By Ankit Sinha
Bengaluru, May 22 (IANS) What is the one common thing between Canadian model Coco Rocha and Indian celebrities like Randeep Hooda, Mandira Bedi and Dino Morea? Besides their glitzy professions, they all share a love for whiskey!
The stars, who had gathered at the Shangri-La hotel here for USL-Diageo's #LoveScotch event to celebrate the World Whiskey Day on Saturday, opened up about their preferred ways of consuming the alcoholic beverage.
Rocha, the ambassador of the #LoveScotch campaign, said that traditionally people believed that Scotch is a man's drink, but she enjoys it in varied avatars.
"For some reason, it has been believed that Scotch is a man's drink. I drink it all sort of ways, as cocktails. I have always been a cocktail girl. I think women felt that there was just one type of taste, but that's not the case," Rocha told IANS.
Meanwhile, Randeep, who even has a horse called Johnnie Walker, said he usually prefers to have whiskey on the rocks.
"If I am drinking to unwind, better to have whiskey on the rocks. It is a great conversation drink along with soft jazz," Randeep told IANS.
Mandira revealed that she was first introduced to the drink by her father and she developed a taste for it over the years.
"I enjoy a good Scotch. My father introduced me to it. I believe if a parent introduces you to a drink, you have a healthier relationship with alcohol. A lot of my taste and what I enjoy have been determined by him," Mandira told IANS.
"I prefer my Scotch neat with two blocks of ice. I believe single malts make good cocktails, though," she added.
Dino, who is now a successful entrepreneur besides pursuing his career as an actor, says he loves a good single malt.
"If I am out on a party, I would like a whiskey cocktail. If I am at home with friends coming in for a party, I would prefer it on the rocks. Maybe a little bit of soda to give it a crackling taste," Dino told IANS.
"Someone showed me a mix of whiskey and ginger ale, which I loved," he added.
The stars even created some concoctions with single malts and tried their hand at mixing.
With a gleeful spirit, they showed the guests that they are not just celebrities who we all see on screen, on the ramp, or on magazine covers, but also aficionados of one of the world's most beloved alcoholic beverages.
(The writer was in Bengaluru on the invitation of USL-Diageo. He can be contacted at ankit.s@ians.in)
