Growing up in a Chitrapur Saraswat community enclave in Grant Road, this writer has fond memories of drinking panakam, a sweetish-spicy summer coolant prepared annually during Ramnavami celebrations. Made with jaggery, pepper, dry ginger, lemon juice and water, the drink, popular in parts of South India, is known to have restorative properties. There is no boiling involved and the batch only gets better as it ages. Our grouse, however, was: why wait a year for this soulful thirst quencher? We never got around to finding the answer.

Now, a regional beverage venture by Septagon Hospitality has cut short our waiting time. Missus Sippi offers signature beverages from across India that are hard to find outside of home (Rs 60 to Rs 150). From Tamil Nadu and Kerala to Bihar and West Bengal, the menu covers a gamut of states.
Our drinks arrived on a warm October day, in sturdy 300 ml glass bottles with neat labels and instructions that the bottles need to be shaken before consumption. According to the makers, the naturally occurring acids in the juices can increase the shelf life for a short duration under refrigeration, but they recommend you consume it immediately.