MC recommends: Best 18-year-old single malt; a watch that celebrates Lord’s; a Mumbai-themed cafe

London-based The Whisky Exchange (TWE) is the world’s largest online drinks retailer. It is also well-regarded for its old and rare whiskies and single cask bottlings. Its annual list of the best whiskies always points whisky lovers towards interesting, sometimes overlooked, drams. TWE’s whisky of the year for 2024 is an old stalwart, the Loch Lomond 18 Year Old.

Aged in three types of American oak casks, the Loch Lomond 18YO is bottled at an ABV of 46% and, according to the distillery, has “mouth-watering notes of baked apple and rich toffee with gentle wood smoke on the finish”. The Highland single malt whisky fought off stiff competition from the likes of the Balblair 15YO and the Arran Sherry Cask to emerge as TWE’s favourite. If you are set to fly out of the country soon – or have friends/relatives visiting you – you know what to look for at duty-free.

The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date has been in constant production since 1938. It is also the watch on which Father Time, the manufacture’s latest limited-edition release, is based. Oris is the official timekeeper at the Lord’s Cricket Ground, in London, and the watch, which features a 40mm bronze case, marks a celebration of its association with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which owns the iconic ground.

Named after the Father Time weathervane that sits on the Lord’s clock tower, the watch sticks to the design codes of the Big Crown Pointer Date collection and so you have the fluted bezel, cathedral hands and the familiar fourth hand that indicates the date on the dial’s perimeter. The white dial is uncommon in the collection, and the watch comes with both an articulated bronze bracelet in solid bronze and a leather strap made from sustainably sourced deer leather.

$3,100

The digital creator economy has transformed the way we consume content and shop. According to Goldman Sachs, the online creator economy could be worth half a trillion dollars by 2027. Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet, by Washington Post columnist Taylor Lorenz, tells the story of the origins of online influence, the rapidity with which it demolished traditional barriers, and “created new approaches to work, entertainment, fame, and ambition in the 21st century.” If you are looking for a social history of the internet, go pick this one up.

Rs 1,926 on Amazon

Soam, in Babulnath, serves authentic Gujarati and Rajasthani food, with emphasis on seasonality. The about two-decade-old eatery does not serve meat or alcohol, and yet it is one of Mumbai’s most popular restaurants. Long, impatient queues outside the restaurant are not uncommon, especially on weekends. Earlier this month, Pinky Chandan Dixit, the woman behind Soam, launched her latest venture, Aamchee. The Mumbai-themed cafe, located in a lane behind Soam, is a celebration of the city’s culinary cosmopolitanism.

On the menu, curated by Anuradha Joshi Medhora of Charoli Foods, are dishes such as Matunga Rasam, Pardawala Tamatar Soup, Veggie-loaded Thalipeeth, Vada Pav sliders and, among others, Khar Sindhi Sai Bhaji Meal. If you love Soam, chances are that you’ll also take to the food served at Aamchee. (Soni Building 46, Pandita Ramabai Road, Opp Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, Girgaon Chowpatty)

Porsche Design makes some extremely cool stuff, from watches and speedboats to sunglasses and shoes. The cylindrical PDS 20 portable speaker, with its satin finish and seamless aluminium housing, is another addition to that list. The speaker is equipped with two passive radiators and a 1.75-inch woofer for wholesome bass.

The PDS20, which weighs 302 grams and is rated as IP67 dust and water-resistant, can be operated both via touch controls or voice commands and can run for about ten hours on a single charge.

$245; porsche-design.com