Malai kulfi vodka? Jatamansi whisky? How Indian liquor companies came to be possessed by heritage spirits

New-age brands are celebrating Indian heritage in every pour. Brands like Goa’s Fullarton Distilleries and Bengaluru-based Salud Beverages are breaking new ground with unconventional products and packaging.

“For long, Indian spirit brands have been producing IMFL (Indian-made foreign liquor) but only now is the ‘I’ in IMFL—the truly ‘Indian’ aspect of the term—coming alive," said Vikram Achanta, co-founder and chief executive of Tulleeho, a beverage consulting firm.

“Representing the Indianness in spirits by infusing bits of culture and nuance from the country into the liquids is strong. Brands are adding new dimensions to the term ‘Indian-made’, bringing out a sense of innovation within this ‘I’."

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This marks a creative turn for a sector that, until recently, relied on standard recipes and formats. From Amrut Distilleries’s Bella rum, crafted with Karnataka-sourced jaggery, to Maka Zai’s Gud Rum from Goa, brands are spotlighting local ingredients. 

Artisan whiskies are sourcing from ayurvedic botanicals. While Smoke Lab has crafted a saffron-infused basmati rice vodka, Kumaon & I gin incorporates Himalayan spices such as Timur berry and black pepper. Fullarton’s gin has juniper berries from Mount Pumori in the Himalayan ranges.

Spirit makers credit an evolving consumer willing to experiment with new brands.

“We have differentiated our blend of gin, for instance, because we don’t want to be in the price-point game. Our craft cafe rum, for example, is infused with Indian coffee beans," said Rajiv Thadani, director at Fullarton Distilleries, which makes small-batch gins under its Pumori brand and coffee rum, Segredo Aldeia.

“Craft spirit makers are fully committing to Indian authenticity in spirit-making as an ode to the land’s provenance," added Achanta of Tulleeho. “Others include Idaaya Rum (also finished in casks that have been treated with ayurvedic ingredients), Stranger & Sons’ FILTR Martini (a blend of Indian coffee and gin), and Cherrapunji Gin, highlighting the heritage of the north-east."

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As Anant S. Iyer puts it, the infusion of Indian heritage isn’t just about catering to evolving tastes.

“Indian companies, especially gin players, have started building stories around the herbs and botanicals available in India. The key driving point for innovation is that it helps improve companies’ contribution to their bottom lines because there is a premium that these products command," pointed out Iyer, director general of the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies, a Delhi-based spirits advocacy.

The innovating and experimenting don’t stop with fancy ingredients and weaving of stories. It extends to multiple formats.

According to Ajay Shetty, founder-director of Salud Beverages Pvt. Ltd, compact sizes carry a special appeal.

“Liquor in general has had little to no innovation in many years. In order to grow the consumer base we are branching out into 50 ml glass bottles selling ready-to-drink shooters or shots," said Shetty. “No company has really focused very much on the shooters market."

Salud also uses Indian ingredients such as Himalayan and Kerala honey for mead to create local expressions wherever possible, he added.

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This explosion of local flavours has drawn the attention of several premium bars, hotels, and restaurants looking to appeal to a modern palate. 

For instance, Hyatt Hotel Corp.’s brand JdV by Hyatt-Ronil Goa has announced the launch of its signature cocktail menu that features several made-in-India spirits infused with local ingredients.

Foreign alcohol beverage brands too are taking note. 

Ventures, the investment arm of Diageo India, the maker of brands including Johnnie Walker, Black Dog, and Smirnoff, has invested in four new-age brands—NAO Spirits (the makers of Greater Than and Hāpusa Indian gin); Maya Pistola Agavepura (the makers of Pistola, an Indian-born agave spirit); zero-alcohol spirit distiller V9 Beverages; and cold-brew coffee liqueur producers Indie Brew and Spirits. 

Ventures’s involvement doesn’t stop with investments; it also gives the new-age brands access to lab facilities that can help them stir up more innovation.

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