Cheers to ‘new-age’ whisky, spiked with butterscotch, tea and more
Whisky brands are tapping into a diverse customer base and experimenting with flavours as diverse as coffee and tea
The staid whisky spirit is getting a fun makeover with cocktail connoisseurs joining in too, either using ingredients to enhance the velvety smooth flavour of whisky or disguising it, to woo those who usually stayed with sweeter fruity cocktails.
Shreshta Saha, who kept away from whisky for almost half a decade, now says Whiskey Sour is her drink of choice.
“Whip up a cocktail or dilute it enough with water to make the taste of hard liquor go away,” 26year-old Shreshta said.
A sweet-n-sour concoction, a classic Whiskey Sour mellows the flavour of hard liquor with the addition of a sweetener, a dash of lemon and sometimes egg white. Leading brands are hoping to break the old school imagery of whisky in their bid to attract nonconventional whisky drinkers like Saha.
Dewar’s India, a blended scotch whisky brand owned by Bacardi, is aiming at making millennials aware of scotch’s “versatility”. Going for traditional flavours like ginger, scotch and lemon is another trick that proves to be a safe bet for beginners. “New whisky drinkers usually tend to start with something light and comfortable on their palate. The idea is to introduce people slowly and step by step by first acquainting them with basics,” said Emily Thompson, a brand ambassador.
Whisky happened to 25-yearold Shreya Nanda after she repeatedly found herself socialising with a bunch of whisky drinkers. But the smell continued to feel overwhelming, until she finally found her calling —
Pure Sin. “It is my favourite probably because I simply don’t realise it contains whisky,” she said.
The creamy cocktail uses a fine blend of Irish whisky and Irish creme liqueur, topped with dollops of vanilla ice-cream and an assortment of frozen berries.
GLENFIDDICH’S RECENT INITIATIVE
Cocktail experiments with unique ingredients such as Silver Tips Full-Moon tea, Castleton Muscatel second flush, premium Kashmiri walnuts, bay leaf from Assam and the Gung Giri estate’s premium coffee.
“These rare findings handpicked from diverse parts of India enhance the flavour of the single malt,” said Angad Singh Gandhi, Glenfiddich India brand ambassador. The brand has also curated celebratory cocktail recipes taking inspiration from the festive spirit and cheer of Diwali such as ‘Whisky by Nature’, ‘Drop it Like It’s Hot’ and ‘Passion Whisky Sour’ among others.
Jameson Irish Whiskey by Pernod Ricard introduced a new variant — Jameson Caskmates — in India earlier this year. The varietal has hints of butterscotch, cocoa and coffee due to the whisky being finished for six months in whisky barrels used to age stout beer. The move came after they noticed a rise in demand for coffee in the country. “Before introducing a varietal, we keep an eye on the trends of consumption in a market. Coffee in India, for instance, has been on the rise for the better part of a decade now,” a brand spokesperson said.
Jack Daniel’s (JD) Tennessee too launched a new spirit — Jack Fire — this year, that uses “Ceylon” cinnamon, making the drink aromatic. The result is a sweet, hot cinnamon kick that complements the smooth and delicious taste of Jack Daniel’s. “We want everyone to enjoy JD in a way that fits their palate,” said Vineet Agrawal, a spokesperson for the brand.
New whiskey drinkers tend to start with something light and comfortable on their palate. The idea is to first help acquaint them with the basics