What is your favourite drinking story? Mine involves staring at a mini mango tree in fascination.
I must have been about three when my folks took me to Badshah in Mumbai’s Crawford Market. Anyone who has been to the famous falooda spot knows that they have a vertical assemblage of fresh mango fruit and leaves on each table. Somewhere amidst the sensory surfeit of sabja, syrup, slithery seviyan, sweet milk, and ice cream in my glass, I genuinely believed mango trees could grow on restaurant tables. Talk about a sugar high.
Here’s another one: seven years ago, in Puri’s Jagannath temple, I felt like I might never be able to move again. In front of me was a ginormous prasadam lunch featuring dalma, ghia anna, besara, and more, brought to me by the panda (guide). Halfway through the meal, he told me I could not leave any of it uneaten. He then saw the look on my face, and got me a steel glass of filled with tanka torani. I tipped back the wildly delicious, spicy-sour fermented rice and yogurt drink, regained my appetite, and went on to finish my meal. The torani kept me out of trouble that day. I’ve craved it ever since.
Drinking stories are often the best stories (even when they are zero-proof). For the next three months, we’re going to share our most unusual and fun ones with you.
In our latest enthu season, What Are You Thirsty For? we talk about all manner of drinks, from cocktails to coffee, and desi rice liquors to liquid biryani. (Yep, you read that right.)
Our writers explore what some drinks mean to the people who make them, whether they are mixologists or moms, and also what our beverages say about us and the tribes we belong to, in every sense of the word.
Through our liquid lens, we’ll look to the future and to the past. Yes, tequila is exciting and so is thekera tenga sorbot. There are stories to be found in desi gin, of course, and also in jamun panna and jal jeera.
India has a profusion of local libations across the country. So, through our guides, we’ll also pour you dessert-inspired drinks, regional digestive potions, goli soda, craft beer, and some chai, of course.
Drink Up!