By Dominick Rodrigues
Christmas begins on December 25 when global choirs annually sing “Christmas – It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” So its that time of the year again round the world including India, as young and old throng the stores in shopping for celebrating the festive season of Christmas with merriment and cheer, albeit with a difference this time in the proverbial ‘Scrooge’ literally being Covid-19.
The festive season’s cheer is evident on the faces of both buyers and sellers as businesses globally highlight their wares in colourful wrappings and bountiful discounts that attract people to forget the global pandemic for a while and immerse themselves in the joy of shopping for gifts to present to their families and friends.
While all the eager shoppers will be donning their masks and carrying hand sanitizers alongside maintaining prescribed distances, businesses are trying to provide the proverbial icing on the cake through their cheerful offerings in avoiding ending the pandemic-affected business year on a gloomy note.
The Oberoi Mall in Mumbai is one such business that is making it “jingle all the way” by ushering in the festive spirit through a memorable and safe Christmas shopping experience to patrons amidst a Christmas theme, while maintaining safety and sanitization protocols. The Mall has been adorned in a beautiful and shimmery Christmas theme with the festive installations focusing on the ‘North Star’ — the beacon of Hope and Inspiration to many in the face of the overwhelming challenges faced in this past year.
Decorated with fresh and vibrant installations in shades of Gold and Rose Gold with a splash of Green, the Mall is providing an immersive Xmas experience to help its patrons forget the difficult past year. The highlight here is the 25 ft tall “Christmas Tree” in the main atrium that is adorned with gold and silver glitter and bejeweled with the famous eight Santa reindeers galloping globally with Santa’s sleigh.
The Mall is also currently hosting its annual Christmas Shop & Win event, ‘Jingle All the Way’, where all patrons who shop for Rs. 5,000/- or more in a day, get an assured PVR ICON ticket and exciting gift vouchers from various participating brands. Four lucky winners will also win Croma Gift cards worth Rs. 1 Lakh each giving them the freedom of choice and joy to pamper themselves with the electronics they most desire this festive season, the mall authorities said.
Every year also witnesses the Mall organizing various fun workshops for all of Santa’s kids and this year too, in keeping with Christmas tradition but remaining cognizant of social distancing norms, the Mall will give away ‘DIY’ (Do It Yourself) kits of different fun items such as: Mini X’mas Trees, Bottle Reindeers, Mandala Art, and other such creative items to all the patrons who registered for the event, ‘Jingle All the Way, in the days building up to Christmas.
Another addition to the festive cheer is the Mall hosting choir singers on the eve of Christmas Day spreading the spirit of Christmas whilst following all social distancing protocols. The event ‘Jingle All the Way’ continues in the New Year until 10th January 2021.
Meanwhile, Diageo India – in keeping the festive spirit alive – has introduced “Copper Dog” a unique blend of eight fine Speyside whiskies from the warm and mischievous atmosphere of the famed ‘Copper Dog’ pub in the Craigellachie Hotel, Speyside, Scotland.
Copper Dog is a creation of a group of collaborators connected by the original instigator Piers Adams, an entrepreneur and founder of some of the world’s most influential bars and clubs, including London’s Mahiki and Whisky Mist.
Abhishek Shahabadi, VP and Portfolio Head, Premium & Luxury Brands at Diageo India, introduced Copper Dog in India as a “valuable new addition to our portfolio as one of the finest blended malts scotch whisky created in Scotland and which personified the innovation for the new-age times.” The liquid has attained a global ranking as it was awarded ‘Double Gold’ at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2020 – a prestigious ranking awarded to those who receive a gold medal rating by all members of the judging panel.
Legend has it that, in 1707, the British crown drove whisky production underground and Scotland became a hot-bed of spirit smuggling. Renowned for its remote Highland location, Speyside was smuggler’s paradise with stills and bothies hidden in every nook and cranny. Whisky was heavily taxed and landowners were getting rich while ordinary people were suffering. Only in 1823 did the House of Lords manage to get the industry back under control. But whilst the law eventually won and whisky became big business, there were still strands of rebellion.
Raised in a century old tradition of making one’s own, the people blended from wherever they could in different casks and different distilleries using all kinds of mechanisms to get their own blends home. But the most celebrated tales were around a device called the ‘Copper Dog’ – which was bits of copper tubing with a penny soldered to one end and a cork in the other. They hid these copper dogs down their trouser legs and in their belts.
The idea for Copper Dog was born at the Craigellachie hotel, located in the heart of Speyside whisky country. Built in 1893, the hotel pub was a place frequented by local distillery workers and highland travellers who used to share their tales, including those about their copper dogs and smuggling. In 2014, Piers Adam bought the hotel and inspired by these stories, he named the hotel pub the Copper Dog and instigated the creation of a whisky of the same name. even today, the small inn-style hotel strives to represent everything that is great about Speyside – great food, great beverages and great hospitality.
