International Gin And Tonic Day 2024: 10 Indian Gins Made With Local Botanicals To Add To Your Collection

Celebrate International Gin and Tonic Day 2024 by exploring the rich diversity of Indian gins crafted with local botanicals. From Himalayan juniper to Goan key lime, these 10 Indian gins offer a unique blend of traditional and regional ingredients, perfect for enhancing your G&T experience. Discover how these small-batch spirits reflect India's vibrant landscapes and flavours.

Gin has been enjoying an extended season in the sun, and in India, the craze around the spirit is as thriving as ever. With the rise in popularity, it has inspired many people to enter the gin space, crafting and creating new experiences that reflect the essence of Indian flavours. From Himalayan juniper to local spices and florals, so many unique ingredients have found their way into bottles from around the country. On the occasion of International Gin & Tonic Day, let's take a look at 10 unique Indian gins that have been elevated and inspired by Indian ingredients. BaaghBaagh is a smooth, citrus-forward gin inspired by the beauty of nature, featuring notes of Nagpur orange and crisp lime, with a subtle hint of spice for a refreshing G&T experience. Crafted with local crops, it supports neighbourhood farmers and contributes to rewilding and agrobiodiversity efforts through partnerships with the Balipara Foundation in Assam, making it a gin with purpose. The artwork on the bottle too reflects a scene of Indian gardens to highlight its roots.

Clearly Good Gin

Known as India's first blue gin, this unique creation from the mind of Shubham Khanna of Gin Gin this blue brew is made with botanicals such as Himalayan juniper, coriander seeds, black pepper, cinnamon bark and green chillies and is blended with citrus elements like Nagpur orange peels and Gondhoraj lime along with kaffir lime and kokum. Thanks to the inclusion of a butterfly pea flower, a splash of tonic takes this gin from deep blue to a vibrant purple hue.

Hapusa

As the first London Dry Gin in India, Greater Than was ahead of its time. But Hapusa, the second gin from Nao spirits is the one that tips its hat to Indian ingredients as the world's first Himalayan Dry Gin. Distilled in India with foraged Himalayan Juniper and locally sourced wildflowers, botanicals and spices like turmeric, Hapusa is a gin that is uniquely Indian.

Terry Sent Me!

Inspired by the speakeasy bars of the 1930s and infused with flavours like coriander, lemon, orange peel and Ghondoraj lime it's a testament to the fusion of local ingredients and an international vibe. Launched in 2022, they've already seen success and even won silver in the Contemporary Gin category at the world's largest and renowned International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC).

Kumaon & I

Kumaon & I is a complex gin from the team at Himmaleh Spirits based in Uttarakhand and celebrates the regional flavours of the hills. 11 botanicals including galangal, black turmeric, thuner leaves, coriander seeds, kinnu, kalmegh bark, timur pepper, rose and walnuts are distilled for 9 hours to create a spice-forward dry gin that embodies the region's unique flavours.

Cherrapunji Gin

Bottling the essence of Cherrapunji in the rain, this gin from Shillong is made with a host of Indian ingredients. From rainwater collected in Mawsynram, This gin captures the essence of the Northeast with distinctive ingredients. Kaji nemu, a lemon peel from Assam, adds zesty freshness with a hint of smoked tea. Khasi Mandarin, a GI-tagged fruit from Meghalaya, provides vibrant citrus notes, while juniper from the eastern Himalayas lends a classic touch. Cardamom from Sikkim and smoked tea from Manipur infuse a unique, aromatic complexity. It's also bottled in a sustainable, reusable steel bottle emblazoned with Meghalyan artwork.

Jin Jiji

Handcrafted in small batches, JIN JIJI India Dry Gin is made with Darjeeling tea and wild-foraged Himalayan juniper in Goa, where Indian and Portuguese cultures meet, this gin embodies a vibrant spirit of joy and positivity. Using copper pot distillation, it achieves a naturally clean and smooth character by removing impurities, resulting in a pure, refined gin experience.

Matinee Gin

Four never-before-seen ingredients appear in this unique blend created by duo Anjali Shahi and Lavanya Jayashankar in 2021. After experimenting with 42 different combinations, they hit upon a unique mix of snake saffron, white turmeric, kagzi lime and Goan peppercorn in addition to the standard botanicals. Spicy, sweet and citrusy, this gin offers a completely new take on the gin space.

Malhar Citrus

Malhar Gin draws inspiration from Goa's monsoon season in the Western Ghats, a UNESCO-recognised biodiversity hotspot. Its name references the Raag Malhar, believed to invoke rain when played on the sitar. The citrus version is made with Goan lime highlighting Goan key lime for a citrus-forward sip.

Mohulo

India's first sipping gin with the floral essence of the Mahua flower, Mohulo describes their experience as distilling India into a spirit. Local honey and Mahua from Madhya Pradesh are the leading ingredients in their blend along with basmati rice. This gin label draws inspiration from the Baiga tribe of Madhya Pradesh and highlights the mahua tree's significance as their "tree of life."

To read original news, Click Here.