Modern India has picked their poison and it’s Gin 

The motivation behind the creation of these brands speaks volumes about why this journey was one worth taking in the first place. Gurpreet Singh of Great Indian Gin emphasised how the vision of the brand, to craft a gin for the Indian palate, was driven by noticeable gaps in affordable, yet refined gins. The need was there for something that was accessible and could be enjoyed across a variety of settings. These kind of brand values, along with entry level pricing and introduction of smaller 60ml & 180ml packs, have evidently spoken directly to younger consumers and owes to the attention that gin seems to be garnering from this audience.

On the other hand, Kunal Chopra, Head of Marketing at Third Eye Distillery comments on the significant role that India has played in gin production, be it through its contribution of spices, or being the backdrop to the creation of the G&T during the British Raj. “We also saw that many global gin brands borrowed from India in their storytelling. However, none truly captured the essence of contemporary India—a nation that is both progressive yet deeply rooted in tradition.”

He highlights the brand’s aim to elevate India’s presence on the global spirits stage through a premium product that recognised India in its present context and Indian consumers could take pride in. These efforts most certainly did not go unnoticed considering the critical acclaim presented to Stranger & Sons at international spirits awards and a consequent 70,000 bottles shipped to households in the United Kingdom. This is a similar story for Nao Spirits’ Hapusa and Greater Than gin as well.

But despite the varying focusses of all these brands, they, without exception seem to be connected in this: a shared intent among Indian gin brands to revamp the spirit with a uniquely Indian twist.

What makes Indian gins precisely special is their access to a range of ingredients and botanicals that many countries can only dream of. India, at almost every point in history, has been right at the centre of the global spice trade, or “the land of spices making gin, one of the very few spirits that uses spices so generously, the perfect playing field for the country to flaunt its prowess. As if this weren’t enough of a head start within the gin industry, the number of the natural and geographical options that India is able to offer ensures that no brand steps on the others’ toes.

The Himalayan dry gin, Kumaon & I, sports a hyperlocal approach, creating gin from 11 regional botanicals along with fresh Himalayan spring water. Seqer and Satiwa both ensure their gins are marked by a nutty profile – primarily through cashews – lending them an essence of Goa, where they are distilled. Cherrapunji Gin sources their all their ingredients from the North East including rainwater from Meghalaya. There are enough regions, and by extension, enough regional flavours for everyone to experiment with. One look at the homegrown gins available in the market like these immediately spotlights that the spectrum of botanicals and ingredients at hand remains as abundant as they are diverse.

There is also a noticeable difference in the way different gin brands might harness the same ingredient to create entirely separate flavour profiles through their unique techniques, methods or recipes. Just in Goa, Tamras gin uses a slow dilution process with water drip- fed every alternate day while Tickle gin uses a cold-press process in the extraction of botanicals to obtain the full flavour potential of fruits. Even Juniper berries, the most widely used ingredient in gin-making has been harnessed creatively by a number of brands, but most popularly by Greater Than’s Juniper Bomb – an apparently accidental but well received creation. Moreover, brands like Gin Gin with hemp and Mohulo with mahua seed, were the first in their categories with a chosen, lesser known “star” ingredient that helped distinguish their brands from the others.

These innovative approaches in ingredient sourcing and flavour creation are paralleled by a broader commitment to embodying India’s rich cultural heritage and contemporary identity in every aspect of their brands. From the meticulous selection of botanicals to the storytelling behind each product, Indian gin brands aim to offer a product that aligns with a modern Indian audience in every capacity. This commitment is also vividly reflected in the packaging – as much as the flavour profiles are a testament to India’s rich culture, the packaging of these gins narrates an equally compelling story. The design, materials, and presentation used by these brands combine aesthetic appeal with cultural significance playing a crucial role in attracting and retaining both local and international consumers.

No two brands seem to be treading down one path when it comes to visual storytelling and imagery through their packaging with each bottle displaying its values through art and design. Most famously, Stranger & Sons’ label has been designed in such a way that it demands you to look again with elements that pique your interest with intrigue. Although the primary focus on the bottle is the Mythical Tiger with two tails and three eyes, there is a kind of dizzying visual clutter that makes you want to pour yourself a drink and take your own sweet time deciphering each and every element: the Sun and Moon limericks, the jungle motifs, the hidden flora and fauna that contributed to creating the spirit. Still, despite the illustrations that draw you into inspection, the bottle can also be quite decorative, the perfectly ‘spirited’ spirit to add to traditional atmosphere.

Hapusa, on a distinct opposite end, extracts more calming emotions, rather than celebratory ones. The bottle is a dark purple, almost black, reminiscent of a juniper berry. The creamy white label shows a minimalistic hint of a mountain – the Himalayas in specific. This is what the label says: you can enjoy Hapusa with the tranquillity of the mountains.

Similarly, Terai too was keen on a more sophisticated design that could depict India’s energy but not at the cost of typecasting the country with elephant imagery and whatnot. Instead, the brand opted for embossed designs similar to hand-carvings on ancient Indian architecture. The stopper is created from backyard-grown ivory and polished using tree lacquer to reflect the natural ingredients of the drink right on the bottle.

The use of materials to convey subliminal messaging has also been done spectacularly by Cherrapunji gin, sold in a vibrant and creatively decorated stainless-steel bottle, designed to be re-used carefreely without the restrictions of the conventional glass bottle. The reusable nature of the bottle not only urges all alcobev brands to reconsider their own sustainability goals but also artfully depicts India’s generational defiance of Western use and throw culture.

These designs rightfully underscore homegrown gin brands’ deep understanding of a new India, a younger India – their ideals, their aspirations and their own perception of their country. And there doesn’t seem to be any obstacles in their way with regards to innovation. Fortunately, or unfortunately, due to the sheer advancement in technology, younger and younger generations of Indians (along with the global youth) grow to crave stimulation, excitement and convenience wherever they look, including the brands they choose to associate with or buy from.

This information is no surprise to Indian gin brands who are constantly pushing the limits to consistently provide exactly what their consumers need. Greater Than is most renowned for this with Greater Than No Sleep, the coffee-infused gin product of a collaboration with Sleepy Owl Coffee. As consumers show interest in being open to trying new expressions, brands find more reasons to experiment and push boundaries. These creative collaborations between brands across sectors has been increasingly proven to result in success. Much like when Stranger & Sons and The Bombay Canteen came together to fashion the distilled cocktail, Perry Road Peru that was originally planned to be a limited-edition product but is yet to leave the shelves. This response also led the brand to experiment with and launch their latest innovation – Sherry Cask Aged Gin that can also be consumed like a ready to drink cocktail, akin to sipping an old fashioned.

In fact both veteran and new-age spirit brands seem to be catching up to the rising trend for RTD (Ready to Drink) cocktails. The first indigenous ready-to-drink offerings have emerged in the form of a variety of G&Ts, spearheaded by Salud Beverages in Bengaluru, and extending to other canned products, including those from Bombay Sapphire. This proliferation of G&T brands, both Indian and imported, is a clear result of the ongoing gin boom. Gin brands are keeping their ears to the wall for any evolving preferences in their audiences. For instance, Goa’s Samsara gin, realising the Indian palate’s penchant for sweeter tastes, launched India’s first indigenous pink gin, with notes of rose and strawberry.

This undoubtedly experimental, light-hearted approach to gin- making points to exactly why the younger generations resonate with these products. They are more than happy indulging in brands that don’t take themselves too seriously and not afraid to have fun with the process. Kunal Chopra of Third Eye Distillery describes it best once again: “There doesn’t go a day when someone from the team isn’t trying to one up what we are doing or have already done. There is one thing these brands know for certain, whatever product they release next, it won’t just be another bottle on the shelf, but will truly be adding to the conversation and be integral to taking India’s spirits and cocktail culture to the next step.”