Bringing Prohibition chic back; The un-touristy NYC experience

Hello,

The early 2000s had MySpace, the 2010s had Facebook and Instagram, the 2020s have…Strava?

Launched in 2009 as a niche website for cyclists to log mileage, the fitness app transformed into something new entirely during the pandemic—a place for people to connect over shared hobbies.

Niche apps like Letterboxd, Goodreads and Strava have seen a surge in new users over the past year, as they grow weary and seek refuge from mega platforms. 

Now isn’t that a whole new reason to dust off those running shoes?

One of the most important assets you hold is your own health. Thankfully, with each new development in medical research, maintaining it is becoming easier by the day. 

Case in point: Blood tests done by women in their 30s are now making it possible to estimate their risk of cardiovascular disease over the next three decades, a new study says. Good news indeed!

A cup of fresh brewed coffee once in a while doesn’t hurt, though. And with a fresh funding round of $35 million, Blue Tokai Coffee is moving to bring its coffee brews to over 350 locations over the next three years.

Here’s a fun tidbit to go with your cuppa: Scientists have discovered a doughnut-shaped region, called a torus, within the Earth’s outer core, and it’s the key to unlocking the secrets of the planet’s magnetic field.

Wonder what else lies waiting to be discovered beneath the surface? 

Makes one hungry for knowledge (and doughnuts)!

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Bringing Prohibition chic back
• The un-touristy NYC experience
• Tribute to Kodava culture

Here’s your trivia for today: What drink was created as a prophylactic treatment for malaria?

Wine and Food

Bringing Prohibition chic back 

An unassuming entrance, a secret code that changes every week, cocktails made from forbidden ingredients—PCO in Delhi has everything you’d need to bring the allure and mystery of Prohibition to modern times.

Short for Pass Code India, the speakeasy, which is fashioned in the style fashioned of the historical illegal watering holes, has now undergone a revamp of the whole experience, emphasising vintage nostalgia.

Roaring Twenties reimagined:

• The concept of PCO and its speakeasy culture, still in its nascent stages in India, was introduced by sibling duo Radhika and Rakshay in 2012. 
• PCO’s signature cocktail menu, The Forbidden, features 12 concoctions—each consisting of an ingredient considered forbidden in certain parts of the world or under certain circumstances, such as tobacco paan distillate, hash oil and chyawanprash.
• Part of the PCO experience is its Prohibition style decor, with areas like the cigar room and ‘Director’s Room’, which amplify the vintage essence of a speakeasy with elements like wooden panelling, brass lighting, and rich burgundy and olive hues throughout the space.

Travel and Leisure

The un-touristy NYC experience

Often called the “cultural capital of the world”, New York City has been the setting for numerous novels, movies, and TV programmes. Sex and the City and Friends have made the city an important cornerstone of pop culture.

While visitors to NYC typically flock to well-known attractions, be it historical, architectural, or natural, how does one experience one of the world’s most visited cities by the road less travelled?

Hidden gems:

• For an unusual tourism list, you could start by visiting St Patrick's Old Cathedral, the first Catholic Cathedral of the Archdiocese of New York. Its catacombs have served as the final resting place for some of the most influential figures in American history for the last 200 years.
• Get the full vintage experience at Lexington Candy Shop, where you can choose from old-style egg cream (a milky chocolate soda), malted milkshakes, and tuna melts.Founded in 1925, the store harks back to a time when soda fountains and luncheonettes were commonplace. 
• Hungry for more? In the heart of Downtown Manhattan is Trinity Place, a restaurant and bar built inside a turn-of-the-century Wall Street bank vault.

Travel and Leisure

Tribute to Kodava culture

In today’s day and age, when everyone’s running the rat race, it’s a rare thing to find a refuge away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

That’s the beauty of staying in Evolve Back, Coorg—you go back to living the life of the past, with cleaner air and greener forests, appreciating the simple joys of life. 

Slowing the pace:

• Earlier known as Orange County, owing its name to the luscious oranges that were once grown in the region, the brand name was changed to Evolve Back in 2017, after Orange County expanded to Kabini and Hampi. 
• The villas—built in the Kodava style of the local ainmanes or ancestral homes—are designed to provide utmost privacy to the guests, with courtyards with private pools and jacuzzis opening to the jungle or an expansive view of the paddy fields and the plantation.
• Similar to its architecture, the culinary experience at Evolve Back pays homage to the flavours of Coorg, with three restaurants—a multicuisine restaurant called The Granary; The Plantain Leaf, a fine-dining establishment; and speciality restaurant Peppercorn.

News & updates

• Recruitment: Amazon.com is hiring the founders of robot-software maker Covariant, in a move known as an “acquihire” that is aimed at helping the ecommerce leader boost its warehouse automation.
• Approved: The SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle may return to flight operations while the overall investigation of a failed landing attempt during a recent Starlink mission remains open, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday.
• Trimming down: NASA said on Friday it will replace two crew members for an upcoming SpaceX flight to accommodate the two astronauts aboard the International Space Station who had arrived on Boeing's faulty Starliner capsule.

What drink was created as a prophylactic treatment for malaria?

Answer: Gin and tonic. The main component of tonic water is quinine, a known anti-malarial treatment.

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