Inspired by the heavens and the vastness of the stratosphere, our spirits in the sky present delectable tastes and sensations that will take you from one skyline to the next. This year’s summer cocktail menu offers a celestial theme to our patrons, one that has been crafted with vibrant colours and dreamy textures in mind.

We’ve naturally gone for refreshing and zesty flavours for this selection, but we haven’t scrimped on other gastronomic surprises to tickle your tastebuds. We’ve played with salty and spicy sensations, as well as herbaceous and complex notes for an out-of-this-world cocktail experience.

Mango-colada

This is our Indian take on the classic colada. A shot of Malibu rum is velvetised with milk, coconut purée and mango syrup. We then zest this creamy delight with fresh lime juice and bitters. This beautiful cocktail is finally clarified and smoked with roses, then adorned with a solid chia seed ice cube.

Tasting notes: Tropical smooth, fruity sweet and tangy.

Citrus Sky

Forever loyal to the citrus notes of summer, our Citrus Sky is a premium vodka infused with paradiso tea, then flavoured with lime curd and three drops of magic XX1 bitters. For an extra layer of zest, we finish it off with a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Tasting notes: Sweet and sour, tangy and zesty.

Himalayan Dreams

Our Himalayan Dreams is so delectable, you’ll be dreaming about it all summer. This is one of our gourmand cocktails, where fruitiness meets a touch of savoury. We layer a shot of gin with Italicus Rosolio Bergamot Liqueur, as well as paragon berry. This is then seasoned with fresh basil, fresh lime juice and a pinch of pink Himalayan salt for a saline sensation.

Tasting notes: Herbaceous and citrusy, refreshing but complex.

Watermelon Dishoom

What’s summer in Malta without a slice of watermelon to refresh the body and soul? We make the most of the season’s produce by blending freshly crushed watermelon with tequila, and this is then infused with fresh mint leaves and squeezed lime juice.

Tasting notes: Tropical and smooth, fruity sweet and tangy.

The King’s Beer

Long live the king! We’ve merged tequila with a classic Corona beer, and then mixed these with passion fruit and our homemade tamarind syrup. We finally season with a pinch of salt and fresh red chilli, and then top everything with fresh lime juice.

Tasting notes: Zesty, mildly spiced, tropical and bitter.

Orchard Burst

This is our decadent choice for the season. We’ve taken a shot of smooth port and sweetened it with paragon rue berry. We then layer it with XX1 bitters, gingerbread syrup and fresh lime juice. How naughty.

Tasting notes: Rich, sour and complex.

As you may know, one of the many jewels in Shakinah’s crown is our mixology team, who are continuously at work behind the bar, concocting unique and nuanced cocktails to be paired with your meal, or to be enjoyed on their own merit. Our seasonal experiments have resulted in some permanent fixtures to our signature portfolio, and remain crowd pleasers to this day. Here’s a breakdown of what tipples we have to offer you all year round:

Chilli Vodka Passion

We’re obviously passionate about our heat, and we haven’t left that out of our cocktail recipes. Chilli Vodka Passion is a fruity and spicy cocktail which teams the briny flavour of vodka with the spice of fresh chillies. This is embellished with Chambord liqueur, juicy passion fruit, and raspberries for body and taste. We then add a zesty layer to the mix with mandarin and fresh lime juice. Let your server know how spicy you like it!

Mumbai Mango Mojito

The national fruit of India takes centre stage in our interpretation of the Mojito. We let freshly blended mango do the talking here, with a generous shot of Malibu coconut rum. This is then merged with mint, fresh lime juice and soda water. This cocktail screams summer sips on hot nights.

Gin Cucumber

This is a minimalist but refreshing cocktail with gin, fresh cucumber, fresh coriander leaves and mint. However, we like to give it an extra layer with apple juice and fresh chillies.

Pink Fusion

It’s as sweet as it looks. Our passion fruit purée is mixed with a raspberry and cranberry-infused vodka, then further sweetened with Gomme syrup. We then fizz things up with a shot of prosecco.

King Chivaji’s Chillies

The king of the cocktail menu. Our King Chivaji’s Chillies is another spicy option for you to try, but with a more complex layering of flavour. There’s an almond note here with smooth Disaronno, which is then spruced up with cranberry syrup, fresh lemon juice and chillies. As a cooling agent, we’ve incorporated an aloe vera and raspberry jelly foam on top.

Kashmir Ginger Fizz

Ginger also makes an appearance in our cocktails, and not just in our curries. We’ve taken a silky dash of honey-flavoured Bourbon and Drambuie, then spritzed it up with ginger ale and fresh lime juice.

Vanilla Chai Espresso Martini

Why have coffee when you can have our elevated espresso? Our take on the Espresso Martini includes a shot of vodka that has been infused with chai vanilla tea. This is then merged with a delicious shot of Frangelico hazelnut liqueur, along with the espresso shot itself. The final embellishments are a sprinkle of pink Himalayan rock salt and cinnamon ground powder.

Gin-ger Bread Fusion

Naugh-tea but nice! Our Gin-ger Bread Fusion is as good as it sounds. We’ve taken a shot of gin-infused earl grey tea, and given it a whirl of egg whites and gingerbread syrup. For zest, you’ll find fresh lemon juice as well as fresh mint.

Ginger Fizz Mocktail

If you’re looking for the theatre of cocktails but without the booze, we’ve got you covered. Our Kashmir Ginger Fizz also comes as a non-alcoholic alternative, with just gingerbread syrup, lime juice, mint, apple juice and soda water.

Berries and Green Tea Mocktail

Our second mocktail is an incredible blend of green tea, passion fruit purée, lime juice and fresh berries. Simple, yet so satisfying.

This is how we freshen up our guests after a hot stroll along the Ta’ Xbiex promenade.

Defined not just by our elevated dishes but also by our curated inhouse beverages, Shakinah is proud to present a spanking new cocktail menu for Summer 2022. With every season comes a blank canvas for our ingredients to be shaken, stirred, crushed and chilled, all to be served in a theatrical selection of glassware. The latest collection from our mixology team is no exception. Good luck with trying to pick a favourite:

Banana & Coconut Elegance

A tropical match made in heaven, the Banana and Coconut Elegance is a cocktail that shows up in Cinderella’s glass slipper. Served in a ceramic stiletto, we’ve cut through the mellow sweetness of banana and coconut with white rum and a good squeeze of fresh lime juice. There’s also a savoury kick to this cocktail with a cumin & tamarind syrup, adding to the cocktail’s creamy texture. The coconut makes its grand entrance on top of the glass in a foam fur coat. 

Aperol Foam Bomb

No Aperol, no party. No self-respecting Mediterranean would leave Aperol out of their summer itinerary, so we’ve engineered our own take on the Italian bitter, lest anyone complains. We’ve infused our Aperol with a good sprinkle of cinnamon, and merged it with tequila and Chambord. This has been delectably diluted with an indulgent passion fruit purée, and fried up with a hint of red chilli. We’ve also made use again of our inhouse coconut foam as a topping, garnished with a mini raspberry kebab. 

A King’s Beer

Who said beers don’t belong on a cocktail menu? The King’s Beer is an elevated Corona, and his queen is tequila. These two alcohols are mixed with a passion fruit purée, as well as our cumin & tamarind syrup. Topped with a slice of passion fruit, the liquid is seasoned with a pinch of salt and red chilli. And don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten the lime. The final flurry includes a good squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Watermelon Martini

We’ve kept it quite simple with this one. Of course, we couldn’t not make use of our beloved signature watermelon at Shakinah; it’s simply timeless. We’ve essentially juiced the freshest watermelon slices and shaken with some good quality prosecco and vodka. It’s minimal, but a winning combination nonetheless. In keeping with the tropical theme, the Watermelon Martini is served in a pink flamingo glass.

Strawberry Garden

“Tastes like strawberries on a summer evening…” That’s because they are fresh strawberries, Mr Styles. We’ve sourced the best local strawberries in Malta, and juiced them with vodka. We’ve also added an aromatically sweet layer with elderflower, basil and mint. And in case you haven’t had enough pink, we garnish this cocktail with candyfloss on ice and serve it in a giant ceramic strawberry.

Shakinah’s Raspberry Fizz

Sweet and sour is one of our go-to sensations when curating our cocktail menu, and Shakinah’s Raspberry Fizz is certainly one of those beverages. The sweetness comes from the matrimony of Chambord and raspberry purée, but we’ve zested it up with gin, fresh cucumber, lime juice and soda water. We did also go a step further by adding red chilli, to keep things interesting.

Watermelon Dishoom

It’s back. We just couldn’t let go of our bestseller, and we feel it’s here to stay. If you haven’t tried it already, the Watermelon Dishoom is sure to give you a sugar high, but in the right way. We mix freshly crushed watermelon with tequila, and infuse it with fresh mint leaves and squeezed lime juice.

Gin Cucumber

The Gin Cucumber is our signature cocktail of the season. We’ve created a balanced flavour that is refreshing but mildly spicy. Our gin of choice is dressed with apple juice, mint, fresh cucumber, coriander leaves and green chilli. Very zen.