Much-needed boost for vends in a state that's hot about toddy

It's 2pm and Kaloor junction, in the heart of Kochi, is buzzing with vehicles. Barely 50m away from the busy traffic intersection, there is a whiteboard with two words on it, ubiquitous across Kerala. "Kallu", it says in Malayalam, "toddy" in English. Inside the compound, under the shade of a tree and almost masked by the growth is the shop the board announces-nondescript, single-storeyed, with peeling thin white paint, and a dangerously loose asbestos roof.

- Vishnu Varma

The lunch rush has ended, and the shop is nearly empty of customers; time for the all-male staff to stretch their legs and wash plates. There are only half-a-dozen plastic tables and chairs inside, and an overused sink in one corner of the main hall. A door leads to the kitchen with a thatched roof. In earthen and steel vessels, there are the remnants of various dishes, from fish fry and curries to chicken and beef. But none can mask the smell of the star of the show wafting in the air, fermented toddy, stored in glass bottles.

The Boche Toddy Pub in Vypin is 18km and a world away. There are comfortable dining options including air-conditioned cabins. There is parking space outside; the clientele often arrive in cars. There is even a separate play area for children. Anglers can try their hand at catching fish from the nearby lake, which are then cooked at the pub on the spot. Typically, weekends are busy, with entire families taking in the experience of a "modern toddy shop".

It's this contrast between the two shops, both operated with the same licence from the Kerala excise department, that the state government now aims to bridge as part of its new liquor policy announced on July 26. According to the new plan that will be put in place, the around 5,000 toddy shops in the state are set to be given a facelift, with the traditional alcoholic beverage rebranded to make it appealing to a larger clientele, primarily targeting the roughly 15 million tourists that make their way to Kerala every year.