Liquor-articles 2049
Taylor Swift’s Super Bowl After-Party: Vodka Cranberries and Chicken Fingers Until Dawn
While Taylor Swift was notably chugging beers at the Super Bowl, she later switched to her customary vodka cranberry to celebrate her boyfriend’s victory at an expensive nightclub post-game.
After the Kansas City Chiefs overcame the San Francisco 49ers in overtime, tight end Travis Kelce was seen reveling in the team’s third Super Bowl triumph with his pop star girlfriend at Resorts World Las Vegas and Zouk Nightclub, the location of the official post-game party.
As reported by The Sun, the pair continued to party into the wee hours and later visited XS Nightclub nearby. Taylor Swift certainly holds the musical talent in the relationship, but Kelce was seen on stage with famous DJ Marshmello too. They even danced to Swift’s track “Love Story” earlier in the evening.
The party allegedly didn’t end until past 5 a.m., and the couple indulged in some late-night chicken fingers, as reported by a source from the nightclub.
If you can’t find joy in a video of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce dancing to Love Story that then pans to Jason Kelce on stage with Marshmello while wearing a wrestling mask then you need to reevaluate some things. pic.twitter.com/By7qpeBgbF
— Rob Dauster (@RobDauster) February 12, 2024
Before the official after party, Swift and Kelce celebrated on the field with a sweet kiss.
“Oh my god. I can’t believe that. I can’t believe it. How did you do that?” Taylor reportedly told her tight end BF. “I’m so proud of you?”
According to Entertainment Tonight, Travis reportedly asked, “Was it electric?”
Who would’ve thought that in 2024 we will see videos of Taylor dancing at club to Love Story and You Belong With Me with her footballer boyfriend!!! pic.twitter.com/kPALmqViBi
— Taylor Throwbacks (@ThrowbackTaylor) February 12, 2024
“Unbelievable,” Taylor replied. “It was unbelievable. That was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.” During the game, Swift cheered on Kelce alongside pals Blake Lively and Ice Spice, as well as her parents, and Travis’ whole family. She was seated in one of the $2.5 million Allegiant Stadium suites, which Kelce hinted at paying for during a recent “New Heights” podcast episode.
“I’m not really doing much different other than just counting how much money I’m spending on this damn Super Bowl for family and friends to come,” Kelce said.
The luxe suites had an equally high-end menu, which included a shrimp cocktail tower, king crab fried rice, lobster and steak quesadillas, and a wagyu loaded hot dog that was topped with crispy onions, banana peppers, and wagyu brisket burnt ends. Taylor was *clearly* eating well.
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The Impact of Haiti’s Gang Crisis on the Rum Industry: Torched Sugarcane Fields
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Haiti’s renowned rum has become the newest victim of violent gangs vying to control a growing number of businesses and territory in the troubled Caribbean nation.
At least 19.8 acres of sugarcane fields were torched in recent days as rival gangs fought near the Rhum Barbancourt distillery in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, the company said in a statement Sunday.
Rum is derived from sugarcane. The number of acres burned would cover more than four soccer fields, but Barbancourt officials stressed the lost fields would not affect production.
HAITIAN PM HENRY URGES CALM AS PROTESTERS, RIOTERS INSIST THAT HE RESIGNS
The company’s foundation, however, said it would temporarily stop distributing free potable water, providing medical care, and offering the use of football fields and basketball courts in order to protect the safety of its employees.
Haiti’s rum is considered one of the country’s most popular exports.
The Haitian flag is hoisted against a clear sky at the site of the presidential palace, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, April 19, 2011.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has signaled that in excess of 800 victims were either massacred, wounded or abducted across Haiti in January, a figure that is over triple when contrasted with the same month in 2023. An additional approximated count of 300 gang affiliates were also reported dead or hurt in the previous month, he disclosed.
He referred to the escalated intensity of gang skirmishes, some of which persist for numerous hours, as a possible sign that certain gangs have recently procured new supplies of ammunition.
Haiti is also in the process of recuperating from a recent surge in aggressive demonstrations demanding the stepping down of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Türk stated that a minimum of 16 individuals lost their lives and close to 30 others were wounded during these protests, predominantly in clashes with law enforcement.
In the meantime, gang violence progresses with no cessation in sight.
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“Every day that goes by, new victims are reported,” Türk said late last week as he urged the swift deployment of a U.N-backed Kenyan police force that has been stalled in court.
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Guideline to Purchasing the Limited Edition Whiskey Bottles through Lottery: Almost 2,000 Rare Bottles Up for Grabs!
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is making 1,896 bottles of rare whiskeys from the Pappy Van Winkle and Buffalo Trace Antique Collections available to purchase through a lottery.
Whiskey lovers have their chance to land some rare bottles this week.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is making 1,896 bottles of rare whiskeys from the Pappy Van Winkle and Buffalo Trace Antique Collections available to purchase through a lottery. For a chance to win the chance to purchase a bottle, Pennsylvania residents and licensees must enter the lottery by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16.
There will be two lotteries for each of the whiskeys available. Participants have the chance to enter one or both.
The first lottery held will be for 513 bottles from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection 2023. Winning entries are limited to one bottle — which costs $124.99 — per participant.
The bottles available are:
The second lottery will be for 1,383 bottles of Pappy Van Winkle. Winning entries are limited to one bottle per participant.
The bottles include:
To be eligible to enter, consumers and licensees must have an active account with Fine Wine and Good Spirts with current billing information on file.
Upon winning, residents are prohibited to resell any bottles of whiskey purchased.
The lotteries are open to Pennsylvania residents and licensees 21 years old or older who provide both a verifiable Pennsylvania billing address and a Fine Wine and Good Spirits store address at registration.
You can find more information on the Fine Wine & Good Spirits site.
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Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka Secures Nationwide Distribution Through Costco
Entrepreneurs Charlie Gilpin and Sam Moss from East London participated in BBC One’s Dragons’ Den on February 8th, 2024. The duo, who are founders of STOCKED, are childhood friends from Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Visit their website here for more details.
19 Crimes, an award-winning global wine brand by Treasury Wine Estates, launched a limited-edition Valentine’s Day label design. This launch is backed by one of their most impressive integrated campaigns. Check their website here for more.
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Glencadam, the famed distillery from East Highland, has made known the release of two brand new cask finishes in limited production. These releases are part of their award-winning single malt age statement range. The highlight from this range is the Glencadam 15-year-old Reserva…
British natural mineral water brand, Drip Water, under the aegis of Big Zuu, has achieved its major supermarket listing through Morrisons. Morrisons will present both Still and Sparkling variants of the brand across 1,500…
The ready-to-drink beverage label, VK, is stirring up excitement in the drinks industry with its new #WEAREFLAVOUR campaign. As part of this campaign, VK encourages consumers to imagine, mix, match, and suggest the next flavour to be released…
In a remarkable partnership, ROKA London, a premium bag and apparel label known for their superior quality craftsmanship, style and utility, are working together with internationally acclaimed Natural History Museum. This collaboration aims to blend form and function with inspiration drawn from the natural world…
The craft spirits brand Freeland Spirits, which is based in Portland, is now available in Whole Foods stores located in Washington State, California, Minnesota, Colorado, and Massachusetts. The brand is synonymous with precision and passion, in their inaugural…
The Birmingham-based haircare company has successfully transformed her personal hair journey into a globally recognised sustainable brand. The brand encourages individuals to embrace their natural curls and has been supported extensively by Lloyds Bank. This transformation has now…
The Whiskey Ring Corruption Trial of 1876: A National Sensation in St. Louis
ST. LOUIS • As a crowd huddled against the courtroom door, the bailiff held his ground. “Unless you hold a pass or are indicted for whiskey frauds, you are not permitted to enter,” he declared.
Journalists from every corner of the nation crammed into the U.S. Post Office and Custom House located at 218 North Third Street. The reason? A trial that began on February 8, 1876, and lasted for an astounding 18 days. At the center of all the attention was one Orville E. Babcock, who served as private secretary to President Ulysses S. Grant and was now the alleged mastermind behind the notorious “whiskey ring.”
Babcock had also been Grant’s aide during the final months of the Civil War and was present when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered on April 9, 1865.
Upon Grant’s subsequent Presidential victory three years down the line, Babcock was brought onto the White House team to manage his correspondence. Prosecutors alleged that Babcock, unbeknownst to others, facilitated a multi-city scheme that enabled liquor distillers to evade taxes. There is, however, no evidence indicating that Grant was involved. His only mistake was blind loyalty.
The national scandal broke here in 1875. Four prominent local men already had been convicted when Babcock went on trial. Every day, crowds gathered on Third Street as Babcock, often attired in silk hat, light jacket and sky-blue pants, sauntered to and from his lodging at the Lindell Hotel, Sixth Street and Washington Avenue.
Prosecutors pieced together a case of incriminating coded telegrams for the jury of seven farmers, three blacksmiths, a wagonmaker and a bricklayer. Defense lawyers had something no one has enjoyed before or since – a deposition by a sitting president, taken in the White House, on behalf of a criminal defendant. They presented Grant’s transcript Feb. 17. That same day, William T. Sherman, then a St. Louis resident and Grant’s wartime brother in arms, took the stand and said of Babcock, “His character has been very good.”
Babcock’s lawyers painted the prosecution as attacking Grant himself, a man who once had been a farmer in south St. Louis County. On Feb. 24, the jury needed only two hours to acquit Babcock of conspiracy to defraud the government.
The jubilation began on Third Street and moved to the Lindell, where Babcock and friends, including Sherman in uniform, held forth from the balcony over Washington. Babcock told the crowd, “I can only thank you most heartily for your kindness.”
He was the only major figure in the scandal to win acquittal, but soon was forced from the White House. Grant made him a lighthouse inspector, and Babcock drowned on duty eight years later.
The Old Custom House, at Third and Olive, was demolished in 1941 to make way for the Gateway Arch grounds.
Read more stories from Tim O’Neil’s Look Back series.
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On Feb. 9, 1966, the NHL awarded a franchise to St. Louis, despite the fact that nobody from our town even made a bid for a team.
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Exploring the Surprising Combination of Labour and Business- an Analogy to Crouch and Clancy or Vodka and Tomato Juice
Witnessing Labour being well-received by the City, accompanied by endorsements from austerity hero George Osborne, incites a peculiar sensation. It appears, I am not alone in this sentiment. Conversely to the past, when a substantial waiting period was necessary to evaluate a policy’s success, today’s dynamics allow immediate feedback.
Labour’s rapport with business demonstrates a perplexing union akin to vodka and tomato juice, or even socks with sandals. From my perspective, Labour, while not being anti-business per se, should advocate more for the workers. This includes fair wages, elimination of zero-hour contracts, and more. When Labour’s policies gain traction in the City, and are even applauded by George Osborne, it stirs unease. It seems this view is not unique to myself. The landscape has evolved to where reactions to policy implementations can be gauged much more rapidly than before.
Common sensibilities would suggest a 50-year span post the departure of a state head to adequately assess the legacy left behind. The present, however, allows much quicker evaluations – Liz Truss’ impact, for instance, took merely about 45 minutes to decipher. Savanta quickly released a poll post Labour’s Business Conference conclusion. Only 20% of the public supported uplifting the cap on bankers’ bonuses, with apathy being the overarching sentiment towards maintaining the corporation tax. Experts have voiced concerns around the perception that Labour is not undertaking any revolutionary moves for the economy.
Savanta’s Chris Hopkins observed, “Labour have succeeded in presenting their case as no threat to the British public. This could potentially propel them into governance. However, there is an apparent longing for a more audacious approach yet to be satisfied.” The real issue is the precarious balance of interests. When business interests feel threatened, there is often fierce opposition to change. For instance, the CBI has urged Labour to soften its stance on workers’ rights. Additionally, offshore energy representatives warn a windfall tax on profits could lead to significant job losses.
It’s vital for Mr Starmer to maintain his resolve. Engaging with business is a sound strategy, but allowing them to determine Labour’s governing approach is a completely different issue. We have experienced 14 years of manipulation by the wealthy elite. More immediately concerning for Mr Starmer is the uproar regarding the £28 billion green investment pledge U-turn. This move is not well-received, even though the party has managed it effectively. However, it fuels the quick-spreading Tory narrative about indecisiveness.
The most shocking Tory critique this week came during the Prime Minister’s Questions, with Mr Sunak making an insensitive joke about trans rights. An insider commented, “The situation was appalling, but the genuine shock illustrated by people’s reactions was the truly startling aspect.” This sentiment will be echoed in the future, further intensifying the conflict. In the words of Cormac McCarthy, what we have witnessed will be “nothing compared to what’s on the horizon”…
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Mastering the Admiral Schley High Ball: A Whiskey Cocktail Recipe from a Pioneering Black Bartender
“Is it any wonder that mankind stands open-mouthed before the bartender, considering the mysteries and marvels of an art that borders on magic?”
— Tom Bullock, The Ideal Bartender
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It was 1913, and Theodore Roosevelt was in court.
Roosevelt was a strange and erratic man, and was often accused of being an alcoholic, despite his continual, fervid insistence that he’d never been drunk in his life. Fed up with this libel, he vowed to sue the next publication that claimed it, ultimately taking out his anger on a tiny Michigan newspaper called the Ishpeming Iron Ore. As a witness under cross examination, Roosevelt did acknowledge a fondness for Mint Juleps, and further admitted that he had tasted a Julep once at the St. Louis Country Club, but only drank “a part” of it.
The St. Louis Post Dispatch found the notion of anyone consuming “just a part” of a cocktail incredulous, particularly when the cocktail was prepared by Tom Bullock. “Impossible, who would only drink part of one of Tom’s?” they asked in their March 28, 1913, edtion. “It is unthinkable that a hearty man, let alone a stalwart Colonel, would stop at just a part of these beverages… it tests our belief beyond reason,” they further praised Bullock, who was regarded as an unmatched mixologist, irrespective of his race or standing.
Tom Bullock, a celebrated bartender for over two and a half decades, served in the premium establishments of Louisville and St. Louis. Reputed for being African American in an era of racial bias, Bullock was the first of his race to release a cocktail book. His book, titled The Ideal Bartender, published in 1917, offers scant personal information about him. Apart from the opening quote and the reproduction of the Dispatch editorial, it mostly contains cocktail recipes. The introductory note written by George Herbert Walker (grandfather of the 41st President of the United States) lauds Bullock’s qualifications for the creation of such a work.
While these details do very little to satisfy our curiosity, researchers have managed to sketch a brief account of his life, and that of black bartenders from Reconstruction through World War I, particularly Michael Jones and David Wondrich. However, this piece is supposed to be about cocktails, so we will focus on Bullock’s remarkable craftsmanship as reflected through his cocktails.
Bullock was notably skilful at making the Mint Julep. He was innovative in deciding to blend absinthe and Benedictine, a combination I have never seen any other author attempt. He may well be the first to have published a recipe for a Martini-like cocktail featuring an onion, that we now know as a Gibson. Amongst his unique cocktail recipes, my personal favourite is the Admiral Schley High Ball, composed of Irish Whiskey, lemon juice, pineapple syrup, dessert wine, and soda.
Schley was a Navy Admiral and a hero of the Spanish-American War, and this is actually not the only drink named for him (the other is a bourbon and rum Daiquiri of sorts in Charles Baker’s 1939 A Gentleman’s Companion), but Bullock’s drink was first, to say nothing of being both more creative and tastier. The Admiral Schley’s High Ball is a lovely and disarming drink, the bright fruit of the pineapple teasing out the honeyed brightness of the dessert wine, with the mild oak from the Irish Whiskey providing structure, a kind of a gentle but present backbone. It plays to Irish Whiskey’s core strength, which is that it’s such a soft and approachable spirit that subtle fruit—that which would be bludgeoned by bourbon or even scotch—is allowed to express itself and entice you with its subtleties.
It’s an inventive and delicious original from an excellent bartender, the flavors obvious in the way that great ideas always seem obvious in hindsight. We don’t recommend using it as any kind of valid legal defense, but it’s certainly worth your time on its own, or to make as a kind of toast to the noble past, and the mysteries and marvels of an art that borders on magic.
2 oz. Irish whiskey
0.5 oz. white dessert wine, like Tokaj or Sauternes
0.75 oz. pineapple syrup
0.75 oz. lemon juice
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake on ice for six to eight seconds. Strain into a tall glass over fresh ice, top with soda (optional) and garnish with a pineapple wedge or lemon peel.
NOTES ON INGREDIENTS
Irish Whiskey: The richness of this cocktail is amplified when the whiskey brings a gentle touch of fruity and malty sweetness to the table, while maintaining a passive role, serving primarily as the foundation upon which the other ingredients lay. Inexpensive brands like Tullamore D.E.W, Bushmills, Jameson, and Power’s are ideal for mixing this drink.
Pineapple Syrup: If you need to make a quick pineapple syrup, combine equal amounts of pineapple juice and sugar, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved. Pre-made syrups are also available from notable producers like Small Hand Foods and Liber & Co., who offer a special “Pineapple Gum Syrup.” The “gum” in the name simply refers to gum arabic, an additive traditionally used to enrich the texture.
Dessert Wine: The choice of dessert wine poses the big question here. Bullock’s recipe calls for either “Tokay, Angelica, or Sweet Catawba Wine”, which are quite diverse flavor-wise. However, my personal preference leans towards white dessert wines with a honey-touched character, such as Sauternes or Hungarian Tokaj. Know that your mix may require adjustments of pineapple syrup (for sweetness) or Irish Whiskey (for strength) depending on the exact wine you pick out.
Note that while the dessert wine lends the cocktail its distinctive quality, it’s completely fine to skip it if unavailable or unwanted. The drink will still taste delightful with just the whiskey, lemon, pineapple syrup, and soda.
Soda: With a more intensely fruity dessert wine, I liked the soda because it gives the drink length and puts room between the flavors. For a more honeyed wine, I preferred it without. Your mileage may vary, again, depending on your wine choice.
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Linda Robson’s Desperate Plea to Strangers for Vodka
Linda Robson’s family pleaded with their neighborhood shopkeeper to deny her alcohol sales.
The star of ‘Loose Women’ has candidly discussed her struggle with alcohol in her just published heart-rending memoir. She revealed the distressing instance when her family implored the local seller to bar her from purchasing booze.
In a segment from the memoir, which has been featured in the Daily Mail, Linda, at the age of 65, penned: “Once finished with shooting, before reaching home, I would request the driver to halt so I could fetch a small bottle of vodka, which I would carry to bed and drink till I blacked out.”
“My family approached the nearby store and convinced the owner to refuse serving me. I then started visiting a store slightly distant, where they didn’t recognize me. Eventually, the family began to lock me inside the house, which seemed like the solitary solution to cease me.”
“I know that sounds like drastic action, but they were at the end of their tethers. Even that didn’t rein me in. I would try to climb up the wall of our roof terrace to get out over the other side.”
Linda also humiliatingly revealed she would “beg strangers” for vodka.
She said: “Or I would go and stand at the gate and beg strangers passing by to go and get me some vodka.”
And, Linda said she hit breaking point when her daughter Lauren told her she could no longer mind her grandchildren alone.
She expressed: “The most distressing moment of this entire phase occurred when my daughter Lauren signified that I was unable to care for my two innocent granddaughters independently anymore.”
“She started worrying about the prospects of me harming myself in their presence. There were days when I would take either of them to a store, secretly purchase a small vodka bottle, and consume it behind her back, which I regret confessing now.”
The family of Linda eventually managed to secure her a spot in the Nightingale Hospital in London, but she was battling suicidal tendencies.
However, Linda gratefully acknowledges The Priory and AA for assisting her to finally resolve her alcohol difficulties.
She said: “I haven’t had a drink… and I’m absolutely fine to be around alcohol. I’m never tempted.”
Exploring The Ordinary’s Excellence in Rum: From Classic Daiquiri to Adventurous Rotating Editions
Kalyn Oyer is a Charleston native and the features editor for The Post and Courier. She’s a music festival and concert photographer and avid showgoer who used to write about music for the Charleston City Paper as well as national publications.
The Ordinary’s rum-focused cocktail program has a few showstoppers in the mix, including the classic daiquiri.
Bar Tab is a recurring column in The Post and Courier Food section that highlights a locally made or sold adult beverage.
The Ordinary’s beverage manager, Christian Favier, spent a decade in New York City’s restaurants and bars before coming to work in Charleston, a city he said is top-notch for its size when it comes to wine but a place he still sees in its infancy as far as cocktails go.
He aspires to contribute to the growth at the oyster bar located off King Street, where rum is a major feature on the menu that includes a dozen drinks spanning from classics to inventive variations. Since taking on his role, he has transformed the previously too-tiki-oriented menu into a more contemporary rum selection, excluded of any culturally insensitive Polynesian imagery that originated from the 1950s movements in California. Nevertheless, it retains a mix of both traditional and fresh Caribbean tastes.
Highlighting the importance of the daiquiri, Favier stated that one’s capability to properly prepare this drink is a decisive factor in their adaptability in dealing with rum.
“In discussions about the epitomic representation of rum cocktails, the daiquiri unquestionably stands out,” expressed Favier.
The daiquiri created here follows a straightforward recipe: a signature rum mix, fresh lime juice, and sugar, both shaken and stirred.
The Ordinary Daiquiri is a delightful, rotating version that keeps the customers coming back. The current version, Daiquiri #8, was personally the most delicious I tried during the visit, crafted with El Dorado, brown butter, rosemary, maple, and lime.
Another specialty that The Ordinary highlights is the Bad John, a drink mixed with Angostura bitters, salted lime, lemon, and a tangy pineapple element. A lot of the menu is inspired by a modern take on Caribbean classics with rich flavors. The pineapple is freshly cut and juiced behind the bar, creating a fluffy blend that provides a light, airy tasting experience.
The Batida Sazonal is an item that should not be overlooked, prepared with Novo Fogo cachaça, condensed milk, lime, and pomegranate. Another eloquent drink is the Coco y whiskey, blending Japanese-style single malt whiskey with oolong tea and coconut water.
The delight of an on-draft mojito comes with a twist of novelty and freshness, although I had to muddle my own mint to appeal to my preferred taste.
The enjoyable treat of the Ordinary’s mojito can be appreciated straight from the tap.
If in search of another extraordinary specialty, the frozen Pastis Painkiller stands out charmingly with an ethereal licorice flavor. (My recent preference has been leaning towards Absinthe!) However, no Absinthe is incorporated here, but rather a spicy and fragrant French pastis enhancing those licorice nuances — complemented with Coco Lopez, fresh pineapple, orange and nutmeg.
Starting off the feast with the snapper ponzu flavored with citrus, Asian pear and cilantro was a culinary delight, only to be surpassed by the rock shrimp rice. This is skillfully prepared with butter-infused Carolina Gold rice and filled with delicately textured vegetables topped with crispy sunchokes. A delightful experience to the palate, and ideal complements to the cocktails.
Favier is headed to Barbados soon for more research, so expect some new drinks to arrive on the menu once he’s back.
Reach Kalyn Oyer at 843-371-4469. Follow her on Twitter @sound_wavves.
Kalyn Oyer is a Charleston native and the features editor for The Post and Courier. She’s a music festival and concert photographer and avid showgoer who used to write about music for the Charleston City Paper as well as national publications.
The Ordinary’s Christian Favier, beverage manager, spent a decade in New York City’s restaurants and bars before coming to work in Charleston, a city which he says is top-notch for its size when it comes to wine but a place he still sees in its infancy as far as cocktails go.
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The Need for a New Spirit: Vodka’s Rejection by Affluent Patrons
Yangdup Lama, the co-founder of the Delhi based Sidecar Bar, shares his observation about the changing preference for alcoholic beverages. Lama, whose bar has earned a place in Asia’s 50 Best Bars and the World’s 50 Best Bars, states that the popularity of vodka has declined in recent times. As per Lama’s initial expectations when inaugurating Sidecar, vodka was anticipated to be the favored choice for patrons, but surprisingly, the position has been usurped by the gin. Lama adds that the demand for gin has consistently grown despite vodka’s decline.
Lama recalls that a decade ago, his bar orders included equal numbers of whisky and vodka bottles, with gin making up a small portion. Presently, the orders for whisky remains constant, but gin’s demand has seen an upward trend, while the demand for vodka observed a decrease.
These changes in alcohol preference are not confined to Lama’s bar. Even various party hosts, such as 37-year-old Vir Kapoor from west Delhi, have witnessed a similar trend. Kapoor notes that more of his friends are now opting for gin over vodka, which was a popular choice for people who preferred white spirits rather than darker ones like whisky and brandy. Kapoor’s bar generally caters to these trends and stocks brands like Bombay Sapphire, Greater Than, Stranger, and Sons to keep up with his gin-drinking guests. Interestingly, there has also been a growing interest in high-end sipping tequila among his friends.
Even though vodka had a long reigning supreme status in India’s white spirits scene, recent trends point to a juniper-infused revolution, with gin replacing low-tier vodka. Consultants confirm that the shift in preferences has even modified entrepreneurs’ business choices, with many reconsidering entering the vodka industry. Ultimately, vodka faces a new competitive market being inundated by premium gin, high-tier tequila, agave-based spirits, and white rum.
Gin has been a component of India’s overall alcoholic beverage collection for over a century. Despite its longstanding history and prevalence, it has largely remained on the fringe in terms of market presence and acceptance. For a long while, gin lacked innovation and remained static, with its consumption by Indians being nearly negligible.
However, around 2017, gin began to make a name for itself. New players like Nao Spirits and Third Eye Distillery, the producers of Greater Than and Stranger & Sons gins respectively, emerged and started producing high-end gins that were both easy on the palate and expensive. Before long, gin overtook entry-level vodka.
As per industry calculations, the gin sector in India has ballooned from a mere 12,000 cases in 2017 to about 320,000 cases currently. Typically, a case consists of nine 750ml or 1,000ml bottles, depending on the category.
Spotting this surge in demand, nearly half a dozen companies, including Radico Khaitan, Spaceman Spirits, Third Eye Distillery, and NV Distilleries & Breweries, introduced new brands and variants of gins, as well as some white and golden rums in 2023.
Today, many other larger companies have also jumped onto the white spirits bandwagon with much gusto. Allied Blenders and Distillers (ABD), which is primarily a brown spirits whisky maker, launched a premium gin, Zoya, this month. Associated Alcohol & Breweries Ltd has launched its own premium gin, Nicobar.
Indian gins priced above ₹1,000 have been growing rapidly, and are outpacing imported premium gins. They accounted for just over a quarter of the premium segment four years ago but today, the number has risen to over 40%, said the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC), noting that the share of imported gins has fallen from 74% to 59% in just four years.
Clearly, this shift within the white spirits world isn’t just about taste. It’s a story of premiumization, where consumers are increasingly willing to pay more for quality and experience. Gin, with its versatility and burgeoning craft spirits scene, has capitalized on this trend. “10-15 years ago, vodka was the most sought-after spirit, but gin and craft spirits came in. What the dark-spirit making companies did was capitalize on the craft market, which vodka couldn’t,” said Lama.
Siddharth Banerji, owner and managing director of Kyndal Group, the spirits manufacturer behind well-known scotch brands such as Cutty Sark and The Famous Grouse, said the premiumization of higher-quality spirits is the backbone of the growth of the white spirits sector, specifically gin. The sheer number of brands in the premium segment has gone up across many spirit categories. The biggest beneficiary of this has been gin, since all these spirits come with appealing packaging and innovation.
“All this has resulted in people trying a lot of new brands. This was not the case some years ago, when people were completely inflexible about the brands and categories they consumed. Today, there is also huge growth in per capita income and that is clearly reflected in India’s ‘premiumization’ story. Also, more people are consciously drinking better quality over quantity since the pandemic,” Banerji added.
His company is in the process of adding an international tequila to its portfolio. In his view, India’s biggest spirit growth story will be in the premium drinking segment, in the ₹1,000–2,000 per bottle range. To be sure, while a battle is raging within the white spirits universe, brown spirits still command a staggering 97% share of the overall market, which is largely driven by mass-produced value offerings.
And while gin is reporting the fastest growth, vodka’s volumes are still four times larger—it has maintained growth momentum, but only in the much larger economy category. Premium vodka, however, has seen only a modest increase in market share. According to IWSR, a drinks consultancy, in calendar year 2021, volume-wise, growth across the overall vodka segment was higher, at 35%, while gin trailed behind at 28%. However, that same year, in the ‘premium and above’ category, it was gin that grew faster than the vodka segment, surging 177% versus just 66% growth for vodka.
It isn’t just gin that is making waves in the white spirits market. Competition is hotting up from other white spirits, with tequila, agave-based spirits and even white and golden rum becoming popular in the market, especially among young upwardly mobile Indians. This segment has seen new players such as Allied Blenders, Himmaleh Spirits, Associated Alcohol & Breweries wade in and experiment with a range of drinks for tipplers. The trend also led Diageo to launch its Don Julio tequila two months ago.
Vikram Achanta, the co-founder and CEO of Tulleeho, an independent beverage training and consulting firm, revealed that tequila has been trending significantly recently. “Interestingly, while agave consumption has plummeted in the US – traditionally one of its biggest markets – in India it’s popularity has exploded in the past six to eight months. Newly emerging Mexican and Spanish-themed restaurants and bars are fostering this rising demand,” Achanta stated. “Also, home consumption plays a role. The US’s decreased consumption has liberated the allocation of this spirit to markets like ours. Therefore, the supply of agave spirits is unlikely to present an issue now, and we might witness more companies entering and innovating in this sector.”
Indeed, Diageo and Bacardi, two of the world’s major liquor companies, are now concentrating on promoting their tequila brands Don Julio (Diageo) and Patron (Bacardi) in India, with ambitious plans to expand the market extensively here. DesmondJi, an Indian enterprise cultivating agave on home soil, has emerged and is providing to companies wishing to produce the agave-based spirit here. Their clients include Maya Pistola Agavepura, a venture that was launched by Indian restaurateur Rakshay Dhariwal last June.
“Tequila, especially sipping tequila, is currently extremely appealing from a consumer standpoint and there’s substantial interest from both genders because it’s believed to provide a ‘clean’ high. Though the validity of this claim is uncertain, it is nonetheless stimulating demand,” he added.
All things considered, it’s a prosperous time for the white spirits sector. Premium white rums, gins, and agave encompass over a million cases per year, Achanta declared, with the total white spirits sphere accounting for approximately four to six million cases.
“It (white spirits) is a very, very exciting category right now with a lot of innovation going on in some spirits,” said Alok Gupta, ABD’s managing director. “Gin has had this astounding growth because it offers new experiences. Globally, today, the only two white spirit categories spoken of are gin and tequila. There is a lot of curiosity around mezcal- and agave-based spirits and Indians really want to know what the hype is all about.”
The industry is yet to put out any official data for this fiscal year, but Gupta estimated the market for tequila to be about 75,000–80,000 cases per annum, growing at a rate of 40%.
Meanwhile, vodka, said some aficionados, appears to be suffering from a bit of an identity crisis. It has been stuck in the ‘value’ spirits rut, and is struggling to keep up with gin. While its volume growth continues, that growth is primarily in the lower-priced segments under ₹1,000, according to data from CIABC.
Indeed, Indian brands haven’t made any significant inroad in the premium vodka segment, leaving the space dominated by foreign players, such as Diageo’s Smirnoff, Absolut and Grey Goose. A few players such as NV Distilleries & Breweries, which sells the Smoke brand of vodka, and has innovated with flavours such as saffron and mango, are the exception. Somewhere, this lack of homegrown innovation has hindered vodka’s appeal.
Gupta said India needs to introspect as to how to grow the vodka category again. “We believe there is a gap in the super-premium vodka segment and we will launch something in the higher-end category soon,” he said.
The expectation from vodka was always that it was “clean” and delivered the same standard experience every time it was consumed, said Gupta. But with other white spirits, it has become more about who is offering newer flavours. “I don’t think gin is taking away the consumption of any other white spirit. The biggest share of white’s growth is possibly from someone who normally drinks brown; women and other newer age drinkers,” he added.
Anand Virmani, co-founder of Nao Spirits, appears to concur with Gupta. “To my mind, it is not a vodka versus gin debate. There is some migration from other categories. Some are beer drinkers, some are new drinkers. In fact, India is adding 20 million new drinkers each year. New drinkers generally begin with lighter spirits,” he said.
While the battle for India’s white spirits market is far from over, one thing is crystal clear: Premiumization is the name of the game today.