India sure has a booming liquor market, three hic’s to that. People love this tipsy liquid and its making its way from the dusty store shelves to our food. One can find liquor in chocolates, golgappas and even the innocent pastry and being in India, the opinions are obviously divided. India and liquor in food goes hand in hand with a thousand controversies around. Let’s move away from that though, that being a different and depressing topic.

Liquor chocolates have been welcomed with happy open arms by a small section of people. They make perfect gifts and are also great to pop in your mouth for no reason at all (and to go yay afterwards!) Chocolate and liquor does taste amazing, the combination subtle but strong, leaving a mark every time. Liquor chocolates are a popular segment, but one where there is no domestic brand. Rajiv Suri of kewal stores, sector 9 Chandigarh, says “liquor chocolates are very popular with people as gifts.” Walter Heindl and Goldkenn are the only two brands of liquor chocolates one finds in the market. Goldkenn liqueur chocolates come in flavors like cognac, cointreau, glenfiddich single malt whiskey and Russian vodka and they cost rupees 199 for a 100 gram bar.

What will they think of next? Oh yes I know, liquor in golgappas and pastries! Although the clientele for Vodka golgappas is relatively small, that doesn’t stop restaurants like ‘Firangi Dhaba' in Mumbai and ‘Punjabi by Nature in Delhi to print them in their menu, oh they also serve cognac gulab jamuns for dessert. Pastries too are slowly joining the exclusive club of alcoholic foods in India. Some people love it, some are repulsed by it. Some would happily shell out money for it; others would rather ‘enlighten’ people on the ill effects of this evil, which is now crawling in our food. But it is a free country and you’re free to join any of the sides. Yay.