From gin festivals to wine-tastings and beer-chugging, the urban audience is getting enough and more opportunities to taste different kinds of alcohol and celebrate their diversity. However, not all of these festivals have the advantage that Agents of Cheer has. In its fourth edition now, the drinks fest is apparently the only festival in the category to have all types of beverages like wines, spirits, craft drinks, meads, zero-alcoholic drinks and even premium teas/ coffees as part of their curation — all under the same roof.
Taking place over this weekend at IF.BE in Ballard Estate, Fort, the two-day event promises to be a premium drinks experience with handpicked wines, premium spirit experience, vast cocktails selection, expert masterclasses and workshops, food and live music.
Four years ago, Gargi Kothari, the founder of the wine experience curation company Magic Cellars and Ruchika Aggarwal D’souza, founder of creative studio Pointy Zebra Entertainment, got together to organise Agents of Cheer. “We started Agents of Cheer with the intention of creating a premium, carefully curated drinks experience for the end consumer — to create a space that would welcome the drinks enthusiasts, newcomers and experts alike. Also, bringing brands that are producing some great quality beverages, closer to the consumer who has the interest, curiosity and enthusiasm to explore various tastes,” says D’souza, the creative director of the fest.
According to D’souza, the USP of this year, like every year, is its immaculately created experience design. “The other big USP is the inclusion of homegrown brands, be it spirits, wines or craft drinks. Showcasing these brands, who are creating some incredible beverages, is our happy place,” she adds.
The programme over the two days includes a summer wines masterclass with Sujata Patil, head of wines at Monika Alcobev, a rosé wines masterclass with Nikhil Agarwal, expert on wines and spirits, a selection of over 50+ premium Indian and imported wines to taste from Monika Alcobev, Sonarys, Wine Park, Anggel's Share and Aspri, among others, selection of spirits from Japanese and Scottish Whiskey, Craft Indian gins and rums, live music acts such as Austin Dsouza Collection on guitar and vocals by Vamsi and Blossom, violin set by Mabel Chan, flair bartending acts and cocktail making competition. Gourmet foods stalls by Soft Spot Cheese, An Ode to Gaia, Naviluna Chocolates, Whole Truth Foods & Native Bombay will ensure that you are well-fed amid all that alcohol. There will also be art stalls by Strokes of Wine, Kuppikali and Mulberry Designs. And if after all that, you feel the need for a post-drinking hangover fix, Rebound will take care of that.
Kothari, the chief curator of the fest and sommelier, believes that people are curious to learn and savour their wines and fine spirits, and maybe also earn some bragging rights with their friends! “But seriously speaking, the biggest change I've seen from seven years ago when I started Magic Cellars to now, is that earlier people would ask me if it was okay for them to come to my tastings, considering they didn't know much about wines, whereas now, people tell me that they love their wines but don't know much about it and would love to come to a tasting and learn! I think that says it all for me in terms of the change in consumer mindset and their thirst for knowledge,” she concludes.
Agents of Cheer at IF.BE, Ballard Estate, Fort on April 15 and 16. Tickets available on Insider.in
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