A Matter of taste | New Shelf Stock

As the festive season approaches, we check out the new spirits and mixers in the Indian market

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 

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.

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!

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.