Future Brands CEO V Ramesh Mani, recently selected as one of the Keepers of the Quaich, tells Archana Jahagirdar why he takes his drink so seriously.
The Whisky magazine that believes in “celebrating whiskies of the world” described Keepers of the Quaich as a “clan shrouded with mystery”. The mystery comes from the fact that there are believed to be almost Masonic kind of rituals when the Keepers of the Quaich meet twice a year in Scotland. The non-romantic version of course is that it’s an exclusive and illustrious society formed by leading Scotch whisky distillers that honours those who have served the industry well. This time, of the 25 Keepers who were honoured, one of them is an Indian, V Ramesh Mani, CEO, Future Brands.
Says Mani, “The screening process for being selected as the Keeper of the Quaich is quite stringent.” Scotch whisky is a term that can only be used by distillers who are based in Scotland. The drink is marketed, however, in over 80 countries around the world. Says Mani, “There are many Scotch companies that recommend its own people for this honour and the team that decides has the power to reject those recommendations.” The award was instituted in the 1980s and to date there are around 1,800 keepers. Shorn of all the mysticism, and there is plenty of that, being awarded Keepers of the Quaich, says Mani, “helps your standing in the industry go up considerably. By getting this, it indicates that you have earned the respect of the industry”.
Mani did not start his career in the drinks business. “My early years was spent in the FMCG business,” says Mani, who graduated from the University of Calcutta. Mani’s first job was with Indian Carbide. At a later date, when he started mulling a job change, he says he was influenced by what was being seen as boom industries at that time. Mani recounts, “Everyone was bullish on two sectors, automobiles being one, and the drinks business being the other.” He decided on the drinks business thinking that it would be more fun. He jokes now, “I was younger then and the fun part was quite attractive.”
Mani then became part of the team that launched Teacher’s in India. He says that succeeding in the drinks business is about overcoming all the “don’ts” that govern it in India. He says, “Advertising, distribution and pricing are all controlled in India. That makes it very challenging.”
Challenging yes, but not impossible according to Mani. The company launched Teacher’s 50 to commemorate India’s 50 years of independence and by the time Mani left the company seven and a half years later, he had done justice to the brand. Says Mani, “Towards the end of my tenure there, we launched the Teacher’s Achievement Awards which started small but today it is a big property.”
Around this time, Mani was approached by the Berry Bros and Rudd’s, owners of the brand Cutty Sark (a premium blended whisky). Berry Bros are the oldest wine merchants in the UK and suppliers of fine wines to the palace and state banquets in the country. It was in the 1920s that Berry Bros decided to launch the world’s first light-coloured whisky. When Mani came on board, he met resistance from Indians who perceived a lighter coloured whisky to be less potent than a darker whisky. Mani’s brief when he came on board six years ago was to make Cutty Sark “contemporary and more appealing”. However, the don’ts continued to remain, making the entire brand building exercise challenging once again for Mani.
And it was Berry Bros and Rudd’s who recommended his name for Keepers of the Quaich. The body that awards it is non-profit and there are chapters in several countries. Says Mani, “Maybe one day there will be a chapter in India as well.” To date there are eight Indians who have been thus honoured. The ceremony is held at Blair Castle, which is the only castle to have its own private army.
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Mani, who is a Scotch drinker himself, says that sometimes when he wants something straightforward he settles for a vodka. At the Blair Castle when the Keepers meet twice a year, however, only Scotch and wine are served. So what does a drinks man do when he isn’t promoting his brand? “I am an inveterate traveller and I do it both for pleasure and for work. Sometimes I mix the two.”
Giving examples of how he manages to do that, he says, “I had gone to Italy for a Campari conference and we were very close to a Formula One track.” Mani then got a chance to be in Ferrari as it raced on the F1 track. He once again was able to indulge his motor racing passion when he went to Sepang in Malaysia for Ballentine and was fortunate enough to visit the track there as well. But the most memorable for Mani was when he was in Spain and was able to witness a bullfight with the locals. He says, “You really have to experience it with the locals. It’s like nothing I have ever seen.”
At home, which isn’t very often, Mani and his wife relax with their two dogs, a springer spaniel and a daschund. Says Mani, “I like to spend time with both of them.” Now that the Scotch industry has recognised his work, will he stay with the drinks business forever? Says Mani, “One never knows. I used to teach once upon a time. Maybe one day I will become a teacher.” Should we drink to that?