Double cheers to Janus!
Sula Wines, market leader as far as Indian wines are concerned, now launches Janus, its 100 percent premium grape brandy in Hyderabad. Read on to know more….
Honest confession: Brandy to me is usually associated with either an after-dinner drink, on the lines of liqueurs, especially at those prim & proper Army parties or again with colds & sneezes, since it works well for most of us in a shot of warm/hot water, and of late in infusions, with spices like cinnamon, star anise etc. For a more spirited me, however, bring on the rum and vodka, guys, although champagne will do very well, too.
So, when I was invited to Sula Vineyards’ launch in Hyderabad of its first 100 percent premium grape brandy, I was not hugely enthused. But I guess the PR team did a good job of pitching the event, and there I was, sitting at a table of food bloggers at Taj Krishna and waiting for the brandy, named Janus to be unplugged.
But wait, there would be a “guess test.” At each of our tables were placed three glasses of liquor, two of which would be whisky and we would have to guess who Janus was. Well, Im glad to report that I guessed the brandy right, it was a bit sweeter than the two whiskies, one of which was Teacher’s and the other was Black Dog. What I felt was a luxuriant cognac (now I like that one!) style of brandy, smooth, slightly sweet and silky. Nothing like the burning and hot sensation one feels usually with brandy.
I liked the cocktail version (with ginger ale & ice) even better, but didnt quite care much for the one mixed with cranberry juice…even the “on the rocks” Janus was quite rocking!
Janus is named after the two-faced ancient Roman deity, embodies French cognac making heritage and Sula’s expertise in selecting the best Indian grapes. The AV presentation by the Sula team, represented by the very amiable marketing head, Sula international brands, Prarrthana Pal Chowdhury, displayed how Janus is aged in small French oak barrels under the eagle-eyed supervision of French mixologist Yonael Bernard.
Janus will be available at retail stores in two SKUs of 750 ml (costing Rs 2390 in AP and Rs 2265 in Telengana) and 180 ml (costing Rs 715 in AP and Rs 618 in Telengana).
Janus should work well as both an after-dinner drink, as brandy’s most widely used for, or even as a cocktail (as with ginger ale, which I adored!).
