By Tara Narayan
OVER the just over Carnaval and discovery of several new entrepreneurial foods ranging from quaint assortments of pickles to sauces to other culinary delights – at Samba Square, I spied and picked up this new aerated drink called “Kane” which invited me seductively with its pink champagne looks! Don’t laugh. Aerated drinks are not supposed to look like pink champagne. Don’t even ask me why! The new drink or beverage has been put out by Real Drink Pvt Ltd or the Café Real Group of Companies. Later I found out my “pink champagne” has been created in memory of Vinod Shirodkar’s beloved pet dog called Kane.
I called him and asked and he replied with remembered affection, “Yes, we had a pet German Shepherd named Kane, he was born in 2000 and expired in 2012. We did our best to keep him on oxygen towards the end to save him…but he finally had to go. But we can still feel Kane’s love and presence in our hearts!” (Sigh) I have come across love for pets but this one is very special and has a most wondrous drink named after it. Called it a memorial drink if you like.
So what does “Kane” the bottled drink taste like? Well, it’s an aerated drink but I rather like it because it is the mildest of aerated drinks and I am beginning to like it with its pinkish mixed berry flavour and have started relishing it over the rocks occasionally these strange hotter than hot days of March…and can get addicted to it, and not just to feast my eyes on its pink champagne-styled look. As aerated drinks go I’ve taken a shine to this one, it is delicious. Quite, quite different from other strong cloying aerated drinks of the marketplace! This new “Kane” has a mild aroma and a subtle flavour.
I think mild “Kane” has me hooked. Go check it out. Maybe they’re serving it at Café Real down town Panaji, I haven’t checked yet. This is to say Viva “Kane”…to remember a dog named Kane, man’s best friend! I hope you are happy somewhere in your doggie heaven and wagging your tail with your family’s remembrance for you down here on earth, who remember you ever so much.