Tipplers ditch kadha for brandy, black rum, wine

Ranchi: Seven months into the pandemic, people who had changed their diet and choice of drink are now back in the habit. After spending their evenings through the summer months with the bitter kadha, vitamin pills and spices to keep the coronavirus at bay, many tipplers are now trying out booze-based “tonics to stay health and increase immunity”.
Looking for a “happier” alternative to the desi kadha, Sunny Agarwal, a 41-year-old realtor in Ranchi, is counting on a concoction of black rum, warm water cinnamon powder and honey to ease his sore throat.He has also experimented with his “magic tonic” on family elders. “We sometimes use honey, tulsi and lemon with a shot of vodka to manage fatigue,” he said.
Taking the doctor’s advice to include Vitamin C-rich citrus fruits in daily diet to boost immunity to the heart, Amit Chokhani has given up on water and soft drinks and now uses freshly prepared orange juice and Aloe Vera extract to mix up his daily fix of vodka. “No matter what anyone says, alcohol is not just intoxicating, it also boosts immunity. This is evident from the fact that we feel rejuvenated after a couple of pegs at the end of a tiring day,” the Dhanbad-based coal trader said.
In the garrison town of Ramgarh, Anish does up a dose of brandy for his family every evening. “This drink is the only form of alcohol that is healthy and recommended by doctors. Most brands of brandy are not commonly available here, so I got a few bottles from Kolkata and use it regularly in small quantities to keep cold and cough at bay,” said the businessman.
Even those who loved to beat the evening heat with a bottle of chilled beer have altered their taste as per the times. Petrified by the idea of standing in a queue outside a liquor store, Utpal (name changed on request) learnt how to brew beer from rice at home in the days after the lockdown was eased in June. “I learnt the method on the Internet and now regularly make my beer at home. It is surely better than the ones available in the market, which have unhealthy preservatives. It may not help me fight coronavirus, but it is definitely a healthier alternative,” he insisted.
These instances are not anomalies -- even though medical experts have said that alcohol does not have any magical effect of cold and fever, liquor retailers have seen a rise in demand for certain drinks even though alcohol sales have plummeted in the state in the last few months.
Amitesh Chakravorty, manager of Suvidha Supermart, which introduced an alcohol corner a couple of months before the lockdown in March, said, “Our customer base was always small as we deal in premium liquor brands. Our regular customers are now picking up wine bottles instead of Scotch as they believing that fruit-based beverages are be rich in vitamins.”
However, medical experts have advised against the use of alcohol and said it does not have any property that cures flu or Covid. ENT specialist Dr Abhishek Ramadhin said, “Most recover from viral infections without even getting a fever. Even those who develop a cold or a cough will also recuperate in a few days irrespective of the tonic or drink they consume,” he said.