THE CABINET GIN

Varun Murpana is back with another white spirit after introducing Billionaire, the country's first gluten-free vodka. It's gin this time.

Murpana, who comes from a jewelry manufacturing family, founded Sonar Beverages approximately two years ago in Palghar, near Mumbai, and follows the 'distill in America, bottle in India' model. He claims that sales of Billion Air (Rs 19,990 a bottle in Mumbai) have exceeded expectations, and Murpana expects Cabinet to do the same. "It's a traditional London Dry gin," he adds, "juniper-and-cucumber-forward with a bit of spice." The gin, which is set to be released next month, would cost less than Rs 2,000 in Mumbai.

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BLACK BOW HIMALAYAN WHISKEY

The notion of a 'Himalayan' whiskey is not new—Solan No 1 has been there and done that—but Ginglani Distillers, a four-year-old company, is attempting to extend the category and make it more appealing to millennials. Enter Black Bow, a Solan brew brewed with "Himalayan water and malts aged at approximately 6,000 feet." The whiskey, which was soft-launched in northern India last year, costs Rs 900 in Mumbai.

MAYA PISTOLA AGAVEPURA

Over a decade after Desmond Nazareth pioneered the Indian agave market with DesmondJi, the country's first agave-based spirit, Maya Pistola Agavepura, or simply Pistola, joins the fray. The liquor is produced at Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, from wild agave Americana that grows abundantly in the Deccan. In Goa, it is matured, mixed, and bottled. The artisanal spirit is the PassCode Spirits Company's first release by Rakshay and Radhika Dhariwal.

Pistola is a Reposado ('rested' in Spanish) spirit that has been matured for roughly five months in virgin American White Oak and ex-Bourbon barrels. It is aimed directly at individuals who want to drink their tequila rather than shoot it. Maya Pistola Agavepura costs Rs 2,695 in Goa.

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GODAWAN SINGLE MALT

Diageo India, the country's largest liquor company, is working on the introduction of Godawan, a new line of single malts. While the firm wants to keep the development under wraps, word on the street is that the numbered, limited edition drams are an additional indication of the corporation's aim to dominate the craft spirits industry.

A "rich and rounded" whiskey matured in Pedro Ximenez Sherry Barrels and a delicious, spicy whisky aged in cherry wood casks are among the types. And here's where things get really interesting: the second whiskey is said to be "selectively finished with unique Indian botanicals.

Whisky connoisseurs are naturally fascinated. "I'm not sure if it qualifies as a single malt whiskey. Single malt whiskies are required to be matured in oak barrels. Furthermore, the 'botanicals' section is perplexing." "According to Surinder Kumar, a whiskey expert and former Amrut master distiller. "Direct use of any additional ingredients for the finishing of single malt is not permitted, unless these botanicals are infused in the wood prior to the single malt being finished in such specific barrels using a particular process." We, along with whiskey experts and lovers, will learn the whole picture in March, when the whiskies are set to be released.

INDRI SINGLE MALT

Piccadily Distilleries, based in Karnal, Haryana, is one of India's leading malt whiskey makers and one half of the team behind the introduction of Kamet Whisky in early 2021. Piccadily has now soft-launched the Indri single malt whisky collection in Haryana. Trini, the initial expression, is called by the barrels used to age the whisky: ex-bourbon, ex-wine, and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. Picaddily describes the scent as having "undertones of black tea and traces of spicy tannins," and the taste as "smooth and toasty... with nutty tastes and hints of burned pineapple and raisins."

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