The third edition of the Gin Explorers Club's festival in Mumbai concluded last weekend. It’s an excellent platform to discover new and exciting gins by homegrown brands as well as multinational alcohol companies. Going by the number of options crowding this space—and the rise of agave-based cocktails in bars—one might be misled to assume that there’s a gin fatigue of sorts. But, that’s not the complete picture, especially when it comes to home consumption. Anjali Batra, co-founder of the festival, says her friends call her for gin recommendations when they throw parties at home. “Few years ago, if there wasn’t a gin at home, no one was affected by it. Now, when my friends throw parties, I get calls from them not only about what gins to pick, but also they ask me about the number of bottles they would require,” she shares.
Gin, according to her, is the fastest growing category in the Indian alcohol industry now. Along with Indian brands, even global companies are investing in India’s burgeoning liquor industry. She believes flavoured gins are a big trend now; one can enjoy them on the rocks or make a quick drink with tonic.
To take your house party up a few notches, here’s a list of gins showcased at the Gin Explorer’s Festival in Mumbai.
It a fine craft gin from Japan with botanicals like yellow yuzu, Japanese red pine, bamboo, gyokuro tea and Japanese peppercorn. The result is a balanced sip that is best enjoyed on the rocks.
Cobalt, Portugal
It is considered to be the first gin produced completely in Portugal; from the base alcohol to each botanical. It’s gin from a wine region, named Douro, and Tinta Amarela grapes go into it for a refreshing spin.
Hoegaarden, Belgium
The alcohol brand, famous for its beers, showcased three flavoured gins at the festival. There’s Mediterranean Summer with distinct citrus notes, original Belgian style and the fruity bottle Parisian Romance. These are perfect for house parties with some fresh tonic and ice.
Malhar, India
John Distilleries in Goa launched two new gins in 2022; finally, they are available Mumbai. One of them is the London dry gin, and the other is a citrus-forward bottle. Those looking to sample a good homegrown gin, opt for the former.
