Freedom to choose

You have a right to vote at 18 and decide the government that would run the state & the country.

You have a right to join the Army, Navy, Air-force or IPS at 18 and pledge your life to the country.

You have the right to get married at the age of 18/21 (girl/boy) & start a family.

But you do not have the freedom to drink alcohol till you are 25.

The government of Maharashtra recently proposed a policy to raise the drinking age from 21 to 25 citing some ridiculous reasons like maturity. It means that you are mature enough at 18 to decide a government or decide to lay your life for the country but not mature enough to drink responsibly.

At the outset let me be very clear that I do not support alcoholism, it is a personal choice, but I believe that choice to should be of the individual and not of the government. 

The thought behind the government’s de-addiction campaign is Nobel but the path taken to reach the goal is totally incorrect. Instead the government should think of ways to promote responsible drinking. Couple of years back the state government decided to crack down on errant drivers who drink & drive, simultaneously it also ran many publicity campaigns on the same subject. The drive has been very successful and the streets have become much safer since. 

But by imposing such age related barriers the government is not going to succeed rather it will lead to more corrupt practices. Have a look at Gujarat, our only dry state, ya right, the state has been under prohibition since long, but it also has witnessed alarmingly high number of deaths due to consumption of adulterated alcohol. 

The point of the matter is, prohibition in Gujarat has given rise to black marketing of hooch & moonshine (illegal manufacturing of alcohol) & that is having an adverse effect on the health of its population. Some say that if one knows the right place to go & ask, they can get such a wide choice of brands that would shame even some well stocked bars in metros.  So we see imposing restrictions doesn’t always work the way it is supposed to.

 

Recently Bollywood actor Imran Khan filed a PIL against this decision, there has been a lot of support generated for this initiative, not because everybody wants a free license to drink but because such restrictions are not in the right interest of democracy.

I therefore strongly feel that imposing absurd restrictions is not the solution, rather an individual should be given the freedom to make a responsible choice. 

Vodka... Connecting People

“Vodka” The drink with which many may have taken that first plunge in to the world of alcohol or as some may say started their…. ahem …. “drinking careers”

I don’t exactly remember my reason behind choosing vodka as my first alcoholic drink over others but the fact that it smells less or is completely odorless (as advised by the veterans of those times!) might have tilted the decision in favor of this colourless, and somewhat odorless spirit (read on to bust this myth). For me it was a real social lubricant in those early days. 

Today vodka has evolved in to a completely new drink, One look at the vodka brands will give you an idea of the kind of variety they offer in terms of flavours and number of distillations. The choice has become so varied that it is no longer easy to order a simple vodka drink at the bar or buy a bottle across the counter.. its  almost at the brink of confusion, Its like going to Starbucks and trying to order a simple cup of coffee.

So what to look out for when buying a bottle of vodka?

The Brand …. of course, Many international & Indian Brands are present in the market today, I have listed a few major International ones

Absolut, Grey Goose, Ciroc, Belvedere

Few Indianized Brands (well not exactly Indian but..Indian enough)

Smirnoff, White Mischief, Magic moments (They have some great flavoured offerings… a must try), Shark tooth, Fuel etc.

Number of times it has been distilled: Normally vodka would be distilled twice or thrice, few premium brands even have more than five times distilled vodkas, distillation 

removes esters and impurities therefore in short the more times it is distilled the better it becomes.

Flavors:  Vodka blends itself superbly with a variety of juices and soft drinks, most vodka brands today Indian or International have a range of flavored vodkas in their lineup (These help you decide on the kind of mixers (juices & soft drinks) to pick up to make that cool blend).  From orange, apple, vanilla to Nordic berries & chocolate the choice is really wide. The kind of flavors offered may also make you switch between your favorite brands. 

Now That you have decided your Vodka bottle let us bust some vodka myths:

Vodka is made from Potatoes

Well not entirely true, Most common Vodkas today are made primarily from grains, rye & maize  being the most common. Potato vodkas are going out of fashion though if you like to taste real potato vodka, ask for “Chopin “ 

      Will vodka freeze if I keep it in my refrigerator’s freezer?

     

 No it wont!! Anything that has more than 35% alcohol by volume (and vodka has  

      it) would take a much lower temperature to freeze about -110 dc. (Domestic   

      freezers  can’t even think of going that cold) So bring out that priced bottle out of 

      the cupboard from behind your clothes and store it in the freezer J

Can my Vodka go bad/expire?

Unlike beer & wine, vodka is distilled and as long as you have stored it under normal conditions it will not go bad.

Does vodka smell?

Oh hell yes it does!! I know there is a myth that has been floating around for years and years that you cant smell vodka, but after all its alcohol and it will smell… only that it has less distinctive smell than your whisky

Can I use vodka to sterilize some small cut or a bruise?

Sterilize: no

Disinfect: maybe

Again why waste vodka on cuts and bruises, use Dettol for those and later gulp a shot of vodka you may feel better.

Cheers!!

The Great ‘Indian Beer’ Belly

Watched Delhi Belly the other day… what a mad mad movie!! It was simply hilarious to the core. I in fact, was very happy to see a few stereotypes in the Hindi cinema being broken.

I mean, in Bollywood mainstream cinema when was the last time you saw characters mouthing such bold dialogues, when was the last time the reality of a bachelor’s accommodation was showcased in such cruel detail & when was the last time you saw your on-screen heroes enjoying beer after a hard fought battle. (yes Of course many Bollywood movies have shown beer being served or drunk, but not in the recent past due to some new censor rules).  

The thing is, I tried hard to get the name of the beer used in the movie but couldn’t identify the brand, also knowing Amir Khan’s professionalism & attention to detail in keeping with the storyline I am sure he must have used some local beer brand, which in turn got me thinking… in the past few years with the Indian market flooding with international beer brands where have those old beer brands disappeared. 

Discounting the big players like kingfisher & Hayward’s what happened to those lesser known yet equally loved brands which used to enjoy the same shelf in wine shops along with the kingfishers & Hayward’s. Today their place has been taken by the Budweisers, the Tuborgs, Heinekens Carlsbergs & many more, not that these aren't great beers, but I miss the nostalgia, the excitement, the drama that was associated with those beers   Few of the beers I enjoyed were

Sand Piper beer.. a super smooth beer. This beer looked great in those days due to the silver covering and was the least bitter of the lot.

Royal challenge (RC Beer) another light and smooth beer.

London Pilsner (LP). This is the beer I still enjoy for its light aromas and smooth flavor, This is the closest to sand piper in terms of taste. Also it was the least expensive.

Khajuraho: This beer was a bit stronger than the ones listed above and was a favorite among friends due to its exotic name.

Some stronger beers were

Knock out

Canon 10000

Zingaro 

These beers really had that punch to knock out one's brains.

Lion beer that was made by Mohan Meakin (the same company that makes XXX Old Monk Rum) was one of the first lager beers of Asia.

The golden eagle is another beer that they used to make. few years back they supplied only to the Indian army. Recently its made a comeback in the market.

I know a few of you hate beer because of the way it tastes, but the rest of you would surely agree with me that we Indians just love ‘our’ beer.

The way it was showcased in Delhi belly just endorses the fact that its an ultimate way to relax after a hard day’s work. 

So the next time you buy beer spare a thought for those Indian beers and if you get a chance, try them, enjoy them before they completely vanish behind the heavy marketing of international giants. 

Cheers!!!

Planning a cocktail party?

Being in the hospitality industry, I am always forced to assume a critic’s role whenever I am at a friend’s party, they want to know whether their choice of drinks is ok or the quantity of snacks is right etc. other times when I attend formal gatherings, I involuntarily  tend to start assessing  the host’s choice of venue, food, drinks music etc. I start thinking about the thought that may have gone behind the host’s choice & appreciate the effort taken to organize that event.

Many times I am amazed at the attention to detail people pay to host parties, these people are no where related to the hotel industry or any event organizing firm and still manage to plan some fantastic parties. Other times at some other parties I am compelled to think of improvements that could have made the party click. So here’s my question… What is that classic recipe for a great party….A party that would be remembered, a party that could highlight you as a super host…. Well the answer may not be a straight forward one but yes if one follows few basic guidelines & pepper it with their own individual style then chances are that they maybe able to perfect that classic recipe.   

 One of the easiest types of party to throw during any season is a cocktail party. Now, many of you may ask what exactly a cocktail party is, to cut the long story short it’s a kind of party that has a nice blend of a comfortable venue, cheerful guests, good music, delicious food and great drinks. 

Drinks would have to take the centre stage here, you may serve straight drinks, beers, wines, juices and cocktails (Cocktail: A mixed drink that has alcohol as a base & the rest of it is a juice or a mix of juices/carbonated drinks/syrups/squashes/fruits etc. with a good garnish & unique glassware.)

Here is a simple & easy to follow checklist for that special cocktail party

The first step in cocktail party planning is to select a comfortable venue, by comfortable I mean it should be easily accessible by your guests and should be large enough to accommodate them. The primary focus is the drinks along with good conversation. For this reason often there is not a lot of concern to have tables and seating for everyone, as the setting is more commonly designed for people to mill around as they munch and drink.

The next crucial step is to create your guest list. You do not want to target one personality type. Variety is the spice of life. Include guests that are interesting, cheerful, outgoing and friendly.

Music should be able to compliment the mood at the party, If you have a DJ then make the DJ understand the purpose of the party and the music choice likes & dislikes of the guests. Always remember a good DJ with a great collection of music can take your party to that next level.

Get as much of your food and decoration shopping done ahead of time as you can. Plan your menu out ahead of time and buy the necessary ingredients so you will have them on hand that day.

Decide on the number of glasses you will use, and what type. This 

usually is an overlooked item on this part of the planning stage, even though it is actually a high-priority aspect of any celebrated event.

Plan the kinds of finger foods you will serve and make arrangements to have them delivered an hour before the start of the party. The amount of food is optional on your party because it is not a dinner party.

Use special recipes in concocting your drinks. Keep printed copies of them readily available, just in case. Never fail to measure your mixes. Do not just estimate because your guests will not appreciate overly strong drinks.

Try new cocktail recipes or present new twist to the classic recipes, this way the guest can enjoy the pleasant new taste and you can showcase your skills as a great cocktail host.

The garnishes can be prepped ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator. The drinks you serve will determine what garnishes you need. I always prep limes, oranges, cherries, pineapples, cocktail onions and olives.

& finally always have on-hand plenty of ice, drink stirrers and cocktail napkins.

So there it is you have got yourself a checklist which should surely see you through a successful cocktail party.  Don’t forget to have fun.. cheers!