It is really difficult to judge what people will consume in the year 2014. When Ashish Jethani of IBAR Bandra recently told me this, I could not help but ponder on it. And I agreed completely. After all, people’s drinking preferences quite often are mercurial.
New world wines witnessed a surge in 2013. Some classics were revisited. Molecular mixology scaled new heights. New bars and lounges opened across the country by the dozens and people took to experimenting and how!
“But looking at the current market we have realised that people have become much smarter and well-informed. Thus, they have more focussed preferences. Taking this into consideration, I think the trend for 2014 is going to be more towards the cocktails, and not so much towards the classics: Cocktails like the frozen daiquiri with fresh fruit flavours or classics presented with a twist like a ‘kiwi martini’ or a ‘cosmo-watermelon’. Also the new age shooters like Jager bombs and molecular level mixed shooters and cocktails will top the charts. For example, a signature we do at IBAR, kamikaze with a beer and lime foam or a Bellini with peach and apricot vegan caviar,” analyses Ashish Jethani.
Interestingly, a bartender in London told me that Elephant Gin is a new handcrafted dry gin of 45 per cent alcoholic volume, which is going to make waves. Made with carefully selected ingredients to capture the essence of Africa, it is gaining popularity.
The gin is distilled using 14 botanicals, including rare African ingredients sourced from the length and breadth of the continent to create the gin’s distinctive flavour profile. These include the savannah’s “super fruit” Baobab, the extraordinary Buchu plant with a flavour similar to blackcurrant, and the African Wormwood introducing a sharp floral note.
That’s not all. More bizarre ingredients such as cardamom syrup, smoked ice cubes and vuzu bitter will be in vogue. Mixing modernity with classic heritage will be key, say bartenders. The aromatic golden spirit, Scotch whisky, will continue to reign supreme.
As for wines, new world wines will still be popular. “Indian consumers have started drinking and enjoying wine, however, there is a long way to go for developing the taste of fine wine. New world wines like the south American, Argentinian Malbec (red), or Chilean Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnays (white) and Australian shiraz (red) will be very well appreciated by the Indian wine drinkers,” states Pedro Mejía-Londoño, a Spanish wine sommelier, who was recently in Mumbai’s Ramada Powai. He adds, “My advice is to always try a different wine. It is the best way to know what you like and what you don’t.”
So clearly, people are going to be more experimental and adventurous in 2014. Cheers to that!
