I don’t know who or why or which country actually made 16th
August as a National Rum Day. Honestly, I don’t think anyone cares as it is
just another reason to gulp down some rum and live life in high spirits. But
what I have discovered over the years is that rum is a drink which is popular
amongst people of all ages and has a lot of emotional attachment to it.
Man-to-Man, there are very limited options for people to
have a good time- no I’m dead serious on this fact. Ever hear that two friends
(guys to be precise) met and spoke over a cup at the coffee shop. I don’t even
wish to talk of what it can reflect on the two men; but that is the reason we
have beer. It’s the kind of brew for bonding guys after a day at work, or just
a quiet and peaceful chat. A glass of whiskey is something meant for people
when they celebrate achievement. It is difficult to gauge if it’s the advertising
that suggests this association or advertising here was inspired by human behaviour.
Somehow rum is attached to a feeling of camaraderie between people. Pirates,
fox-hole buddies in the army or just college buddies: each one has a certain
level of attachment towards rum.
Another fact is the fewer brands of rum; which in my opinion
is the degree of brand loyalty amongst rum drinkers. The choice for beer in India
is pretty wide; ranging from mild to strong, lager to ale or stout. Same with
whiskey: fancy names ranging from Officer’s Choice to Blender’s Pride, professions
as wide as a Bagpiper to Teachers and all kind of coloured labels. Not to
forget, the Johnny Walkers, Jim Beams, Peter Scot, Glen Fiddich etc. Rum
somehow is a very sharp category- global biggies like Bacardi, Malibu, Captain
Morgan against local biggies like Old Monk or McDowells… a few more local names
and that’s all where the list will end. Bottom line, it is actually easy to
pick a brand of rum which might go well with everyone.
Another big advantage- Old Monk. If the brand has survived
for 60 years with no advertising and still finds avid lovers across all legal
drinking age groups; it deserves an applause. In India, if someone has had a
swig of rum in his life; a good chance is that it was Old Monk. Though
McDowells recently became the largest selling brand in India, Old Monk has the
charm which connects across. In fact I’m yet to meet someone who rates
McDowells above Old Monk. Apart from being cheap, Old Monk has the rare
distinction to be carried around in a bottle of cola and maintain its taste. It’s
a groupie thing: there’s cola and there’s ‘The’ cola which is passed around in
a group.
One thing I have observed amongst rum drinkers is that
there is no barrier to move across segments and one can drink any brand on a
night without being judged. A person who has reached a Blue Label of Johnny
Walker will never have a Black Dog out of choice. It is surprisingly easy to
have an Old Monk even if your choice might have been a Bacardi on any other day…
needless to say, this gesture is likely to be accompanied with an anecdote sounding
like, ‘I was in college/ travelling to/ sitting at… and had a quart of Old Monk
in my bag and…’- Its true… rum brings out the buddy from a daddy.
Rum actually falls under a category of Indian made foreign
liquor as it does not qualify as fenny or taadi which are traditionally Indian.
This is actually surprising as molasses from sugarcane is as native to India as
it is to the Caribbean or Cuba which give us Bacardi or Malibu. But one thing
is for sure, it definitely has a sweet ‘n warm feeling when rushing down the
throat. So much for calling it the best medicine against cold (both: the
temperature and the condition)
No matter if it reminds one of the days on Siachen or an
engineering college down south; invokes pirate songs singing session or just
made a cola taste better; rum is more than just alcohol. It brings people
together, creates memorable moments and spreads that feeling of happiness.
Drink and forget; it not just a rum thing!
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