THE WHISKYDS

Manish Jain, 25, who looks after his father’s construction business in Mumbai, was introduced to whisky by a friend three years ago. Now it’s either a Black Label or a Chivas for him, that too at least thrice a week. “Vodka would make me puke,” he says. “Whisky goes down easier I think.” Rumeet Gosalia, a 24-year-old entrepreneur has grown up watching his dad enjoy his whisky and likes it for its taste and image. He’s been collecting rare whiskies for a year now. “I don’t see the price when I buy a bottle for my collection,” he adds.

The legal drinking age may be 21, but kids have the first drink during their first days in college. Most start out with vodka and rum. The fact that these two spirits are diluted with soft drinks and juices also make them the ideal introductory peg. But someone who starts out drinking at 16 is already a ‘serious’ drinker by the time he’s 24. “That’s where whisky comes into the picture. You want to gradually move up the alcohol ladder. So a senior executive at a business meeting will look more refined if he orders a whisky. And now, he can afford it too,” says Naveen Kotayankar, beverage manager of Mumbai restaurant Salt Water Grill.

So, Wink at the Taj President, Mumbai and The Bayview Bar at The Oberoi, Mumbai, known for their collection of whisky and single malts have their share of young corporates conduct meetings with a glass of whisky.

Seasoned writer Anil Dharker, also the founder-chairman of the Single Malts Club in Mumbai, adds that whisky companies themselves are now trying to lessen the snobbish image by letting people know that it’s okay to mix it with soft drinks.

“Then there’s the whole other market segment, the middle class, who are hardcore whisky drinkers. They will order a Royal Stag, Blender’s Pride or Antiquity Blue that are the low-priced whiskies,” says Clement Fernandes, bar manager at Mumbai’s Seijo and the Souldish.

Since the popular Teacher’s has begun to be bottled in India, it has become another affordable option. “At private parties, people even ask for whisky shots. A person who is going to be drinking whisky all night wouldn’t want to mix his drinks by having vodka or a tequila shot,” he adds.

Realising the potential of this market, United Spirits Limited’s DSP Black has just brought out an all-new young and vibrant packaging. The company is launching an aggressive outreach program through the DSP Black Rockilution, a seven-city rock music competition. “With the increase in disposable incomes and social acceptance of drinking, this is a promising category for liquor manufacturers,” says Mathew Xavier, their business head. “The industry is also responding with exciting brands, variants and unique communication. The concert gives us an opportunity to engage the audience of this genre.”

Though Advait Menon, a 16-year-old college student from Pune, may not be the liquor company’s ideal target, he did start drinking three months ago. “My friends and I like to have Jack Daniels with Coke and JD shots are just the best,” he says matter-of-factly. “I think whisky is soothing on the throat and doesn’t give a bad hangover.” Dharker disagrees, saying there’s no basis to this claim and it could just be in the mind.

“We were and still are primarily a nation of whisky drinkers. Though the growth rate of vodka is higher, whisky is still the largest selling spirit in this country,” says Sandeep Arora, executive representative, Rare Whisky Collection and also the Whisky magazine. “In fact, it’s 40 per cent higher than USA, the next biggest market.”
According to the international data available, we sell at least 75 million cases a year. Bottled malt whisky has seen a 60 per cent growth rate in the last year, while blended scotch has grown at a rate of 50 per cent. “Single malts are making this segment sexier. With the variety now available, malts enthusiasts are becoming a cult,” says Arora who even introduced whisky and food pairing in the country along with ‘nosing’ and tasting sessions.

This generation of 20-somethings is also making more money than their parents did when they were young. So, a whisky that costs Rs 500 a peg (Chivas Regal or Johnnie Walker Black Label) isn’t a pipe dream. The pricier rare whiskies ranging from Rs 2,500 to Rs 8,000 a peg (Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie and The Macallan) in most five-stars are accessible too.

But whisky connoisseurs are holding on tight to their favourite tipple’s reputation. “Whisky is a developed taste and single malts are a niche phenomenon. Whisky has a snobbish image and it’ll always stay,” says Dharker. “It’s the taste of the affluent,” says Jeetesh Kapriani, F&B manager, The Oberoi. “It’s like cricket – a gentleman’s drink,” adds Kotayankar.

Not for these ladies, it ain’t. Delhi journalist, Mallika Menon, 23, likes to start her evening out with a shot of whisky followed by cold beer. Farah Khan, a 26-year-old advertising executive from Mumbai, enjoys her after-hours with her girlfriends and a few rounds of Blender’s Pride. Otherwise, she has bottles of her favourite Irish whiskies like Bushmills and Laphroaig for special occasions.

Model Carol Gracias hates anything sweet in her glass and has become quite a whisky connoisseur with an impressive collection of single malts. “Most people assume that women would like vodka or sweet cocktails. But ever since I tried whisky a few years ago, I’ve only stuck to that,” she says. While Arora plans to start a single malts club just for women, the 10 women in Dharker’s 50-member club are determined to get whisky to lose its gentlemen’s drink image. Three cheers to that. Hic.