It’s time to say goodbye to cocktails and welcome back good ol’ desi booze. While some of us may frown upon drinking alcohol or think it’s a foreign import, alcohol has been around for quite a while in India.
It’s time to say goodbye to cocktails and welcome back good ol’ desi booze. While some of us may frown upon drinking alcohol or think it’s a foreign import, alcohol has been around for quite a while in India.
And now an IITian is bringing to mainstream one of the India’s favourite desi beverages – the mahua. Craft distiller Desmond Nazareth is repackaging Mahua, the sacred drink for adivasis. Mahua, for the uninitiated is a common tree in deciduous forests of India, quite prominent in states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka ,Mahdya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
The liquor produced from the flowers is largely colourless, with a whitish tinge and not particularly strong. The taste is distinctly reminiscent of the mahua flower. The flowers are rich in sugar (68-72%) in addition to a number of minerals. Nazareth said: “My first mahua encounter dates back to 2001, Gujarat.” He became so infatuated with the drink that it was on top of his to make list when he launched Desmondji in 2011, but he had to shelve the idea. In 2013, he acquired his first batch of unhygienic-handled mahua flowers from Latur, Maharashtra.
Nazareth further says, “if France has Champagne and Mexico has Tequila, then why should India stop short at Darjeeling tea? Mahua too is just as deserving of GI (Geographical Indication) protection.” The product according to his website, is going to be called DJ Mahua and priced Rs 975 per 750ml bottle.
Desmondji’s official website states: “DJ Mahua is an ode to India's heartland. Inspired by centuries of tribal lore and tradition, and crafted in Agave India's artisanal pot-stills, the legendary Mahua flower is transformed in to this exquisite, fragrant multiply distilled spirit. Price (GOA) : INR 975 per 750ml bottle.” Also in the mix is the DJ Mahua Liqueur which is based on craft-distilled Mahua spirit from Agave India's artisanal pot-stills. The website states: “With floral, honey and spice notes to enhance its flavour, the legendary elixir is transformed into an exquisite liqueur - a worthy homage to centuries of tribal tradition. Price (GOA) : INR 1275 per 750ml bottle.”
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