The best drink (Cocktail) for winters!

Have you seen the levels of pollution lately? I went up in the Himalayas recently for a small trip but the pollution levels even in the hills were above normal. The entire country is facing this existential threat of pollution it seems. While Delhi used to be an outlier a decade ago in terms of pollution numbers, it is now one among many cities that battle air pollution each winter. 'Battling' might not be the right word here because there's actually no battle. We just witness pollution killing our children and poisoning our elders but we don't do anything about it. The solutions you ask? They are  simple really - 

1) Fucking plant trees! Build a green wall around each city and create green buffer areas between habitations and industries to trap atleast those pollutants which settle on to the ground. 

2) More waste treatment plants to avoid open waste burning. Just needs strong implementation and willpower. 

3) Promote walking and cycling, and build roads to integrate, assimilate and initiate walking culture among the lazy Indians. 

But alas! people really don't want to do anything about it. And hence, the obfuscation and the disruption strategies by people in power. Confuse the public, tangle them in bureaucratic quagmire and avoid all accountability! 

Anyways, like always, I digress. This post is not a rant! It's a feel good post. Since, everyone I know is suffering from a cold or a related ailment, I have invented a new winter drink that cures the cold in an instant! (Yes, this is my eureka moment lol ) 

LO and BEHOLD - 

THE WINTER APPLE ELIXIR by yours truly

1) Take 1 apple and thinly slice all of it

2) Take 1L water in a pan and add the apple slices

3) Add 1 whole clove (laung), 1.5 cm long cinnamon stick (dalchini) and a pinch of salt. 

4) Bring the concoction to a boil and then let it simmer for 5-10 mins. 

5) Once it cools down, blend everything in a juicer and strain it if you want a smooth drink. I like fibre so I avoid straining. 

6) Now comes the best part - Add a little bit of whiskey/brandy (I prefer full 30 ml) and mix well. 

7) Let the drink settle down for a minute and then enjoy a hot, rejuvenating cup of the best winter drink you'll have in your life! This will cure your cold, get you warm and most importantly, remind you to enjoy the little things in life!  

Nuggets of wisdom - 

1) If you are using whiskey, use small amounts first. Try with only 2 spoonfuls first and then keep adding until you get that balance right. 

2) If you're using brandy, then go for cognac. My personal favourite is Napolean cognac. The fruity aroma from grapes and the body of cognac, elevate the apple concoction. 

3) Mildly squeeze a few drops of orange zest to elevate the drink even further. Not only will it balance the sweetness of apples but it will also reduce the bitterness of alcohol.

4) Apple, being a natural digestive system cleanser, this drink will really improve your digestion. So that's an added benefit. 

This drink is like one of those warm, fuzzy, happy memories of childhood where you felt secure and comfortable. It stops the time for you for one full cup of this drink. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Glenfiddich 12 and Black label

I recently had an opportunity to open a bottle of this beautiful Glenfiddich 12 while celebrating and though I am more of a black label aficionado, I was pleasantly surprised by the tasting profile offered by this exquisite beauty. 

My go to drink is black label, 'on the rocks'. No dilution and if dilution is needed only in the ratio of 1:1 with plain water. It maintains that peaty note and the body of the spirit remains intact. That strong oak flavour on the nose is really what makes Black Label stand out. Each of the single malts in Black Label have been aged for 12 years minimum in Scotland and the robust flavour profile really shows that. You can smell the whiskies gone inside - the cardhu, which gives it that peaty profile, the smokiness comes for Caol Ila, Clynelish 14 gives it the fruitiness, that sparkle midtaste and that wood-vanilla flavour profile and finally the Glenkinchie. I am yet to come across a bottle of glenkinchie so I don't know what that does in Black Label. 

Now coming to Glenfiddich, when I first tried it, I adopted a similar strategy. Diluted this single malt in a ratio of 3:1, kept on the palate for a few seconds and tried to take a whiff of all the oak and nuts during the aftertaste. I was disappointed. So much hype and for what? Glenlivet 12 had more body than it. But as my friend suggested, I was drinking it wrong. She poured me the drink undiluted and without any ice. For a moment there, I started questioning her sanity but she insisted. For the first time in my life I was drinking an alcohol at room temperature. I soon realised that I had done the ignominious act of wasting a fine whiskey in my previous drink. What I found -
- Nose : Fruity, apple and peaches are aplenty and a strong malty note
- Palate : Mild watery (which made sense why not to dilute), crisp, thin mouthfeel and overall very light.
-Flavour : Definitely vanilla, nutmeg, Apples, Oranges, Cardamom and a hint of wood but very mild
-Finish : Dried oak, vanilla, cinnamon. 
Definitely a complex flavour profile. But the nose is stronger than palate which is really tricky. You'd be fooled to think it would go well with orchard fruit drinks like oranges but you'd only be wasting a fine whiskey. For every drink, I have a go to snack but for Glenfiddich 12, I really don't like to pair it with anything. This whiskey is an art. And it demands your full attention like you're standing in an art gallery and a painting compels you to think about it. An art which is beautiful in itself is good, an art which elicits compliments is great but an art which compels you to engage, look at it from your own perspective, relate with it, is the pinnacle of the civilisational consciousness. Some people do that with their paintings, some with their words and some with their wines. This elixir of an art-form demands a pause, a perspective and an engagement. 

So here's to this artform in a bottle - Glenfiddich 12! 

Public Service Announcement -

Drink responsibly. I am not a drinker by any means. I must have had alcohol this year after a gap of 8 years. And boy, how I have changed over those years! I could seriously drink around half a bottle of Black Label (And I have) and still show up at my hospital without a hair out of place. This time, 2 drinks (30 ml each) and I was already battling a nasty hangover for the next 2 days. Alcohol and my body don't gel with each other anymore. 
Don't drink and drive. 
It's a cardinal sin to indulge in intoxicating substances. No matter what the world tells you.
Don't drink to lose your senses. Drink to appreciate the art, drink to enjoy the fine luxuries of life. And those can only be enjoyed in very small amounts on rare occasions. Beers, cheap alcohols should be avoided. Cheap beers are the instagram reels of the wine world.