The consumption of whisky in its traditional avatar has long been in vogue in the country, but whisky cocktails are also gaining popularity as more Indians are travelling overseas and experiencing international drinking trends.
“The emergence of craft cocktail bars specialising in whisky cocktails seem to suggest that the trend is here to stay,” said Vineet Agrawal, of Brown-Forman Worldwide LLC, the company that manufactures the popular Jack Daniel’s whisky brand.
Well-travelled Indian millennial consumers are not very different from their counterparts across this digitally connected world. We also see a lot of women, who traditionally have shied away from whisky, now finding a suitable alternative as they discover American whisky through such cocktails.Vineet Agrawal, Head of Marketing - Indian Subcontinent, Brown-Forman Worldwide LLC.
According to Rohan Jelkie, of Moet Hennessy India, while whisky has been the “oldest base spirit” for cocktails compared to others, whisky cocktails have certainly made a comeback.
Whisky-based cocktails like the Old Fashioned, Manhattan and the Whisky Sour are some of the most classic recipes that have been around since the 1850s.Rohan Jelkie, Brand Ambassador, Moet Hennessy India
Jelkie even hosted a seminar at Tales of the Cocktail, the world’s biggest cocktail festival, in New Orleans a few years ago. He said that the fest has “helped build the cocktail culture in the US over the past decade”.
Similarly, Jack Daniel’s hosted a whisky cocktail festival in India last year, enabling consumers to try the drink in a refreshing avatar. As the temperatures in the capital continue to soar, whisky cocktail recipes are apt to beat the heat.
Dean Callan, Global Brand Ambassador of whisky brand Monkey Shoulder, recommended a classic mix of whisky, lemon, ice and ginger ale for the summer.
However, Callan also had important advice about drinking whisky cocktails during summer. “When you are drinking cocktails in the heat, you need to keep drinking water as you will dehydrate,” he said.
Most importantly, there’s no specific way of appreciating the drink, Jamie Walker a brand ambassador of USL-Diageo Reserve noted. According to Walker, the perceptions about drinking whisky are also changing.
In the past, whisky has been typecast as a spirit only to be enjoyed neat or maybe ice and water, but this is changing. I find when I do whisky dinners and cocktail sessions, gentlemen are now eager to taste the cocktails and (I’m) often surprised at how much they enjoy them.Jamie Walker, Brand Ambassador of USL-Diageo Reserve
(This article has been published as a special arrangement with IANS)
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