Premium liquor dries up in Chennai

Your neighbourhood Tasmac outlet has never been known for its variety of brands, but of late even the few decent ones have disappeared from the shelves.Tasmac employees unions say this is because the corporation makes purchases not on the basis of demand, but on the commission the distilleries pay . Worst hit are whisky drinkers as high-end IMFL brands like Signature, Royal Challenge and McDowell's No 1 are unavailable at ordinary Tasmac outlets. Some of the elite outlets, however, store some of them. Tasmac employees said they had been instructed to sell little-known brands. “Whichever Tasmac outlet I went to in search of Signature, the guy asked me to take Peter Scot,“ says M Ashok, an outdoor publicity consultant who was planning a private party this weekend. “You ask for Royal Challenge and he offers Indian Challenge.“Bars too complain that some of the popular brands are hard to get. “This has been the case for more than a month,' said K Rajesh, manager of a private bar. “Earlier, we used to have around 30 brands of liquor, now we are down to half that number.“Rajesh added that brands like McDowell's whisky had been unavailable for six months now. Similarly , gin has become a rarity in Tamil Nadu. “Tasmac has only local brands which are not our customers' favourites. While Signature, Royal Challenge and Vintage have gone out of stock, we now get only Black & White (a foreign brand bottled in India) for our regular whisky drinkers.“ Some bars have started stocking up Scotch and other imported liquor, but managers say not many customers substitute their IMFL with the costlier option.Tasmac Employees' Union general secretary K Thiruchelvam said officials were forcing employees to sell unpopular brands. “Social drinkers won't compromise on their brands.On one side, the customers are cursing employees and on the other, the Tasmac management imposes fine on employees for not selling preferred brands,“ said Thiruchelvam.M Sivakumar, a Tasmac employee, said brands like Goldenvats and Radium House were being purchased in large quantities. “We have to sell the bottles in three months or pay a fine of `5 to `10 per bottle.Customers in the city, unlike those in rural areas, are not happy with the available brands,“ he said. For bars, the silver lining is in beer sales.“Beer business too was dull in March and April, but it picked up in May and is now moving fast,“ Sivakumar said.