Dare to think beyond duty-free

The writer tastes fine spirits from around the world in the collection offered by The Vault

January 29, 2015 07:23 pm | Updated 07:23 pm IST

Keshav Prakash, director of ‘The Vault'. Photo: R. Ravindran

Keshav Prakash, director of ‘The Vault'. Photo: R. Ravindran

In an ideal world, men and women would frequent bars only to savour fine ‘hand-picked’ spirits. In an ideal world, they wouldn’t be considered a luxury. Needless to say, we don’t live in such a world.

Keshav Prakash, director of ‘The Vault’, promises to disrupt the Indian market by offering fine spirits of the world through, what he calls, his ‘hand-picked and hand-crafted’ collection. “The idea is to showcase a world of spirits, which are not only artisanal and hand-picked, but also not too expensive,” he says.

How does this work? Let’s say, for instance, you go to a bar and ask the bartender for rum and coke. The bartender offers to pour from a bottle of ‘sipping’ rum called Caroni. Stating that Caroni’s global stock is fast depleting, as the distillery where it was made has been shut down recently, you’re advised to treat it like a single malt scotch. Wouldn’t you then rather spend an evening sipping it neat, rather than chugging down mass-produced rum with coke? 

Though many Indians would like to think that they have experienced the finest spirits of the world, the truth is that most of them have no idea what exists beyond the shelves of duty-free shops. “There are around 100 or more distilleries in Scotland, but not many have heard of Kilchoman, made in Islay,” says Keshav, as he pours a drink out of a bottle removed from his blue back-pack, at The Westminster Bar at Sheraton Park Hotel.

“It is not a big brand; the distillery itself was established in 2005, but it is one of great quality. Same with Glendronach, which is perhaps one of the rarest whiskeys made in the wooden sherry cask. To provide a great experience means offering variety, getting people interested in the history of the spirit, providing the right glass, as well as suggesting how they could pair their food,” he explains.

Keshav embarked on this journey to civilise revellers three years ago. “I discovered the world of spirits after I started travelling. I visited distilleries and started speaking to experts – Charlie MacLean and Dave Broom – in the trade, who introduced me to a new world,” he says.

He then began frequenting hugely popular liquor expos around the world. “I started attending these hugely lavish whisky festivals in Paris and London.

There are long queues to even get into these shows.” He even learnt ‘distillation’, only to give it up later, thanks to strict Government regulations.

To his surprise, he soon realized that brewers at these expos, who produced the finest spirits, weren’t doing business in India. “Everybody wanted to be in the country, but it wasn’t just about figuring out logistics and finding distributors. They wanted someone to tell their story,” he says. So he came up with a plan for the Indian market.

Over three years of working with these fine spirits, Keshav confirms that he has seen mindsets change. “It’s about giving customers a total experience,” he says, “For instance, we offer a gin called Sipsmith, which started out in a garage in London. Yet, it is one of the finest gins that are available. I would call it the ‘Apple’ of gins. The moment I tell this story, people are interested. In fact, the rum from Trinidad, Caroni, is one of our fastest selling brands.”

To be fair, it is tough to be in the imported spirit business with strict laws and regulations. “Since each State has different laws, I almost think of it as doing business with different countries,” says Keshav, who offers a concierge service in Mumbai.

What keeps Keshav going are the surprises he encounters everyday. “Isn’t it exciting to know that sometimes they blend Cognacs from 25,000 casks to get that perfect taste? I couldn’t believe it when I first heard it,” he says.

The Vault collection can be accessed at Park Sheraton and Taj Coromandel.

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