KOCHI: Forty-two-year-old Elomkovu from Tamil Nadu who lives in Kochi has been a toddy tapper all his life. But for him the Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) holds more charm.Asked why he prefers foreign liquor when toddy is available more easily, he says, "I get a kick from it fast." Today, foreign liquor is the choice of most Malayalis, both the rich and the poor. And their favourite is Rum.Binoy S, a bus conductor, says, "People prefer Rum for two reasons—it is cheaper than the other foreign liquors and you get a kick from it fast." Dr C J John, a clinical psychiatrist, says, like many other trends borrowed from the west, drinking foreign liquor has been put on a higher pedestal by the Malayalis."It has always been a part of Malayali culture. They love anything foreign. How many Malayalis do you see smoking 'beedi' these days instead of foreign cigarettes?," Dr John asks.Easy availability has also driven Malayalis to buy foreign liquor. You can see a liquor outlet under the Kerala State Beverages Corporation in every nook and cranny.Despite the fact that foreign liquor costs more than traditional liquor, (the cheapest liquor costs at least Rs 50 while toddy is priced at Rs 10), people buy them because they feel foreign liquor is safe to drink.A customer who came to buy liquor at the outlet says, "I'm not sure about the quality of toddy sold in shops whereas foreign liquor is procured through government sources." Once people get the taste of foreign liquor, they get addicted to it, says Dr John.K Sasidaran, a staff at the KSBC outlet in Kaloor, says even women, especially in the age group between 50 and 60, buy liquor from the outlets. Malayali women's approach to life has undergone a seachange. Now women have started accepting liquor consumption as a part of life, says Dr John.According to a study by the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre, Kerala tops the list in the annual consumption of hard liquor at eight litres per capita in the country, followed by Punjab in the north with 7.9 (as taken from IPS news net website). The KSBC which currently has 337 outlets in the state and the Consumers Federation which has 46 outlets sold liquor worth Rs 6,730.30 crore in 2010-2011 compared to Rs 5,539.85 crore in 2009-2010.V S Ashok, financial manager at the Kerala State Beverages Corporation says, "The KSBC was started in 1984 and they made a record sales in May this year."
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