World Gin Day: A glimpse of India's diverse and evolving gin culture

Ask anyone who frequents bars gin is having its moment in India Bolstered by the growing popularity of cocktails themed events and a plethora of interesting mixer brands popping up the spirit has done well to capture the interest of enthusiasts in a whiskeydrinking nation like ours From classic London Dry to Japanese and Indian crafts the Indian gin drinker has an appetite for these extremely diverse gins which has led to the emergence of homegrown brands On World Gin Day we spoke to industry experts who decode the reason behind popularity of the spirit and share insights on how gin culture is evolving in IndiaVariety fuels popularityFrom strawberry to coffee legacy and homegrown gin brands have started experimenting with diverse flavours in India which has helped broaden its consumer baseldquoThe gin market is expanding due to the new diversity thats been recently introduced to it in the form of spice fruit flower and coffee infused gins These have opened the market to many whose palette wasnt suited to the dry juniper heavy gins previously available Hence with the broader flavour profile availability there has been a new explosive interest in gins especially amongst the youth The more experienced drinking crowd is also showing great interest in the new available variantsrdquo sharesDinesh Kathuria cofounder of The Liquor StorePayal Nijhawan head of marketing at William Grant and Sons in India adds Today with the lsquoginaissancersquo in India the category has recently begun its emergence as a popular preference for audiences and it has been interesting to witness the journey of gin in the country Gin drinkers in India now have a variety of options flavour profiles and brands to choose from something that has only led to the growth of the category as a whole As part of our Master Distiller Leslie Graciersquos lsquoCabinet of Curiositiesrsquo we have launched two product variants in the market in India Midsummer Solstice and Lunar Ginmdashwhich have performed exceedingly well This innovation platform creates and houses new experimental varietals of Hendrickrsquos Gin every year that are released in small but limited batchesrdquoA conducive ecosystemRuchika Gupta marketing director at Beam Suntory India believes gin has evolved into a culture Photo courtesy Beam SuntoryGin has benefitted from festivals bar takeovers and new mixers popping up and continues to thrive supported by these elements according toRuchika Gupta marketing director at Beam Suntory IndiaShe explains ldquoGin has evolved from just a drink to a culture that is increasingly being fostered by festivals tonic brands special occasions etc Owing to the versatility of the spirit and the multiplicity of occasions that gin is relevant in it is increasingly being added to consumers alcohol repertoire as the goto tipple The ability of the spirit to enhance a wide range of flavour characteristics further gives it an edge in the creation of cosmopolitan cocktails and with experimentation and DIY culture at an alltime high consumers and bartenders are exploring such concoctions for multiple experiences This ecosystem was already flourishing back in 2019 when Beam Suntory broughtRokuinto IndiaRokursquos introduction and journey in the Indian market has been a very exciting and positive one especially at a time when the market was brimming with increasing excitement around Japanese spiritsrdquoGlobal shiftA boost of popularity in gin globally has trickled down to India according to Aditya Aggarwal founder of Samsara gin Photo courtesy SamsaraldquoThe international popularity of gin across the continent especially South East Asia has had a trickling effect in my opinionItrsquos a very easytodrink spirit unlike wine and some other darker spirits therersquos no right way or wrong way to enjoy your gin Just get yourself a nice glass fill it up with ice and be as creative as you can with the garnishes or be as creative as you can with the mixers yoursquore usingSocial media and crossborder collaborations between bars and bartenders has fueled the popularity of gin as a spiritrdquo shares Aditya Aggarwal founder of SamsaraIndian craft on the riseIf the number of gin and tonic homegrown brands that have cropped up in the past few years are an indication Indian craft gin has arrived and how Stressing on the diversity of Indian gins Kathuria saysldquoThe gin market has recently undergone a revolution with aspiring new distilleries coming up with innovative new recipes blends and never before used botanicals These add diversity to the classic gin cocktails due to the infusion of new dimensions because of new flavours textures and mixers catering to different palates out there This has seen a new found burst of interest in gins and ginbased cocktails Many Indian gins have surfaced with a lot of international acclaim For example Indians gins Samsara and Stranger and Sons bring forth the spiceand citrus found in the Indian peninsula and when added to these gins they result in an entirely different product from what is available worldwideI also firmly believe the best is yet to comerdquoMixologist Yangdup Lama stresses on the passion that drives homegrown gin brands Photo courtesy Jimmys CocktailsRenowned mixologist andhead of product at Jimmyrsquos CocktailsYangdupLama poses that it is the passion of the stakeholders that drives these homegrown brands ldquoTherersquos a lot of excitement amongst the makers of the spirit to other stakeholders like bartenders and bar owners and last but not the least the consumers Most importantly the consumers are accepting the fact that India can make some great gins With so many brands coming out of the Indian market it is certainly helping the category to grow and pave the way for new experiments in the spirits space Most gin makers are people who have come into the gin space out of sheer passion and love for the spirit rather than just businessrdquoRedefining premiumConsumers are willing to try quality homegrown gins today says Sakshi Saigal R cofounder of Third Eye Distillery Photo courtesy Third Eye DistilleryldquoGinrsquos presence in its current form is limited to the main metro cities and itrsquos still got a long way aheadrdquo observes Sakshi Saigal director and cofounder of Third Eye Distillery As far as liquor is concerned Indians have always looked at international brands as a hallmark of quality and taste The biggest challenge homegrown brands face is for people to treat Indian gins on par with international counterparts ldquoWe found there to be a lack of belief that India could produce a quality premium product this is what led us to launch Stranger and Sons the first Indian contemporary style gin in the premium space As early innovators in the Indian gin landscape we wanted to reinvent the perception of the Indian spirits industry while at the same time encouraging consumers towards exploring spirits through more creative experimental choices Currently craft brands in India are redefining the perception of premiumness It is now much more about authenticity craftsmanship quality and embracing creativity Today we see a lot of consumers eager to try quality homegrown products and I think we were definitely instrumental in bringing about this shift Although the gin consumption style in India is slowly evolving we believe that the journey for gin in India is just beginningrdquoThe advent of nonalcoholic distilled ginA social nondrinkerrsquos dream come true Sober is Indiarsquos first distilled nonalcoholic spirit Launched inNovember 2021 the drink is made ofclassic botanicals such as juniper berries and orange peel withorganically grown herbs and moodenhancing adaptogens such asashwagandhatulsiand natural green tea extract When asked who would drink a nonalcoholic gin Founder Vansh Pahuja shares ldquoIn sync with this ongoing cocktail movement Sober is for people who choose not to drink for whatsoever reason whether youre dieting driving parenting or just taking a break due to health or religious reasons So you can enjoy the same cocktail as it replaces a traditional spirit 11 minus the sugar calories or any hangoversrdquoWhilenonalcoholic distilled beverages are gaining popularity across the world Indians are still far from this trend ldquoSince we are the first ones to introduce the same in India its fair to say that India is at a very young stage right now But what makes India a very interesting opportunity is that though we consume a lot of liquor as data suggests we also abstain from it in high volumes So we are confident that this industry is bound to pick up its pace in the country slowly but gradually Wellness is a big opportunity for usrdquo explains PahujaAlso ReadHow to pair your favourite gins with flavoured tonics