubbles of beer accompanied by tobacco make you feel good. But choose a beer with a lower volume of alcohol. If you are a wine lover then go for a dry wine when smoking a sweeter tobacco,” said Valentine.

She said even those who cannot partake in the wise waters could still enjoy a hookah with a glass of juice.

“A fruit juice and hookah combination doesn’t sound that intriguing as this is what people generally prefer while smoking.

Fresh juice serves two purposes at the same time — it refreshes your mind and gives you energy as well. So have a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and complement your hookah session,” said Valentine.

“I will suggest you drink whatever rocks your boat. Do remember, your drink must accompany your tobacco. So, when having sweet tobacco, you can have the opposite drink.”

Till next week, have a blissful and tipsy weekend. If you have an establishment and think your drink has what it takes to be profiled, WhatsApp me on 0772337433. REMEMBER alcohol is not for sale to persons under the age of 18 and let’s not forget to drink responsibly.