What’s in a name? Shakespeare asked in the 16th century, and digressed to the smell of a rose. But for two legendary brewers based on the opposite shores of the Atlantic, a name is everything for which they must exist and fight for. Hundreds of years of legal battles. Millions spent on lawsuits over different countries. Every time a company wins an exclusive right to sell its product in a country, Lady Luck changes sides dramatically. The world is divided … Continue reading
A Toast to the woods Curt Mast was an enthusiastic hunter from Germany. When out of the woods during the off season, Mast had a habit of tossing together wild herbs with the intention of making a drink for his friends. He finally succeeded in distilling a heavenly liqueur and christened it Jagermeister, which meant ‘hunting master’ in German. Before every bout of hunting, hunters should raise a toast with the new drink, he insisted. Jagermeister, the liqueur soon took … Continue reading
You might have tasted all the glamorous drinks in the world by now. Lucky guys, Rum is sitting here all green with envy, biting fingernails in frustration. But tell me. Have you ever held a bottle of the best selling spirit in the world? No! See this, I still have got one on you. The best selling spirit in the world is not rum, brandy, whisky, gin or vodka. It is a soju, a clear spirit flowing all the way … Continue reading
He could’ve bungled in Kingfisher airlines. But when Vijay Mallya sent his private jet to New Zealand to bring three bottles of whiskey to the distillery of Whyte and Mackay in Scotland which he owns, few in the industry raised their eyebrows questioning his sanity. He knew the potential of the spirit waiting for him. Once the bottles reached Scotland he asked the master blender, Peterson to sit over the drink, analyze it in detail, to unlock the mysteries behind … Continue reading
