Raise a toast with these unique gins from India

For a country obsessed with rum and whiskey, the gin scene was practically non-existent in India. The global gin revolution has spurred a renewed interest in gins where entrepreneurs have launched their gin manufacturing facilities here in India. Here’s a look at some home-grown Indian gins that are bringing on a gin revolution in India.

Tickle gin

From the stable of Adinco Distillery, run by Solomon Diniz, the name ‘Tickle’ is inspired by his mother who piqued his interest in botanicals. “My mother is a huge inspiration and Tickle is an ode to her,” says Diniz. Located on the banks of the river Kushawati, this dry gin hails from Goa. The distillery is not new and has been specializing in high-quality spirits since 1970. Tickle has “soul warming” hints of black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, orange peels, etc, and pushes the boundary with its perfect balance of flavours, the dominating burst of juniper with the unfolding of a bouquet of spices with the citrus crown finish.

Terai

An authentic dry gin, the name ‘Terai’ is inspired by the Indian region of Terai, a strip of marshland running along the foothills of the Himalayas. Belonging to the Swarup family, credited with one of the first few distilleries in the country, Terai is made at one of the family distilleries in Behror, Rajasthan. The gin is a modern interpretation of a traditional London dry gin. The eleven botanicals that go into the gin-like are juniper berries, tulsi, lavender, etc. The base spirit is selected from the purest rice spirit that is produced at the neighbouring family-owned distillery. It perfectly marries the botanicals through a traditional one-shot distillation process, in the country’s first copper pot still made by Carl GmBH. The gin begins with lush green notes, lifted by the citrus zest, a characteristic floral bouquet, and a sweet and piney juniper aroma. On the palate, the sweet and herbaceous flavours are balanced by a dry spice and savoury finish.

Jin Jiji

Founded by Ken Fredrickson and Ansh Khanna, the gin is a manifestation of a beverage that best reflects India. The duo was inspired by the local botanicals in India and how it could be used to make gin. The gin utilises botanicals sourced locally like juniper, tulsi, black tea, chamomile, angelica root, coriander, cashew nut; which have been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine. It’s no wonder that the name JiJi is derived from the Hindi word Jijivisha, meaning a lust for life. There are two variants to the gin- Jin Jiji and Jin Jiji Darjeeling. While the former uses all the above ingredients, the latter is distilled with Darjeeling tea. It also happens to be the only gin in the world to use cashew nuts, an ingredient indigenous to Goa. Khanna recommends Jin Jiji with tonic and a lemon wedge or in a martini while Jin Jiji Darjeeling can be combined with Negroni or Gin Fizz.

Pumori

The name of the gin is a tribute to the mountains and takes inspiration from Mount Pumori, a small mountain range part of the Himalayas also known as the daughter of Everest. Produced by Fullarton Distilleries’, a facility based in the lush green woodlands of Candepar, Goa, the gin is a small batch gin that uses botanicals indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. It is an all-natural gin including botanicals like Himalayan juniper, cardamom, coriander seeds, nutmeg, etc. “The gin highlights the taste of Indian culture through a single liquid”, says Aman Thadani, founder and creator of Pumori. “Pumori isn’t just a drink, it is an experience”, he adds. The nose of the gin has a bouquet of juniper infused with a citrus tinge. Its taste is complemented with a dash of freshness brought in by cardamom and liquorice root on the palate. The finish is beautifully rounded off with a soothing union of vanilla and almonds.

GinGin

GinGin is a fun play on the word CinCin which is Italian for cheers. GinGin started as a passion project for the founder, Shubham Khanna, as he wanted to make something he could enjoy with friends who were more interested in drinking whiskey, while he stood out as an oddball for liking gin. It took him two years of experimentation, the perfection of more than 40 different recipes, and more than 150 tasting sessions before GinGin was finally launched.

This Indian Gin is a single shot vapour infused spirit consisting of 9 botanicals, namely Himalayan juniper, lavender, rosemary, caraway seeds, lemongrass, butterfly pea flower, and hemp. GinGin is India’s first hemp craft gin where the use of hemp adds a savoury note to the final product. Every element that goes into the bottle is procured locally in India. GinGin is crafted in Goa using a handmade custom column still in a single shot distillation method. GinGin also uses vapour infusion for some of its botanicals where the vapours of the spirit are passed through the botanicals to infuse them with intricate flavours.

Stranger & Sons

A product of Third Eye Distillery, Stranger & Sons also hails from the sunshine state of Goa. “We found that a lot of gins that had ingredients indigenous to India were made outside India”, says Arth Shah, one of the founders. This is when they decided to start manufacturing gin in India. Stranger & Sons is a three-dimensional Gin, with robust flavours. The botanicals are crafted together taking inspiration from the Masala Dabba (spice box) which is an integral part of an Indian kitchen. While most of the spices are sourced from their farm in Goa, spices like black pepper, coriander, nutmeg, and mace come from the neighbouring farms. Another important ingredient that forms a part of the gin is citrus fruits that are sourced from different parts of the country - Gondhoraj from East India, oranges from Nagpur, Indian bergamot, and lime from Goa. The citrus fruits give the gin a beautiful freshness to start while the local pepper, coriander, and mace give a strong spiced middle palate and the liquorice, cassia and nutmeg give it a warm sweet finish. Finally, the gin is batch distilled-that lends a soft smooth feeling, allowing all of the intense spices to play in harmony. The gin recently won a ‘Gold Outstanding’ at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London.

Saṃsāra

The creation of Spaceman Spirits Lab with founder, Aditya Aggarwal at its helm, embodies the free spirit of travel and gin that Aggarwal believes in. Thus, it’s no wonder that ‘Samsara’ means ‘free spirit’. He wanted to create his version of a gin that was Indian at heart. Saṃsāra is a contemporary style gin made in the classic London dry method using a traditional pot still. The flagship distillery- Spaceman Spirits Lab is located in South Goa. Saṃsāra is also amongst the first spirits from Asia to include hemp extracts as one of its prime botanicals in collaboration with Bombay Hemp Company. The ten botanicals that go on to create the gin are handpicked from farms across India and combined with juniper berries and a secret citrus blend to create Saṃsāra. Other ingredients include cardamom, vetiver grass, angelica root and coriander seeds, etc. Best enjoyed on the rocks or with light tonic water; though the recommended garnishes include sliced ginger, mint leaves, and sliced grapefruit.

You might also like:
The medieval art and architectural wonders of Orchha
Bundi - the monsoon delight city of Rajasthan
Travelling with Books - Celebrating Book Lovers Day

India Homepage: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/en-in