Tag: Indian Spirit

Wine-ing Move

Wooden winemaking barrel 3d illustration

Would it be fair to say that wine is the most remarkable elixir of the Alco-bev world? It may provoke comment, but one fact will go uncontested; that it has inspired, pushed and nudged other spirits to be better, added oomph and character to them. In a time where every drink is trying to reimagine, think out-of-the-box, reinvent, and offer the unprecedented to awe and delight patrons, ageing in wine barrels is the most relevant move. Surprisingly, this is spilling over from whiskies to agave spirits, brandies, to even coffee now. Why wines? Well, nature designed it as such; it is the only all-natural elixir. Also, it grows on its own, even in the most unforgiving terrains. And once the fruit ripens, it ferments to create alcohol by itself, soliciting no human intervention. Pairing food with wine wasn’t a luxury; it was the only way to survive—eat and quaff it down with wine. No wonder the ancients submitted to the higher wisdom of In vino veritas—in wine, there is truth and also insiration, apparetly.

THE REST BEFORE RELEASE

As far as whiskies are concerned, cask finishing has always been around, and now it’s the flag bearer of the rapidly changing whisky scene. Remember whenever you read labels like Sherry, PX, Maderia casks, Port Pipes, and the like, you’re picking up a wine cask finish. Cask-finishing is essentially moving a fully matured whisky in a used cask (that once held another alcoholic beverage) for a few months before its release. It allows the spirit to pick up nuances that it couldn’t have developed on its own. It also gives distillers the opportunity to play with their output whilst retaining the distillery’s signature style. Paul John, India’s most awarded single malt distillers do a fabulous job at this with their famed PX and Oloroso variants. They age their whiskies for over three years, and finish it for a period longer than usual for more robust results. Michael Dsouza – Master Distiller believes that the additional character that wine casks add is a ready solution to the depleting interest in age-statement whiskies of 18-21-25 years. “Consumers demand whiskies that can be relished sooner, yet have a different twang. Whisky distillers’ goals are also shifting towards creating something different. Since a lot of whisky giants also own wineries, this cross exposure comes naturally”. And with that comes premiumisation. Drinkers across the globe are paying more for these cask-finished whiskies, even deeming them collectibles. Should it be inspiration?

PUSHING THE ENVELOPE

Adding a sweet affectation to a whisky, long considered a man’s drink, is also helping make it gender neutral. Glenmorangie’s Nectar d’Or is aged in Sauternes casks, the coveted, delectable, dessert wine from France. Glenfiddich, often known to push the envelope, produced a limited release Winter Storm that was aged in the legendary winery, Pellar Estate’s iconic ice wine casks. Set to disrupt the scene, their precious 21-year-old single malt met with the elegant, suave, and delish Canadian icewine. “The aim wasn’t to make a sweet whisky, but to excite the scene, do the unthinkable”, adds Angad Gandhi, Glenfiddich’s Brand Ambassador in India. “Currently more than half the whisky makers are toying with wine casks in one form or the other. Characteristics delivered by a wine cask are unparalleled. It won’t be incorrect to assume that wine casks are the way forward. For instance, Winter Storm was sold out not in days or months, but a matter of hours. It’s a very clear indication of the consumers’ readiness”, he adds.

METAXA - A SPIRIT BEYOND DEFINITIONS

Alcohol has always provoked socio-cultural change. Traditionally, après dinner drinks never really took off in India since we usually drink before our meals, seldom with, and definitely none afterwards. That probably accounts for why brandies and dessert wines have enjoyed limited success in the country. However, an iconic 130+ year old Greek label is altering that one drink at a time. Metaxa puts together an aged Greek brandy with a local sticky Muscat dessert wine, along with some herbs and rose petals to create a proposition that fits into no set boxes. What was once a medicinal endeavour is now changing the way generations drink and when. Although this has been popular abroad over a dozen decades or so, India has been slow to the party, and is only befriending the trend now. “The sweetness and balanced acidity of the Muscat wine gives Metaxa a smooth and fruity taste without making it overly sweet, and when combined with fine wine distillates and herb extracts, it creates a unique organoleptic experience”, explains Constantinos Raptis, Metaxa Master.

WHERE INDIAN AGAVE MET INDIAN VINO

India’s romance with Tequilas has been a longstanding one. Now Rakshay Dhariwal is single-handedly putting India on the world map by making converts of agave drinkers. Pistola Agavepura too couldn’t stay away from the trend. KRSMA Wines, sole winemakers in the UNESCO World Heritage Site tagged Hampi Hills, produce commendable, cult-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon. Dhariwal scored a few barrels from their cellars and aged his nectar in it for two months to create the pink-hued Rosa and Rosa Select, the latter being an exquisite single-barrel rendition. Borrowing a page or two from the playbooks of rum and other spirits, agave-crafters have been looking to wine for inspiration. Calirosa has been a leader, ageing their distillates in Californian barrels; El Mayor ages their Reposado in ex-Chardonnay French casks; Cava de Oro tops at it with their Extra Anejo aged in French red wine casks for seven years! “We put our distillate in their French oak, 225 litre, ex- Cabernet casks and the product was a stunner. We might try the same with ex-Sherry casks now,” confesses Dhariwal. “Wine is vast, well-accepted, and a premium beverage, and agave naturally does really well with them. It gets little tannic, fruity, attains depth, broadens the spectrum, and the hue is amazing. Most importantly, it adds a level of spice, vegetal, and red fruit notes which not only work well with agave, but it’s something no other barrel can deliver.”

BEYOND CASK FINISHING

Red wine barrels have also reserved their space at distilleries. The burgeoning market for Indian single malts are now going past cask finishing. For instance, Indri Single Malt rests their distillates in ex-Bordeaux casks for the better part of a decade. “Through this, Indri offers something different. The dark and red fruit tones, hints of pepper, and honeyed sweetness lends a unique profile and texture to the liquid”, explains Prabhkaran Hundal, GM Sales & Marketing at the brand. Whiskies are a quirky proposition in India where consumers are annoyingly brand loyal and seldom venture beyond familiar labels. However, there’s been an interesting change over the past years: “Consumers now do understand and appreciate the use of different barrels and what uniqueness it lends to the liquid, to a certain extent. But this patronage is limited to the few who are well travelled and have learned to experiment”, adds Hundal. For instance, as sommelier, I can imagine the value that a Tempranillo’s Crianza can add to a rather astute whisky, bringing in a nerve of refreshing citrus, breaking the monotony of overt concentration from years of ageing, a burst of ripe red fruits, and a cola playfulness. All this from simply letting the two marry for a couple of months. This exchange hasn’t been one way, wines are being also being aged in whisky barrels now. Jacob’s Creek’s Double Barrel Shiraz, Agitator’s Bourbon Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon are just a few examples.

TO SOBER PURSUITS

Sula Vineyards have enjoyed an interesting tryst with Paul & Mike chocolate and then with Blue Tokai coffee roasters to create some sober pursuits as well. The barrels in which they rest their best produce— Rasa Shiraz, Rasa Zinfandel and Dindori Shiraz—were put to good use. Once the wine was racked out, they were filled with 100 kilos of beans and xinterim. These were then roasted and shipped out as a limited release batch. The legendary winemaker Robert Mondavi reportedly believed morning coffee needed cream, sugar, and a generous splash of red wine. Sula and Blue Tokai have made it happen for their domestic audience. “The tannic grip, spicy lift, and an undeniable burst of red fruits made the coffee simply un- putdownable”, says Gregoire Verdin, Brand Ambassador, Sula Vineyards. And now we hear more roasters are being added to the lineup. For the most civilised drink that’s helped forge our civilisation, there’s a lot more that wines can still contribute. Like the Avengers, it’s only adding more to its brigade, empowering them further, and keeping patrons enticed, and excited for the next one. Much like other drinks need wines to up their offerings, wine needs them to break their monotony as well. And in this happy marriage, we the drinkers are the biggest gainers.

First published on India Today Spice, December 2022

Tags Indian Spirit, Sommelier, Spirits, Wine

Articles Spirits Trade

A Taste of Feni

Much like there’s very little sense in reading versions of Indian history written by European historians, it’s imperative Indians talk about their own heritage drinks. If Mexico has Mezcal, and Japan has Sake, India has Feni, the undisputed unofficial ambassador of the land and its people. Despite Feni having gone global, yet is still coaxing Indians, young and old, to drink and own it. Dawning the ‘Heritage Spirit’ tag like an albatross around its neck, it’s accessible to the world but not to Indians outside of Goa because of our convoluted laws. Things are changing though, and with that the image and acceptability of this fiery country liquor is steadily gaining favour.

On the onset I must confess, after being a trade professional for over a decade, I knew as little about Feni as you do today. At all my visits I looked for its two avatars – coconut and cashew – and brought them back sealed packed. Much like the King’s beer effect, which only tastes good at Goan shacks but not otherwise, Feni made for an unpopular choice at home soirees in Delhi. The resort, hence, was to make a punch with the locally produced coconut flavoured Cabo, pineapple juice, fruit slices, topped up with a limey soda, serve extra chilled. Feni made me feel like an outsider, an outcast, and the feeling was mutual. It was only this year when I returned to Goa and visited this charming Distillery in South Goa- Fazenda Cazulo, that I befriended the drink. All it needed was to be looked at from a different window, and Hansel Vaz, founder of Cazulo Premium Feni, provided just that. It also came at a time when Goa is deemed the epicentre for craft spirits production. And if at all there should be a quintessential first stop, it should be for Feni!

Coconut, Cashew and more

Though coconut and cashew are the most known expressions, astoundingly I found that a Feni could come in about 26 expressions, pure distillations, botanical expressions and even liqueurs- clearly carving out a niche for itself, not just as a drink, but a drink category by itself! While cashew Feni boasts a GI Tag, the cashew fruit itself was only introduced to India by the Portuguese in the 16th CE. What’s cool about this fruit from the Amazon rainforest, is that thrives on the red infertile hard rocky hills of Goa, and when Hansel says ‘Drink Feni and Save Goa’ he has a point! To distill more Feni Goa will need to plant millions of more cashew trees which in turn could save Goa’s pristine hills and keep Goa green forever for the future! Its interesting that the first mention of the distillation in Goa was in 1545, by a Dutch spy who described the process of Coconut Feni. Going back nearly 500 years now, no Indian drink has helped shape a civilization as much as Feni has.

Feni – Matrimony

Feni culture stands unique in many ways. Firstly, it’s amongst the only six drinks in the world that are still fermented through a process called ‘underground natural fermentation’ in huge claypots called ‘Matheichi bhann’. The skill and craftmanship for making these claypots was so specialized that it even decided who and how the Potter married back then. Hansel shares that potters needed to be tall and slim, tall- for longer arms to make bigger and deeper pots- for batch consistency, and slim so that when they bend their paunch would’t leave a flat spot! To ensure the distilleries stayed loyal to the potter and his similar sized vessels, tall slim potters would look for equally shaped mates!! The shape of a pot decided your life partner, so much for a drink, eh!

Man over Machine

Secondly, while everyone gained from the Industrial revolution, Feni seem to have skipped it entirey. We barely heard any technical jargons on our visit, let alone spotting a scientific tool or equipment. Feni production relies on the best human gifts, their senses, intuition, and wisdom of age- all fine tuned over generations. At every stage from cashew juice to Feni, the distiller only looks and listens to gauge how far in the process are they. A quick fermentation of the cashew juice to 8% Cashew wine, followed by a rapid first distillation up 30%, and ended with a slow, low heat distillation upto 37-45% thrid distillate- without any discernable cuts for head, heart, tails of the cashew spirit. Feni is unique because, where most spirits are distilled to a higher strength and then brought down with distilled water, Feni is the only spirit that is distilled directly to ‘drinking strength’. Without a refractometer and hydrometer, how does one know at what strength? The answer lies in the etymology of the spirit’s name. Interestingly, “Feni” is derived from the Konkani word for bubbles- ‘fenn’. The distiller pours the spirit in a small glass and watches the size and shape of the bubbles which is indicative of its strength. Nope they don’t event taste it, so much so at Cazulo the distiller has a vow of refraining from drinking on the job. Interestingly this ‘bubble test’ is practiced in Mexico by Mezcal distillers as well!

The laws around Feni

Even the way to govern the production of Feni is unique. Feni laws date back to around 1735, which are curiously still followed even today. One unique law is the Annual auction; Goa’s cashew orchards divided into ‘Zones’ are each auctioned twice, one for collecting fruits and then again for distillation. In Goa uniquely cashews can’t be plucked, to ensure perfect ripeness in fruit and flavour and thus can only be picked from the floor. While the first Auction allows the winning bidder only to use the cashew nuts, the second auction ensures the right to distill- only if he can buy the fruits from the first distiller! This practice lead to the entire community coming together and cooperating for a very sustainable economy, and self employing while value adding in creating the Feni economy- from the cashew fruit which ordinarily is considered an agricultural waste product. How wonderful!

Goa’s Feni laws are unique in its way of collecting ‘Duty’ for Feni production. Here, Excise Duty is paid on the number of Cashew or Coconut trees on the farm, and not on the volume of Feni they produce. Sounds confusing, but when I enquired Hansel about the rather unusual practice he said, “some smart bureaucrat figured that it is easier to hide or fudge production figures, than it is to hide a tree!”

Logical, I say! The first distillate of cashew fruit is called ‘Urraca’. It’s a tasty heady drink generally drunk with salt, lime, and a slit green chilli, topped with Limca. Interestingly the summer favorite and much loved Urraca is also deliberately not defined in Goa Excise laws, curiously because it thus cannot be branded or retailed, and only sold unlabelled. That came to me as a surprise, and yet again I turned to Hansel seeking a logical explanation. He smiled and said, “if it is defined you can sell it, and if you sold it, what will you have left to distill a Feni?”. The first distillate called Urraca is re-distilled into a Cashew Feni. Now I know he smiled at my foolishness, not my innocence.

At Fazenda Cazulo- a centuries old feni distillery, guests are invited to understand the Feni-making process before sampling them. Much like any other spirit, Feni distillation puts a ton of sense in decoding the drink. Hansel is an amazing storytelling and translates traditional knowledge to modern audiences with ease. While cashew is produced only over three months and so limited in production; one may think because coconut Feni is produced all year round it would be affordable. The reality is far from it. Coconut Feni isn’t made from coconut water but from its flower’s bud nectar and only skilled toddy tappers collect it. This craft of Toddy tapping unfortunately is dwindling. Unless modernization can solve the problem of unavailability of coconut toddy, coconut feni will remain a pricier proposition, however, only in comparison.

The ‘Floating Feni’ Experience

Fazenda Cazulo’s signature Feni tasting expereince is the ‘Floating Feni’, where Feni’s are served and paired with a platter of colourful and interesting fruits, sweets, savouries items. Now being a sommelier I understand food and wine pairing and sort of knew what to expect. But bringing that view from the same window to this table was simply foolish. Feni doesn’t follow the European food pairings that say wines do. For that matter, the universal favourites like nuts, cheese, or citruses just do not agree with Cashew Feni on the palate. Who would’ve thought! Hansel again had our attention. They instead work with green chillies, bell pepper, green apple, guava, local delicacies like bimli, perad, tilia doce (sesame sweet), doce de grao (channa sweet), chorice pao, olives and more. Every time I thought I got a grip of the drink, it toppled me over. I needed an understanding of the drink the way I understand it best – in cocktails.

From ‘Bhann’ to the ‘Shaker Tin’

India’s best and Asia’s #4 bar is barely a few minutes drive from Cazulo’s distillery. Pankaj Balachandran and Arijit Bose, along Hansel’s younger brother Donovan Vaz, and Cazulo’s brand ambassador Karl Fernandes run Bar Tesouro. One easily notices that the first page of their menu is entirely dedicated to Feni cocktails- a bold step for any bar. Even a unique Feni called Dukshiri features on the menu, made from the roots of a rare plant- Indian Sarsaparilla . Now on tasting Feni the first time one may not agree with it, however Karl puts it in a simple way. He says “while eating a green chillies whole and by itself may not enjoyable, mixed in a curry and it adds personality and lifts it up. Similarly, you have to learn to use feni and a classic like a Negroni or a Margarita makes it more acceptable and enjoyable”. I was glad I received this gyaan on Day 1 of my week-long stay in Goa and all I did thereafter was to drink just that. So much so I craved from them once back in Delhi. I found a way to exploit all those bottles I had been stacking over the years.

What next?

As the demand and understanding of Feni grows, producers are also pushing for new paths. First on charts is making it available for sales outside of Goa. For that they need more supplies, that’re already available. Feni is already priced five times more in Canada than in India! Maharashtra government recently allowed using their cashew fruits for a Feni-styed spirit production, which may seem progressive, however doesn’t serve the Goan Feni distillers’ purpose. The vocal for local wave also couldn’t serve much for Feni given its limitation to the state because of its G.I. However, in this era when India is going through a cocktail revolution, Feni has gained much limelight. Places like Bar Tesouro, Joseph Bar, For The Record, Mahe, Jamming Goat, Bomras, all boast of Feni drinks which are reaching desperate travellers and they’re increasingly bringing the drink back home and flashing them under the craze of ‘homegrown’ spirits alongside crafty gins, rums, and whiskies from the state. The battle for Feni to become as cherished as say Indian gins is more political than anything else. Changing excise policies could be as daunting as changing the Constitution of India, which may need timely referendums, but there’s inherent reluctance towards them. A bit of hesitation also comes from the people of the land questioning if overproduction will lead to fiddling with their heritage. However a drink that has held its destiny in its own hands for 500 years barely has anything to worry about.

First published in Sommelier India Wine Magazine in November, 2022

Tags Conversations, Indian Beverage, Indian Spirit, Spirits

Blog Videos

52 Drinks 52 Weeks – Negroni

Post author By Gagan Sharma
Post date July 22, 2020
No Comments on 52 Drinks 52 Weeks – Negroni

Amongst the all time favourite cocktail of mixologists and barkeeps around the world is the humble Negroni. A 100 year old recipe of simple equal parts of Gin, Vermouth, and bitters, is savvy, sophisticated, and its history crosses oceans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFwIatCT-_8&t=44s

Origins of Negroni

Much like any classic there are many stories. The most agreed upon one, however, begins in 1919 at Caffe Casoni in Florence, Italy. A gentleman named Count Camillo Negroni who’d drink Americano which is a mix of Sweet Vermouth and Campari, and an orange garnish.
One fine day he asked his bartender friend, Fo s co Scarselli, to ‘strengthen’ his drink, replacing soda with Gin, and hence the drink was created.

But, why would an Italian man ask for a drink called Americano in Italy or have it generously infused with British Gin?
Do you know The Americano, in fact, is the first cocktail ordered in the first 007 novel. It may be called Americano but the cocktail was born in Milan. Initially, there was a drink called Milano Torino, since it was equal parts of Campari and Vermouth, and Campari came from Milan and Vermouth from Torino. But then with the Prohibition in the US, tons of Americans came to Italy. They loved the drink, but decided to top up this bitter sweet concoction with club soda, and this was then called Americano.

History Complicates Everything

Some say Milano Torino always had soda and the American didn’t add it, some deny that. Some say there were two men called Count Negorni some say there was only one. Some say the elder one Pascal Oliver created the drink in Africa, some say no Count Camilo did in Italy. Some even say Negroni had lemon garnish earlier, some say it was always orange. even today the true recipe of Negroni can be debated!
There are various sources with varied recipes. The simple equal part recipe was first mentioned in writing, only in 1929, 10 years after the drinks creation. What about the Harry’s New York Bar invention – The Boulevardier then? That came 2 years before this written recipe. A shot each of Campari and Vermouth and a shot and a half of Bourbon.

Variation in Recipes

An ocean of choices between different Gins, vermouths, and even a different bitter beyond Campari!! And for the garnish, while a citrus works, why not try herb complimenting the Gin? there are Tequila or Mezcal Negronis, and they work!! White Negroni – Gin, Suze, and Lillet Blanc finished with a citrus garnish. One can even put some in oak casks which people do quite a lot nowadays. But, forget not what Late Anthony Bourdain said – The drink will “hit you like a freight train after five or four”

Legacy and Records

There’s a Guinness World Record for the largest Negroni made? In 2018 in Pheonix Arizona, a 504 litres of its was made in an oak barrel within an hour. It may’ve gotten a few people drunk but the proceeds from that benefitted local charities. Another special thing that Negroni has to itself that probably no other cocktail does is the worldwide celebration of the Negroni Week. It started in 2013 and today they celebrate it in over 120 countries and have collected about $3 million for charitable causes. It’s generally celebrated in June, but this year for very obvious reasons, it’s celebrated in Sept 14-20. So mark the calendar !

Tags Cocktails, Indian Spirit, Negroni

Blog Conversations

Conversations with Indulge – Charnelle Martins

Post author By Gagan Sharma
Post date July 20, 2020
No Comments on Conversations with Indulge – Charnelle Martins

I’m an Alcobev Scientist and Distiller working as Head of Distillery Operations for Stranger & Sons Gin at Third Eye Distillery, Goa. I’ve done my masters in Food and Alcohol Biotechnology and IBD Dip. Distillers exams in UK and an overall alcohol geek. I’ve worked with the Scotch Whisky Research Institute, Edinburgh and Diageo India on all things whisky before my foray into Indian Craft Gin with Stranger & Sons. I am excited about giving India the experience of a homegrown premium Gin that we all can be proud of!

What defines your philosophy of distillation?

What drew me to distilling, primarily, was its ability to manipulate simple ingredients to create something unique, to express one’s creativity and ideas through spirits. I like to take a scientific approach while working – understanding why you use a certain method or ingredient over the other. Keep things simple, focus on quality ingredients and trust your palate.

What is your personal connect with spirits: first sipped – notable milestones on your malted journey?

I have always loved science and been curious about flavours and food since I was young, tasting my way through everything in the kitchen. We often brewed wine and made liqueurs at home. My dad would always let me sample his liquor cabinet because “it’s important to know what good alcohol tastes like!” He, albeit unknowingly at that time, made me appreciate the finer nuances of good alcohol and set me on the path of becoming a distiller. The blended whiskies were popular back then, and Johnnie Walker was probably the first whisky I sipped – but it was the single malts that got me hooked! I decided to travel to the UK, where I did my masters; worked and visited every distillery, brewery and gin bar I could find. This exposed me to a whole new world of spirits and then there was no turning back!

What would be a typical day in your work life?

The best part of working at a distillery is that no two days are alike, and that’s why I enjoy what I do! Walking into our distillery in picturesque Goa, I am welcomed with the smell of gin being made. I oversee the entire production process – from sourcing the botanicals from local farms across India to distilling every batch of gin and finally bottling. Every batch of gin made is approved by me before it heads to bottling, which is my most important task as it puts my palate to the test! There is also constant R&D for experimental gin batches, future spirits and other products like cordials, tinctures and bitters that we use for our Stranger cocktails.

What would you distill if there were no restrictions or rules?

Opening up my own little distillery has been the dream. And with no restrictions I would probably go crazy distilling everything!

What challenges do you face being one of the few women working in this field in India?

You need to put in the hard work and dedication to hone your craft and not let stereotypical industry “norms” hold you back. Skill goes beyond gender and personally that’s what I want to be recognized for. Today there are so many women shaking up the world of liquor, all while proving gender is irrelevant when it comes to crafting the perfect libation.

What’s your favourite tipple at the end of a busy day?

A Stranger G&T with a light tonic water and garnished with a slice of ginger. It’s delicious, refreshing and easy to make!

What is your advice to young professionals seeking a career in this field?

It takes passion and love for spirits along with the right mix of experience, knowledge, creativity and patience to make it in this industry.

My advice is to do your research – knowing what you’re going to be jumping into will be critical. Do a few courses or get an internship to gain on-ground experience, go on as many tours as you can and network with others in the industry. Most importantly taste, taste and keep tasting some more to train and build your palate.

Tags Gin, Indian Gin, Indian Spirit

Blog Conversations

Conversations With Indulge – Pankaj Balachandran

Post author By Gagan Sharma
Post date April 18, 2020
No Comments on Conversations With Indulge – Pankaj Balachandran

Sommelier, hotelier, restaurateur, and entrepreneur are all professions that can be linked with Pankaj Balachandran. But really, he is a salesman at heart.

Pankaj Balachandran is currently the brand ambassador for Monkey Shoulder India

Pankaj has come outside the hotel world to play a dual role of running an entrepreneurial venture and a new stand- alone cocktail bar called Hoots’. He offers a range of consulting services, promising upgrading the industry standards for quality and delivery.

Now, he’s also representing Monkey Shoulder as a Brand Ambassador for India. Previously, he served as the Restaurant Manager for Varq, and Bar Manager for Rick’s, both at the Taj Mahal Hotel, Delhi. He helped redefine the beverage experience at Rick’s and curated wine dinners including those with Chateau Margaux, Domaine Romanee Conti and Drappier. It was during this time that Pankaj won the Indian Sommelier Championship, 2013. This earned him an immersive experience with Penfolds that took him through the leading wine regions of Australia. His travels have also taken him to other wine regions including Rhone, Burgundy, Champagne, and almost all of South Africa.

Pankaj started off with Monkey Shoulder as a brand trainer in 2016, and hosted the Indian edition of the Ultimate Bartender Championship since then. He continues to MakeItMonkey with the Monkey Shoulder team around the country. He’s also very proud of his sneaker and watch collection with an eye always out to make it bigger.

What’s the best part about your job?

Pankaj has hosted the Indian edition of the Ultimate Bartender Championship

I think the best part about my job is flexibility. I am sure everyone would have thought it was the travelling but the fact that I get to decide what I want to do, what I want to activate on a daily basis is what I love with what I do. I have been fortunate enough to work with a company which lets me run the show on my terms.

What is the biggest lie consumers are told in the name of marketing?

If you have to lie to market then its poor marketing. The focus will definitely be on giving the plus point or the merit of any product. If some one is lying about the product then the product is not worth the sell according to me.

What style of spirit, or spirits, should India be drinking next?

Vermouths and Amaro. Low alcoholic styles. The weather in india calls for low alcoholic style drinks. I think so much can be achieved with Vermouths and Amaro’s and with the wine world improving day by day, we would see that happening very soon.

From the fictional and non-fictional world, for whom would you like to make a cocktail for?

I think it would be Wade Wilson/Deadpool. Haha!

How has winning the Indian Sommelier Championship changed your life?

I was fortunate to have taken part in the competition and actually win it. Obviously, it made me push my passion for wines way more that I actually did. The visit to penfolds was phenomenal and more importantly made some great friends in the industry during that entire process. The competition kind of opened my mind to learning more and representing myself better.

How would you describe your transition from wines to spirits?

I don’t know If should be calling it a transition. I still love my wines and champagne. In terms of professional capacity, yes I have taken a slightly different route but I get to move in and out of both. Whatever I learned in terms of understanding flavors, decoding the nose and texture etc came from the knowledge I had with wines. So I would say it was a smooth transition.

What’s your favourite tipple at the end of a busy day?

The Negroni is a popular Italian cocktail, made of one part gin, one part vermouth rosso, and one part Campari, garnished with orange peel.

A scotch and soda. As easy as it can get. If I am in the mood for luxury – a well-constructed Negroni.

Having seen the end of the hotel, wines, and spirits world now, what are your advices to young professionals seeking a career in this field?

As I tell everyone who ask me, I was indeed lucky to have experienced everything the industry has to offer. Whether it be hotels, restaurants, stand alone establishments, working as a trainer, the somm life, brand ambassador and most importantly setting up and running my own company. Everything has taught me something different and has also kept me grounded. My advise? make mistakes, Fall and fail. Learn from them and rise up and win. Success in important yes, but make the journey to that as fulfilling and amazing as it can get.

I truly believe that nothing can or should hold you back to try , fail and then succeed.

Tags Indian Spirit, Personalities, Whisky

Blog TippleTalk

The Old Monk Story

When one says “rum n’ Coke”, it is almost by default Old Monk in India.

The year began on a chilly note in the capital, furthered darkened by the sad news of the passing of the man behind the ‘Monk’. Few brands have enjoyed, or shall enjoy, the reverence and loyalty commanded by this brand of local rum. For someone who grew up in India and attended college here, or further still, stayed in a hostel, Old Monk was more than just a spirit. For some, it was the first sip of alcohol they ever had—one that they had paid for and which wasn’t just a sip they were taking from their father’s glass. For others, it was their first taste of freedom. Just out of school and away from the influence of parents or guardians, college kids snuck away to small bars or liquor shops to treat themselves to a little local firewater. The name surely must have helped. So saintly and noble, surely, it constituted a good deed to imbibe some! Unlike whisky, which others expected you to down with plain water or soda, rum was more embracing. It mixed happily, and seamlessly, with cola. The final drink was sweet and tasty with just that right touch of vanilla and cinnamon to make every sip seem festive. With such a joyous tingle in every sip, there was simply no sorrow left by the end of your drink. Only happiness was to be found at the bottom of your glass.

Abroad, Jack Daniel’s Old No 7 cemented its relationship with Coca-Cola when a famous Scotch blend decided to give the offer a miss (“What!? Mix us with cola and sell it as a pre-packaged drink!? Preposterous!”). The American Jack Daniel (JD) was more intuitively quick on the uptake and so was born a legend of a drink—one that is the rite of passage for every college attendee that side of the Atlantic.

The Scotch brand, decades later, realised its mistake and tried to make amends, but by then, the JD-Coke combo was too popularly established in college vocabulary to be displaced.

Old Monk enjoys a similar status in India. When one says “rum n’ Coke”, it is almost by default Old Monk. The appearance of another rum may not always incite similar levels of excitement (even though market data tries hard to remind us that McDowell’s’ Celebration, and not Old Monk, is the largest-selling rum in India). Here, no college get-together is complete without the Monk’s blessings. From a first-year freshers’ party to a silver jubilee reunion, the occasion must involve a visit to the old sanctuary. Even as diabetes grips some and the doc advises us to switch to softer alcoholic beverages, fans will still try and indulge in a small pour every now and then just to relive the vigour of their youthful days.

Old Monk carries decades or legacy and prestige

A drink that invigorates and also revives youth. Truly then, it is elixir. Purists may argue that it’s no rhum agricole, but then that isn’t Old Monk either. This is not just the story of a spirit or a brand, it is the unfolding of post-independence India, a historic landmark in the coming-of-age story of our country and its people. Today, millennials may feel less of a connect with this local brand, as international trends occupy their social and mental spaces more prominently. Perhaps, it’s time for the Monk to evolve. Or perhaps, one hopes, wisdom will bring millennials back to pay homage to this squat bottle. For what it’s worth, the weather is most suitable to pay your tributes to the passing of the grand old man behind India’s most popular spirit brand with a sip of his elixir.

The writer is a sommelier.

This article was first published in Financial Express.

Tags Indian Spirit, Rum