I am Vineet, Varun’s younger brother presently pursuing Hotel Management at M.S. Ramaiah College in Bangalore.
I love bartending, it is one of my hobbies. I sometimes bartend for Tulleeho (in India they market all the brands owned by Diageo) and also at private parties. Since my 2nd year I have been participating in inter-college competitions and usually take part in the Bartending competition. Have won 3 of them in the last 2 years.
All the bartending competitions usually have the same judging criteria - innovativeness, flair, concept, grooming of the bartender and also his style in presenting them. One has to make an innovative cocktail. Last year there was another inter-college competition at KLE College in Bangalore. I had won the same competition there the previous year and wanted to win this time also.
Considering I am a big lazy bum I usually have to be pushed and pushed and pushed (until I fall over) to come up with something innovative.
We had 2 days left for the competition and I still had no idea what to make. It usually takes more than one brain in the Service team to come up with something innovative. So I, my Food and Beverage Service lecturer, Mr. Bobby George and another friend of mine, Asif Khan were sitting and wondering what to make. Asif had this wonderful cocktail which included Bacardi (white rum), dark rum, lime juice, sprite and crushed ice.
Around the same time Tata Steel took over Corus, the 2nd or 3rd largest Indian takeover of a foreign company, increasing its steel production so much so that from 56th it became the 5th largest steel group (wowwwwwwwww). Another company Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN) lost the bid for Corus. It became clear to us that this would be news for at least a week.
So we decided to build a concept for our cocktail around this news. I like experimenting with alcohol, like using chilies, mushrooms and dates for infusion in Vodka, chocolate and cherries in Bacardi, various spices in old monk(dark rum) etc.
The name of this cocktail is Footprint. This is how the idea goes…
- We used the chocolate flavored Bacardi which represented the “fair-skinned” Anglo-Dutch Company Corus.
- My home made spices flavored rum representing apna Indi Company Tata Steel (considering we are dark skinned)
- Sprite to represent the fizz this news created in the market.
- Crushed ice which would tell the world “chill people there are going to be more Indian takeovers in the future” (and indeed within a month, I think Aditya Birla Group takeover of Novelis took place).
- A dash of lime juice depicting the bitter feeling that this takeover left behind on CSN.
- The garnish we used was the best part of the concept. Half Lime scooped off everything inside and turned inside out. It would have a little bit of rum inside which would be flamed and placed on top of the cocktail with soft hands so that it floats (u should use a considerable amount of crushed ice probably fill the glass with crushed ice). While presenting u push the lime in so that the rum floats on top and give the cocktail a very good color. This would represent that previously Indian companies were in a shell, were only ‘Indian’ in nature, now they are spreading and becoming more global through JVs and takeovers.
The most important rule that we follow is use the cheapest ingredient while first making a cocktail. This is because in case you realize you have made a mistake midway you do not have much loss (considering each cocktail would be priced around 300 to 400 rs in a good hotel in Bangalore). The judges were big shots in the hotel industry).
Method of preparation:
- Make the garnish prior to making the cocktail. Saves you time.
- SO fill a glass with crushed ice.
- In another mixing glass or shaker pour 45 ml of Bacardi (infused with Cadbury chocolate) and a dash of lime juice and stir it.
- Pour it in the glass with crushed ice.
- Pour the sprite till 3/4th of the glass.
- Heat the base of the lime (scooped out). Pour approx 15 ml of dark rum and flame it (put it on fire).
- Put it delicately on top the crushed ice so that it balances properly.
- Take it to the judges (in my case) and push the lime with a toothpick inside the glass.
That’s it! And now a huge round of applause!
I kept talking while making the cocktail. Considering I have a loud voice I had everybody’s attention (including the judges) and nobody realized (except Mr. Bobby George who was sitting right up front in the 1st row. I think that’s what caused it…he he he) I made a mistake of not using the sprite at all though I had mentioned it while making the cocktail. As a result the cocktail was a little strong but fortunately to everybody liking.
By the way we chose the name Footprint because of what Ratan Tata said at a press conference:
” Tata Steel, an Indian steel company, now has global scale and a footprint in Europe. “
Looks like we have finally arrived. I hope you liked the idea.
P.S. I won the competition.
So Cheers to Tata Steel, to India and to the best bartender you have met so far! 
May 30th, 2007
12:39 pm
family
Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce my brother Vineet who is going to make his blogging debut in a few minutes. Some of you know him from the real world, some of you know him from my blog. But all of will, I am sure, enjoy what he has to say.
He is also the first guest blogger to star on my blog. The next post will be by “da man” himself. Welcome Vineet!
The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.
It is past 6 AM here and unlike me I am awake. Was it the sunlight streaming in through my windows? Was it the hope that a Monday usually brings along with it? Or was it just because I had already slept a lot the previous day and my body was complaining “Bas karo”?
Whatever it is I am awake. When I wake up I find that there are certain thoughts already running amok in my mind. These are thoughts of the people I miss, the things I want to do, the dreams I want to achieve and often also of something I have been trying to remember really hard but was unable to do so. Today I found myself asking what I really really wanted to do? What I want to be and how to get there? What is my 42? Was I happy?
Now these are the sort of questions that, as a rule, come into my mind only after I have had my glass of hot bournvita. I was stumped. That’s when this quote told to me by a friend of mine recently came to me.
I already have something to do (and I love doing it), lots of people and things to love and lots to hope for. So by definition I am already happy. I just have to make sure I always have something to love, lots of people to love and something to look hope for and I guess I will always be happy.
Now let me go and brush. I have a busy day and busy week ahead. See you later.
Over second and third cups flow matters of high finance, high state, common gossip and low comedy. [Coffee] is a social binder, a warmer of tongues, a soberer of minds, a stimulant of wit, a foiler of sleep if you want it so. From roadside mugs to the classic demi-tasse, it is the perfect democrat. ~ Author Unknown
Coffee… aah… You have got me daydreaming already. Good coffee, good conversation and light music is one of my heavens. Give me a coffee anytime, morning, afternoon, evening, night and I will be happy.
My penchant for coffee is at least partially due to my genes. Otherwise how would a Malayalee born and brought up in Gujjuland still prefer coffee over tea? Of course my dear Dad, a hardcore coffee drinker, is also responsible. When at home, my Mom and brother are predominantly tea drinkers, my Dad and I belong to the coffee camp (See clarification below ). In Mallu breakfast and afternoon snacks are both referred to as having “Kaapi” - i.e. having “coffee”.
Coffee is for bonding. My Dad is an expert coffee maker and can make the famous 1-meter south-Indian coffee. This is when you make coffee normally but work it into a nice solid frothy drink by repeatedly pouring it into one glass from another from a height of approximately 1 meter in a smooth swinging motion. And even today when Dad and I are up late watching some movie we suddenly look at each other and I see the glint in his eyes… he is asking do you want some black coffee? And of course I say yes. And in 5 mins both of us are sipping some nice black coffee.
Most of my friends are coffee lovers. Some of were coffee lovers, some of them drink coffee just to give me company and some became coffee lovers on my insistence. Some of the best memories and conversations have been had over steaming cups of coffee. I have bonded with best friends over coffee and felt comfortable with total strangers over a coffee table. Exam times were an excuse for having endless cups of coffee and not for studying. My board exam marks are more than ample proof of that. Even today at work hot coffees and cold coffees are my constant companions.
I am not a connoisseur, I don’t like exotic coffees. I like my coffee hot, simple, reasonably bitter and in large quantities. My favourites are espressos and cafe latte. Earlier I used to like strong bitter coffees. Lately I have been liking mild milky coffees more. I guess that is something to do about how I changed over the years or something like that. Has some research scholar out there done any research on the correlation between coffee types and people behaviours?… I am sure there should be something like that out there. One of the things on my wishlist is a nice coffee maker. One that takes in coffee beans, grinds it and brews it fresh. Should be another experience altogether.
Going to the CCD near our house is a weekend must-do for my gang here. Actually for me… I force them to come along. We went there last week and had tons of fun singing old songs and bugging the people around us in general. I went to that CCD yesterday again to meet an old schoolfriend of mine, Krishna after 10 longs years. Went to CCD again yesterday with a friend of mine and had a long, nice and interesting conversation over cafe latte. And today Aishwar, again a classmate of mine from school days is in town so Krishna, Aishwar and I will be meeting up in the evening somewhere in Bandra over a cup of, yes you guessed it right, coffee.
All this thinking about coffee has made me yearn for some right now. Anybody coming for a cup of coffee?
Clarification: Vineet clarifies that he is also a soldier from the coffee camp but defects to the tea camp when at home because Mom makes very good tea. Come to think of it… when at home I too have lots of tea.
Here are a few more interesting quotes about coffee all filched from Quote Garden.
Coffee, the finest organic suspension ever devised. ~ Star Trek: Voyager
Coffee smells like freshly ground heaven. ~ Jessi Lane Adams
A mathematician is a device for turning coffee into theorems. ~ Paul Erdos
Good communication is just as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after. ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Happy Anniversary for a very special occasion to the most beautiful couple I have ever met! You know who you are!
No comments. Keep wondering.
I finally managed to find out the correct Hindi version of the last stanza of ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’. And it was none other than my friend Anjali who narrated this to me in the first place many years ago. Thanks Anjali! I also got called dumbo in the bargain but what is little dumbo here and there between friends? 
So here it is…
Gahan saghan manmohak taru, mujhko aaj bulate hain…
Kintu kiye jo vaade maine, yaad mujhe aa jaate hain…
Mujhe kahan aaram bada, yah muk nimantran chalna hai..
Arey abhi to milon mujhko, miloon mujhko chalna hai.
Isn’t it beautiful?
My old blog actually.
Did you know that I blogged at www.ThoughtfulChaos.com for a year and a half before moving here?
I skimmed through all the blogs on my old blog and picked out my favourite ones. Hey… I am not that bad a blogger after all. I have listed my favourite below in chronological order and grouped by topic. Enjoy!
Family, Friends and Loved ones
The nomad that I am (Pune, Delhi and Mumbai)
Silliness
Books
- Bye Dumbledore - *sniff* *sniff* Only the second time ever that I felt very very sad on reading a book. First time was when Sherlock Holmes (supposedly) falls into the Reichenbach Falls.
- Dumbledore _might_ not be dead - There is still hope!
Meta (blogging about blogging)
Everything Else
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do.
Pleasure is when you have lots to do and you are doing nothing.
Blogposts