A Matter of taste | New Shelf Stock

Just like January is all about new resolutions with some going as extreme as taking up sudden vows of abstinence, the next quarter of the year that we are soon going to enter will be all about celebration and indulging yourself and your loved ones. Mainly yourself but ‘loved ones’ is a good excuse to pour yourself another or have an extra kilo of mithai!

To help you with the former, I have drawn up a list of new spirits which I have recently tried and found to hit that sweet spot of being yummy while being affordable. This list covers the entire range of drinks so you won’t be left feeling ignored 

Try some whisky as it gets cooler
| Photo Credit:
coldsnowstorm

McDowell’s Distiller’s Batch Single Malt

The 159-year old brand that is synonymous with quality scotch whisky in the subcontinent decided to upgrade their offerings, and what we have now is this Triple Cask matured single malt, one that has seen the insides of virgin oak casks, ex-Bourbon casks and wine casks (Cabernet and Shiraz), all imbuing the liquid with their respective distinct characteristics inspired by the Sahayadri climate and setting. The resulting dram is surprisingly rich and fruity while also being layered and smooth. 

I fashioned it into a highball with some vanilla extract, sugar and soda to top and the vinous aspects mingled beautifully with the flavours and fizz, making for a great breakfast drink. Yes, breakfast.

Talli Tales premixed drinks

I have been wary of most premixed cocktails (some may call them RTDs Ready-to-drinks) which are a basic mixture of sweet flavours and fizz in an alcoholic base – few have impressed me enough to encourage a second round of purchase. Well, Talli Tales, in spite of their name which made me feel like I was sourcing something illegal (or inappropriate) for my mature age, was surprisingly well made. Their LIIT was quite spot on and decently boozy and I wouldn’t mind serving it at the next party – would save me a lot of shelf space and top-shelf booze tyring to concoct this deadly cocktail. The others are also not too bad so try them and see if they work for your crowd.

The good part with these is that you needn’t do anything save for pour them out and drink them. Maybe an imaginative garnish, at best. Lazy bartending for the win!

⁠Jimmy’s cocktail mixers

These are sodas, tonics and mixers (non-alcoholic) in a new packaging which is quite slick and nifty with their pull-tab closure that is great when outdoors somewhere or away from a bottle opener; with the regular crown caps one ends up desecrating public property like table edges or door lock slots or fashioning an opener out of a key or the non-business end of pricey silverware. The products are reliable (especially the soda and tonics) and look well funkier than the usual set of brands out there. 

These are mixers so all one needs to add is the spike – a spirit of your choice. Their Mint Mojito is just shouting for some white rum and mint leaves and you are good to kick back and unwind.

Five colorful gin tonic cocktails in wine glasses on bar counter in pup or restaurant. MP Food 
| Photo Credit:
MarianVejcik

Chambal gin

Many believe that gin, as a category, has had its run in the nation and while that might be partially true, there is always space for a good stable product. Chambal gin, while touting its origins from the land famous for its rugged terrain (while also infamous as the valley of dacoits) is, in essence, a classic dry gin, with a lovely herbaceous and earthy palate. No single note stands out or dominates and yet, it is ginny enough to be seen as a textbook product.

Chambal gin works beautifully in a classic G&T or a classic but simple cocktail like a Gin Fizz.

Kumaon & I gin

The fact that this list has 2 gins is testimony to the fact that their still some juice here in this category. This is a sipping gin – inspired by very specific botanicals from the mountainous region where it is made, so it presents a distinct palate with more roots and shoots than fruits as its taste profile.

I’d fashion this into a Negroni (equal parts of gin, Campari, and red vermouth stirred over ice), especially if you like earthiness in your aperitif.

Rum and Cola Cuba Libre with Lime and Ice

Idayaa rum

A sipping aged rum from the Himalayas made using a 12-years-aged Panama spirit as the base which was blended and further barrel-aged at altitude to yield a mellow spirit that is gently spiced with crème brulée undertones – definitely the one to sign off your next social do.

This is a sipping rum, so thinker no further than pouring it into a crystal old-fashioned glass which already houses a large transparent cube of ice.  Maybe a small star anise for visual appeal but nothing that would intrude on the inherent flavours here.

Liqueurs

Apart from spirits, all sorts of liqueurs are making their presence marked and two have stood out to me for the moment – Bandarful Cold Brew and Mikiamo Limoncello: made well and representative of what the labels state, they are fun adds to any bar, be it for sipping on ice or to work into cocktails.

Bandarful with tonic is my go-to daytime reviver. Mikiamo poured over crushed ice works, or maybe with a dollop of non-dairy cream to resemble a decadent sorbet.

Availability is limited for the moment for many of the brands mentioned here so do make the best of your travels within the national limits and delay heavily on the generosity of friends to carry things back for you. Cheers!