HYDERABAD: In what was a fancy evening at Taj Falaknuma Palace, the creme da le creme of the city and beyond were present at the launch of limited edition gift pack of Royal Salute, a 21-year-old blended scotch whisky. His Grace Duke of Argyll, Torquhil Ian Campbell, who is also the international ambassador for the brand, graced the event. He also hosted the specially curated sit-down dinner, featuring 20 dishes and 10 courses for the who’s who of the city.
The evening began with a cocktails as the guests enjoyed the featured blend of the evening Royal Salute which was conceived in 1953 to celebrate the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Nibbling on nachos, dip, nuts and olives, the guests exchanged pleasantaries. As the party shifted to the dining hall with the long table decked up with candles, chandeliers, fruit and flowers, the host – His Grace – clinked his glass to share the history of the blend.
He finished his speech as everyone raised a toast to the evening with their glasses of Royal Salute. The Duke shared that he is used to entertaining guests and his go-to poison for special evenings was certainly Royal Salute. “When someone asks my kids, what their father does for a living, they say, ‘He goes to parties,’” chuckles the Duke. After a contemporary meal consisting of intriguing dishes including Indian as well as international cuisine, the Duke announced a traditional Scottish toast.
A quaich, a small vessel with two handles filled with whisky, was put before each guest. He explained that Scots traditionally drank whisky out of the quaich saying ‘slainte’ which oosely translates to ‘good health’. The guests at the table got onto their feet for the toast and repeated after the host. The dessert menu got the already full guests to make room for more, with a raspberry tiramisu, dark chocolate mousse, and caramel praline parfait. The dessert marked the end for a perfect evening.