There has been a buzz in the world of beverages on local shores. Most of it has been quite unprecedented and certainly all of it has been extremely pleasant. Long story short, I’ve been tasting my way through some lovely drinks, some imported and many homegrown, and have found it encouraging and commendable in exactly as many ways as the state excise policies usually are not. It is heartening to see that importers and producers are finding ways to bring in types and brands of drinks that are extremely sippable and yet affordable despite our incredulously crushing duties and taxes. In case you are looking for a reason to stack up that bar for one last time before the new year resolution ruins things, here goes. Oh, in case I get any of the formal names for these beverages wrong, please bear with me, as some weren’t formally released or were just being introduced and I was too swayed by their heady goodness to record things verbatim.
Skinny Witch: A Prosecco that promises all the flavour and bubbles but with fewer calories, sounds just like the thing for breakfast. Or Monday morning. Or both, either way, nobody is judging. Skinny Witch, cute word play on the vodka-soda drink that rhymes with, well, skinny witch. It’s a proper Prosecco, as in, it meets all the statutory requirements of the regional wine style, so no shortcuts there. Just by keeping the alcohol and sugar controlled they have managed a fine product. And frankly, going ahead, low alcohol drinks will only become more popular.
Skinos Mastiha: The ancient Greek spirit from the island of Chios is made by Skinos, reviving all the time-honoured methods, made from resin gathered the old-fashioned (read time-consuming) way, all of which comes together to yield a highly fragrant drink with earthy, leafy notes and a balancing touch of sweetness. The best way to enjoy it is straight up chilled, or with ice, and even works well in cocktails. It’s an aperitif as much as it is a food accompaniment.
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Otto’s Athens Vermouth: While still in Greece, a quick word about the latest Vermouth in town, one that boasts a unique six-botanical blend (including rose petals, oregano, olive leaves, and kumquats) and comes with a snazzy (almost-) Tiffany Blue finish packaging. It worked great in a Negroni and many purists will contend that the Athenian Aperitif recipe only comes alive when you use a native Vermouth.
Grover-Zampa La Reserve sparkling wine: This was one of my top finds in recent tastings. A sparkling wine made a la Methode Traditionnelle (like the best sparkling wines in the world) and disgorged after four years is by far the best sparkling wine to come out of India. I don’t know if they will make enough bottles or even launch it in every market so if you can find access to it where you are, I say hoard it!
Grover-Zampa Chene Grande Reserve Chardonnay: Another from the Grover-Zampa stable, this is one fine Chardonnay. India hasn’t produced too many so far but I can safely contend that this level of cleanliness of execution and balance of fruit and oak is hard to come by (or get right). This wine adds a much-needed star to the premium Indian white wines side of the chart.
Sula Moscato: While still on whites, Sula launched a beauty of a bubbly that’s low alcohol (there’s that term again), off-dry (that’s sommelier speak for mildly sweet) and just the right kind of crisp to be the perfect wine for anytime, anybody and anywhere (Except while driving, or praying). Frankly, I don’t even know where they managed to find the right mix of land and climate to grow Moscato grapes in India but from what I tasted, they managed more than well. The wine was a refreshing sip and it would please palates across levels of wine enthusiasm—from the devoted to the one-off drinkers.
All in all, this has been an encouraging fortnight of trials and I am sure there are more good drinks headed our way soon. Till then, keep sipping and sharing.
The writer is a sommelier
