Yes, I am an Old Monk Lady.

"There is a Rum for everyone, but they don’t know it yet”  

                                                                                                    -Erik Voskamp. 

In my early 20's, the series "Sex and the City" was a craze and my two most significant pickups from it were corrupting myself with a shoe fetish and downing glasses of Cosmopolitan! I presumed Cosmopolitan to be a niche drink befitted to the advanced, strong-willed young ladies who are ready to take on the world. 

Looking back I don't find it zeitgeisty anymore. Honestly, I never liked its taste and after numerous run-ins with different kinds of liquor, I finally found my poison - the iconic "Old Monk". 

In India, we classify Rum lovers in 2 categories. First are the JRDs (Just Rum Drinkers) for whom merely the name "Rum" matters. They drink for drinking. Then we have another category who drinks Old Monk - Yeahhh! That's me! The name itself brings a heavenly smile on my face. This celebrated brand has acquired the cult status amongst all the drinks. It's an emotion, a religion which enjoys massive following not just amongst our parents but with us, millennials too.

For me, it has become the go-to drink. There cannot be a specific season to drink rum. From Summery cocktails to wintry shots, it is irreplaceable. It's been with me as a perfect companion during the best and worst days. You can ignore it but you cannot hate it. It's pocket-friendly, easily available and comes with no hangover! It took me many disastrous mornings to realize that no other drink suits me like the good ol' Old Monk. There is something clean and powerful about this drink which makes it a clear favourite in India. 

Gone are the days when Vodka or Wine was considered to be a ladies drink and Rum was uncharted territory for women. It's no longer about some hormonal engineering student mourning through the night after a nasty breakup or a male chauvinist bragging about pulling up an all-nighter finishing the bottle by himself. The drink has long been associated with a sense of nostalgia of good-bad-ugly days for both men and women alike. So let's bin the stereotype of it being a male drink. I can handle my Rum better than any man and what are the odds that my man is also an Old Monk guy! 

So next time when you need a tipple of power-packed, no-nonsense punch, look no further than a glass of Rum. A sip of Old Monk with its fine notes of caramel and chocolate with a hint of vanilla flavour is all that takes to speak to the Monk.