Rum sale spikes on beat-the-chill myth

KOLKATA: The sharp dip in the mercury and the northerly winds that upped the chill factor in the past four weeks have triggered a run on rum. Dark rum, that is. Trade sources say that while dark rum accounts for a little over 50% of total liquor sales in the state on an average, this share went up to over 70% since mid-December when spells of cold northerly winds, showers and fog drove the people of Bengal into collective bouts of teeth-chattering shiver.Over the past month, tipplers in the state consumed an estimated 12.96 lakh litres, or about 17.28 lakh (750ml) bottles of dark rum which, in popular perception, is the best bet against the chill.
Not only have off-shops reported a higher-than-normal (for the winters) sale of dark rum, even on-shops, or bars, have witnessed many patrons deviating from their regular tipple of whisky or vodka and ordering for dark rum. "People believe that rum fortifies the body against the cold. So we've had many regulars who don't drink rum ordering for that drink," said Robert, a steward at Trincas. At the popular Oly Pub, or simply 'Oly' to its faithful, rum outsells all other liquor put together a few times over these days. "Usually, rum accounts for about 60% of our sales but over the past few weeks, its share is about 75% of the drinks ordered for," said Uttam Singh, one of the managers at the Park Street address. At the bars and pubs of star addresses in Kolkata, too, rum and cocktails made of dark rum like daiquiri, 'Havana cooler', 'planter's punch' and 'sundowner' have climbed up the list of most-ordered-for.
During the winter season, 2 lakh cases of IMFL - 18 lakh litres or 24 lakh (750ml) bottles - are sold every month in Bengal. Kolkata and its surrounding areas accounts for 60% of the total monthly sales. But in the past less than four weeks alone, say trade sources, the consumption has touched the monthly figure. "When the sales figures for the second half of December and the first half of January come in, we may see an increase of around 7 to 8% of sale of IMFL and rum alone would account for this increase," said a spokesperson of the West Bengal Foreign Liquor Off-Shop Dealers', Distributors' & Bonders' Association. Incidentally, just one brand of dark rum-United Spirits' McDowell's No.1 Celebration rum-enjoys the lion's share of the rum market. "This brand makes for 70% of the total volume of rum consumed in the state," said the Association spokesperson.
But then, the popular perception of rum as a drink to ward off the chill is totally misplaced. "All IMFL is the same since all are made from either sugarcane of molasses. In dark rum, the caramel is kept intact while it is removed while making whisky, vodka, gin, white rum or brandy. So a peg of whisky or vodka is as good as a peg of dark rum in warding off the chill, so to say," said physician Subir Halder. The Association spokesperson agreed. But for the legions of tipplers who love their dark rum or switch over to this drink during the winters, such reasoning holds no water. Or rather, no rum.