Tag: 52 Drinks 52 Weeks

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52 Drinks 52 Weeks – Sidecar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWe1ddq-SOs

Here’s a riddle. It’s the 1st World War, we are in Paris. An army captain goes to a bar and orders a drink. The bartender concocts one. The captain asks, whats the drink called. The tender looks at his motorbike and names the drink after it. What was the drink called?

It was called Sidecar.

History of Sidecar

The sexy drink that is simple to put together but easy to get off-balance. A bonafide Prohibition-era classic that’s making noise at bars once again.

The parent of the Sidecar is the Brandy Crusta, a cocktail that has its roots in New Orleans, America. Put Brandy, Curacao, Lemon Juice, Bitters, and Gum Syrup together, shake and pour in a wine glass that has its rim rubbed with a lemon peel, and voila there you have it.

Much like any mother cocktail, Brandy Crusta went through some innovations too. The Crusta made a two-fold change to become Sidecar. One, there was a fancy sugar rim (as noted by Jerry Thomas in How to Mix Drinks) and another the addition of lemon garnish to the glass. 

Citrus wasn’t commonly used in drinks in the mid-19th Century, unless you were a sailor trying to avoid scurvy. It was expensive too, and using every bit of it was only natural.

The Disputed Origins of Sidecar

Like any classic cocktail, the origins of Sidecar are disputed. The more commonly believed one is that where the French take the cake. It’s believed it was created at the famous Harry’s Bar in Paris during World War 1, requested by an Army Captain who rode up to the bar in the sidecar of his friend’s motorcycle. When he asked for a pre-dinner drink, the suggestion of a Cognac-based cocktail came up and that’s how the drink was created.

But then Pat MacGarry, the bartender at the Buck’s Club in London, is also often credited with creating the drink. He’s the inventor of the popular, but less well regarded, Buck’s Fizz cocktail as well.

We can’t tell which is the true story there. However, there’s one more story to Sidecar that must be shared, this time not of its origins, but its name.

Dale DeGroff, and his book The Essential Cocktail, says the portion left over in the shaker after pouring the drink in the glass and serving to the guest, the bartender pours it out into a shot glass on the side – that little glass is called a sidecar” Could that be the reason why the drink is called so?

The changes and two schools of Sidecar

History is interesting but confusing at times. The evolution didn’t stop and prohibition-favourite, Sidecar has never really lost its popularity. With standardisations coming in place, brandy eventually disappeared and was replaced with a more standard and bankable quality Cognac. 

The same with Triple Sec. Curaçao was hard to find. It was made from bitter + inedible oranges. It was substituted for the emerging Cointreau, an orange liqueur, also from France, with a much better pedigree. 

Now, some even use Grand Marnier!! But there still is one ingredient that may be hard to standardise, lemon juice.  

In this tussle of standardising the ingredients and produce, emerged two schools of looking at the drink. The French School and the English one. The French School promotes a perfect recipe of equal measures – 1 part each of Brandy Triple Sec and Lemon Juice (1919 ABC of Cocktails) which even today is very popular

The English school prefers 2 parts Brandy and one each of Cointreau and Lemon Juice (1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book)

The more modern recipe suggests 2 parts Brandy 1/2 part Triple Sec and 1/4 part Lemon Juice (1948 Fine Art of Mixing Drinks) but some complain of it producing a very dry interpretation.

Cognac, Ports, and post-dinner drinks may have not made a big wave in India but Cognac classics have done well. Be it Sidecar, French 75, Vieux Carre, or Sazerac, we have always seen them on the lists before they are deemed ‘complete’ 

And we believe after the lockdown lifts we will soon head to our favourite bars and order some classics. Maybe we are looking at an emerging trend there – the return of the classics.

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#52Drinks52Weeks – Story of Rum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCoWCztdN10&t=2s

The origin of rum can be traced to India or China and the surrounding regions of South East Asia where sugarcane was mostly grown. Marco Polo mentions having some in his 14th century logs and Malay people are known to have been drinking rum since 1000AD.

The modern day rum was possibly first distilled on the Caribbean islands where slaves found that after extracting sugar, the molasses could be fermented and then distilled to yield concentrated alcohol. This rum would have little in common with the smooth aged product we drink today but it was the start. A 1651 document from Barbados mentions this, calling the terrible liquor Kill-Devil or Rumbullion.

Interestingly, the word Rum, it is said, comes form Rumbullion or Rumbustion, which was a colloquial way of saying uproar or a loud noise which is pretty much what happened from copious consumption of rum. Other names include Pirate’s Drink, Red Eye, and Navy Neaters. But one likely possibility is that rum comes simply from the Latin name for sugar, Saccharum, which isn’t half as colourful a story!

From here, in the 1700s, the drink migrated to the US where distilleries soon sprang up along the east coast. Men, women and children had an average consumption of 13.5 litres a year. These versions of Americian Rums fared better in quality and competed with each other for taste, with some version becoming an acceptable currency even in Europe, in line with gold.

Rum rations were common among the navy for health reasons (right until 1870) which would be consumed after the water and beer onboard were over. In fact, there was nothing worse than a watered down rum, something the sailors checked by mixing it with gunpowder and lighting it. Only spirit over 57% would light up. And that’s where we get the term proof for strength of alcohol. 

So ships had to carry rum for consumption as also for trade. So good was the rum trade that many English navy officers went over to the dark side to become pirates because the money was so good and the rum wasn’t rationed. 

As the demand for sugar increased in the 18th century, rum production also sized up. Long story short, the trade of sugar and rum, as it grew, also involved the slave trade from Africa and heavy taxes being imposed by the English, all of which eventually snowballed into the American Revolution!

Even after the American Independence, Rum remained popular in the US for some time till American whiskey took over and rum, sadly, declined forever. That is not the only Revolution Rum was a part of, think of the popular cocktail Cuba Libre which, legend has it was first poured when Cuba won independence from Spain in 1902 and they celebrated by mixing the local rum with a new American import, Coca Cola!

Among all the distillates rum is perhaps the one which retains the maximum flavour of its primary ingredient. Made by distilling sugarcane juice or products thereof, and can be made to yield two different styles – the lighter ones like from Cuba and Puerto Rico and the heavier versions from Jamaica, Barbados and Demerara. 

This isn’t just about colour which is mostly adjusted by caramel. Instead, a lot  depends on the kind of yeast used, the molasses, and how fast the fermentation goes. Heavy rums are pot-still distilled twice and then aged in oak which gives them a heady nose and a golden hue but the real dark ones all have most probably caramel added to them.

Light rums, by contrast, are made using a patent still which makes for a lighter, less aromatic spirit. Caramel can be added to these too to give them colour but that doesn’t make them a heavy rum.

Rum works with many drinks, from simple water and lemonade to cola and juices like pineapple and coconut. It is very versatile as spirits and thus is used in many cocktails from the light daiquiri to the rich Planter’s Punch and the friendly Tikis.

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#52Drinks52Weeks – Barolo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzFXuOwLp5I

King of Wines and Wines for the Kings, Barolo is Italy’s pride. But did you know it wasn’t always red, it wasn’t always dry. It was sweet and sparkling. With time it has evolved and now rule palates and imaginations the world over, like a king.

On the Northwestern edge of Italy are the hills of Piedmont, which in Italian can literally be translated as the foot of the mountains. Wines have been made for centuries. By the Celts, Romans, and even the French under the Kingdom of Savoy. However, the Nebbiolo grape came here only on the 1266.

It’s a finicky character, and ripens late, even on the sunniest of Piedmontese slopes, and are picked in early winters by when the fog sets in. The Italian term for fog is ‘nebbia’ which gives it its name. At one time it was locally said, when the fog sets in, pick the grapes.

Other story suggests it is because of the heavy bloom or white powery yeast on its skin that’s why it’s called so. Whatever be the true story, this thin skin red varietal is a local hero, and works perfectly well in the hills of Piedmont. It claims the hills as its world-famous permanent address, which now is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. By the time the term ‘Barolo’ first featured on the wine labels, in the 19th CE, it was a dry red wine with mouthwatering acidity, supple tannins, and a personality that couldn’t be ignored.

The first few generations of Barolo producers would age the wine in huge oak barrels for long and make them rest further for decades before drinking them. These producers were called the traditionalists. They’d say, buy now, but drink after 20 years. But then came the younger generations who were a little impatient, or excited, to show their wines. They brought in smaller barrels that made wines age faster, or literally cut down the massive ones from their papa’s cellars with a chainsaw. 

These wines were fruitier, fresher, more vivacious, and less oak driven, ready to be relished upon release. Though the dads and grand-dads didn’t appreciate this tinkering with the personality of Barolos, consumers called these young guns, the modernists. And this war on oak-usage sparked what is now called the ‘Barolo Wars’. This divide has stayed and even movies are made on this now. Watch the famous documentary Barolo Boys to find out more about.

This has to be the biggest wine war in a region. So much so that kids of traditionalist winemakers weren’t allowed to be pals with those of the modernists. They may disagree on the style, one thing they agree on is the recipe. It had to be a Nebbiolo-only wine, aged for a minimum 3 years to be called Barolo, and for 5 years for Riserva, before they was released. This recipe was conferred with the coveted DOCG title in the year 1980, the highest quality level for Italian wines

Now there are various styles of Barolos and one must understand the differentiations between its communes and villages, and crus and winemaker’s style to pick their favourites. The more aromatic ones come from Barolo & La Morra, while the Castiglione Falletto, and Monforte d’Alba will give you more structured and age-worthy wines. Serralunga d’Alba is a bit spice and muscular. This is all thanks to the divide of the the Tortonian and Helvetica soils under the grape wines.

Be it the traditional style or the modern one, it’s a gastronomic delight when paired with the local Alba truffles, Agnolotti pasta in Ragu sauce, or a good game dish. If not this fancy, try a mushroom-heavy pasta or risotto and you’ll see the magic unfold.  Even better if the Barolo is decanted and drunk after its 10th birthday, or if it is a Riserva make it its 15th birthday. But do note, good Barolos can age up to 30-40 years as well.

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#52Drinks52Weeks – Roohafza

If there’s one drink that has been keeping us, our parents, their parents, their parents, and even the British nostalgic, it has to be Roohafza.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH8Hmp_3XEI

Be it drinking it at at your grandparent’s place, with chilled water and a squeeze of lemon, or serving it at Gurupurab, it has been a family and social drink.

HUMBLE ORIGINS

Roohafza started in 1906 to beat the monstrous heat of Delhi by a practitioner of Unani and herbal medicine, Hakim Abdul Majeed.

Unani system derives its philosophy from the Greek physician Hippocrates, who believed in the healing power of nature and advocated that medicines be safe and gentle

It was first sold by Hakeem Majeed’s Dawakhaana called Hamdard, in Lal Kuan Bazaar of Old Delhi. Hamdard means the ‘sympathiser in pain.‘ Roohafza, however, is a Persian word meaning – ‘Soothing to the Soul’

And the Bangladeshi website of Roohafza says it was the name of a character adopted from the book of Masnavi Gulzar-e-Naseem written by Pandit Daya Shankar Naseem Lakhnavi. And who was the character? It was the name of the daughter of heaven, also called Jannat ki Beti

BRINGING TO THE MARKET

It was released in 1907 with a fancy label, designed by Mirza Noor Ahmad, that still remains unchanged. It was too complicate to be printed locally and was sent to was printed by the Bolton Press of the Parsees of Bombay. And, the earlier Roohafza bottles were heavier and taller with a long stem, made of glass, closed with wooden cork, like a wine bottle. The today plastic bottle avatar came rather recently in 2012.

And there are records that by 1912 many princely rulers made it a part of their daily diets. It became especially famous amongst the Muslim communities as it could be drunk during Ramadan or Ramzaan, at the only meal of the day, at the end of their Rozas, called Iftaar, not just because its refreshing but also because its natural. 

At iftaars, the entire family eats together and mothers and grandmothers pour it huge from jugs. It’s the perfect family drink. And this is what can be seen in movies today, remember that scene from Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani with Ranbir Kapoor’s mother pouring him a glass?

ROOHAFZA, PARTITION, AND THE FAMILY

Hakim Majeed passed away in 1922 leaving the reigns in the hands of his 14-year-old son Abdul Hameed who successfully expanded the brand and the business. But like many homes in India, Partition broke the family and Mohd. Said, the second son moved to Pakistan. At that time they had setups in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh too. So, it can be said that Roohafza has witnessed the bloody birth of three new countries. Of which, Arundhati Roy mentions the same in her book, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness.

SHERBET RECIPE + ROOHAFZA INNVOATIONS

Typically, a sherbet has either a base of Fruit, Flower, or Roots – Roohafza has all three. It contains natural ingredients like khus (poppy seeds), lilies, keora, roses, sandal, juices like pineapple and orange, and much more. And minus the two nostalgic ways of drinking, there’s much more that can be done.

Hamdard has tried some innovations of their own as well. Be it launching its ready-to-serve format like RoohAfza Fusion, or having RoohAfza inspired drinks at Barista coffeeshops, or even developing RoohAfza flavoured milk. But, one of the most talked about play was its carbonated drink sold in cans, in Pakistan, as RoohAfza Go. Some didn’t agree with it, some did, but, who are we to say

ROOHAFZA DOMINATES

In Indian, Roohafza still dominates 50% of the powdered soft drinks and liquid concentrates. Saveur Magazine, considered by many to be the last word on authentic cuisines, ranked RoohAfza No. 1 in the drinks category from around the world in 2007.

SHERBETS IN INDIA

But, do remember, sherbet, sharbat, sarbath…whatever you call it, has had a longer standing history in India than Rooh Afza. The word comes from the Arabic term shariba, meaning “to drink”, and arrived in India with the Mughal Emperor Babur in the 16th century.

Well, Sherbets may have come with them but their earlier rendition has been mentioned in the Travels of Ibn Battuta in Asia and Africa, where he describes a royal meal he had with the 14th century Sultan Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq at Tughlaqabad in Delhi. He mentions sherbet of rose water that was served before meals, which ended with paan.

Roohafza has been a classic dressing in Faloodas and Rabris, which also was brought in by the Mughals from Persia, and Humayun was especially a fan of.

Interestingly, his son, Akbar was a vegetarian three times a week. He cultivated his own kitchen garden and carefully nourished them with rosewater, so that the vegetables would smell fragrant on being cooked!

Well, definitely sherbets have come a long way. In the new age, people are getting kicks from international drinks. In such times, we would like to see more Indian drinks returning to bars and restaurants after the lockdown lifts. we’d happily opt for a Roohafza over any carbonated drink even at a hotel or a restaurant. And why stop at that. Why not use it mixology, or baking, or desserts. I say let’s do that. In times of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Vocal for Local, and let it not just be a drink from our childhood, and drink up our heritage and be proud of it. 

And to that, Cheers!!

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#52Drinks52Weeks – Wheat Beer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B4Ckf4b5uY

THE BEGINNING

Beer has been around for over 6000 years. Mahabharata is said to have taken place after that. And imagine the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, came in even later. It was the rule then to drink 5 litres of beer per day as a part of your job. Not just there, beer was often used as a currency to pay salaries or trade with, and was an essential part of the diet, not just as a medicine or to gain nutritional values, but just to stay alive.

Well, Ancient Egyptian found in several Egyptian tombs illustrate two different grains. One is believed to be wheat. Now, did bread come first or beer, is an argument we won’t get in to. But we do know beer is after all a sort of a liquid bread. And, it was used for religious purposes too, see the Pharaohs or even the modern monks at churches and Abbeys across Europe. 

Wheat is one of the oldest cultivated grains in the world. But since wheat could be used as a primary food grain, brewers shifted their attention to barley which was in fact even better suited for their brew recipes. 

LET’S PLAY BY THE RULES

And there comes in The Rheinheitsgebot or the German Purity Law of 1516, was established to ensure that people didn’t use up the food grain for making beer and that brewing was key as basic and standardised as possible using only water, malt, yeasts and hops. Hops came in much later.

Then can it be said that probably this is what brought systematic agriculture in to our civilisation? Thanks to beer, or bread!! Food for thought…

Weizenbiers have been brewed for over 600 years. The first true weissebier brewery was built in the 15th century in Bavaria that reserved the exclusive rights to brew the style for decades.

It was in the 15th century in the Bavarian village of Schwarzach by the noble family, the Degenbergers. This exclusive privilege was then passed on to the Bavarian Dukes. In 1589, Bavarian Duke Maximillian I built the “Hofbräuhaus am Platzl” which to this day still occupies the location of the Ducal Weissbier brewery. 

It wasn’t a popular style then. 

That’s when George Schneider released the Weissbier rights to the public. By 1872, Weizenbiers could be brewed by anyone and production was no longer controlled by the royal government. 

DEFINING WHEAT BEER

Ideally they are about 30% wheat, and the rest is Malt. Wheat beers are brewed with or without hops depending on the variety and tend to lack bitterness, usually settling at 10-30 IBU. Inspite of the lightness of taste, all wheat beers are ales as they are made using top fermenting yeast. So what we’re saying is they are Ales, and not Lagers. And, aren’t completely wheat-based

It’s near impossible to have complete wheat beer, since they are high in protein that don’t let the yeast work well, thus needing addition of malted barley to provide sugars and enzymes to ferment. Even if you do make a 100% wheat based brew, you wouldn’t want to drink it. It’ll be gummy, sticky, and a mush. And what about the addition of oranges, coriander, and other such flavours in the beer?

GRUIT

Earlier, a mix of spices, herbs, citrus peels were used untill hops were found. They acted as a preservative and the secret mix added further style and character to the drink. Its style just stayed. And we guess people love that too. Ketan Sing from Brewbot + Navin from Gateway Brewery say wheat beers sell the most at their microbreweries and taprooms. BIRA91, White Rhino, Hopper, Arbour, GBC, Simba, even Kingfisher has one.

STYLES AND SERVICE

Wheat beers tend to be highly carbonated, so the pouring is key – slower the better. Flute styled glass is the best suited and the beer must be utterly chilled.

Witbier – is Flemish for “white beer”. Belgian-style witbier is a variety of beer all its own. The pale beer is brewed using unmalted wheat and is spiced with coriander and orange peel, something that was used traditionally to preserve beer before hops were discovered. It’s refreshing with subtle spicy notes. It is most often cloudy as it come with yeast suspended in the bottle so yes, witbiers are very often bottle conditioned meaning there may be some fermentation even after bottling. 

Hefeweizen – “Hefe” is the German word for yeast. Banana + cloves are commonly found in the beer. It’s low on bitterness (say 15 IBU) and high on the fizz, something that helps offset the malt-induced sweetness.

Then there is the Dunkel which is a dark wheat beer made using highly kilned grains. And also the Weizenbock which is a strong wheat beer. Others like Goes and lambic also use significant proportion of wheat but aren’t necessarily classified as wheat beers.

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#52Drinks52Weeks – Malbec

With foggy origins, somewhere between Bordeaux and Bourgogne, Malbec hasn’t had the best of starts in France. After losing its spot in Bordeaux it moved to Cahors, and Loire, before it backpacked to Argentina and finally found its true home. Now, it is a national symbol there and a every 17th April is celebrated as the World Malbec Day. Sommelier Magandeep SINGH and Gagan SHARMA discusses its journey so far an taste two renditions of the varietal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JALQDjohigI

MALBEC’S FOGGY ORIGINS

This week we are celebrating the World Malbec Day on 17th April.

The grape has many names – Cot, Auxerrois Noir, and Pressac – but where did it originate from and why’s it called so still remains open for debate

A popular, but unconfirmed, theory claims that Malbec is named after a Hungarian peasant who first spread the grape variety throughout France. French ampelographer and viticulturalist Pierre Galet notes, however, that most evidence suggests that Côt was the variety’s original name and that it probably originated in northern Burgundy. Which is believable since a variety, called Auxerrois Blanc, is a local gift.

MALBEC’S HOME AND DISOWNMENT – BORDEAUX

Consecutive catastrophes of Phylloxera and Mildew between 1850 and 1880 caused economical droughts. Winemakers had to pick their favourites, bearing in mind the varieties that would fetch them most gains and repute. This thin-skinned, rot-prone varietal lost its plot, literally. Only when it was regathering the faith of local farmers, it miserably failed the test of the famous 1956 Frost in Bordeaux. And then there was no looking back. The varietal was marched out of Bordeaux.

It travelled more inland from there and survived in the drylands of Cahors, not far from Bordeaux. Since it was definitely drier and virgin from the ideal of the ocean’s diurnal effects, Malbec flourished here. Cahors is probably the only Malbec-centric ppelation of the world. However, it must constitute a minimum of 70 percent Malbec, and can be accompanied by rich and round Merlot and rustic and tannic Tannat.

Further north, in the Loire Valley, Malbec is blended with Cabernet Franc and Gamay to make fruity, quaffable reds, and, sometimes, as part of a sparkling Saumur wine.

MALBEC + ARGENTINA – A MATCH MADE IN HEAVENS

The 1880s President commissioned Michel Aimé Pouget to take care of the vineyards, and, amongst many things, he brought Malbec Argentino, in 1853. It was a stable, higher quality clone than the one used in Bordeaux at the time.

Malbec overtook Criolla Grande and Cereza to become country’s most planted varietal for bottled table wines. The idea was to replace jug wines made from these existing varietals and put in place a formidable local identity that would not only mark the rise of clean, varietal-driven, quality produce, but also of Argentinian wines and their potential to the world. 

International eyes were drown to Argentina’s potential with Malbec and soon there was an influx of money and talent. CaRo is a joint venture between Château Lafite-Rothschild and Nicolás Catena which proves the point. Further, Cheval des Andes, a joint venture between Chateau Cheval Blanc and LVMH‘s Terrazas de los Andes, makes extremely good Malbec . And Michel Rolland‘s own extensive range of Argentine wines such as Yacochuya from Salta in the north (with the Etchart family) and the Clos de los Siete project high up in the Andes near Vista Flores with various, mainly French partners is a testament of Malbec’s potential when handled well.

MALBEC IN OTHER CORNERS OF THE WORLD

Chile has about 6,000 hectares planted, France has now regathered about 5,300 hectares. California, Washington State, the Rogue and Umpqua regions of Oregon, the Grand Valley AVA of Colorado are flourishing with Malbec

Prior to Prohibition in the United States, Malbec was a significant variety in California used mainly for blended bulk wine production. After Prohibition, the grape was a minor variety until it experienced a surge of interest as a component of Meritage Bordeaux-style blends in the mid-1990s.

Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, British Columbia, the Long Island AVA of New York, Oregon, southern Bolivia, Peru, northeastern Italy, and recently in Texas and southern Ontario, Virginia, and in the Baja California region of Mexico are all homes to Malbec as well..

India tried too with Malbec, but failed due to the prevalent leafroll virus. Vallonne Vineyards produced an excelled varietal reserve styled Malbec and Sula Vienyard‘s Sartori was a blend of Merlot and Malbec. Its presence in the valley is inconsiderable, but the promise it showed is still talked about.

TASTING A MALBEC

A good Malbec has ample supple tannins, with balancing mouthwatering acidity, and a palate filled with ripe dark fruits, blackberries, dark cherries, milk chocolate, damsons, and tobacco leaf that are supported often with a mix of oak is a framework that Mendoza’s delectable drops promise today. 

Broadly speaking, French Malbec tends to be more meaty, rustic and tannic, while examples from Argentina seem to be uniformly rich, ripe, jammy and juicy.