The Best New Indian Gins You Need To Add To Your Collection

Picture a scene: It¡¯s Saturday night, and you and your friends are gathered in your stylishly low-lit living room while Miles Davis¡¯ greatest hits play over the home pod. You¡¯re sipping your gins, fussing over the botanical notes, divining flavours like you might have done a few years ago at a wine-tasting. A gentle argument breaks out over whether the price justifies the quality of the gin that launched last week. Eventually, you all agree that taste issubjective, and that at least there¡¯s an Indian gin to cater to every palate.

Not so far from reality, is it? It¡¯s incredible to think that just half a decade ago, there were no Indian gins or even good gins at a reasonable price point in the country. Gin-drinking was reserved for aunties who lunched at Gallops or Chelmsford Club.

The launch of Greater Than in late 2017, followed by Stranger and Sons the following year, changed all that. Suddenly, Indians were drinking gin everywhere, and the floodgates had opened for new distillers and brands to come in and shine a light on the spirit across the country.

Baagh Gin

Goa might be the distilling lab of the country, but places like Gwalior are now taking inspiration and coming up with their own (see below: Chambal Gin). There¡¯s word of a new gin from the North East¡ªCherrapunji Gin from Meghalaya¡ªand at least a couple of others from other parts of India.

It¡¯s 2023, and the gin boom isn¡¯t limited to simply drinking the spirit across the nation but to entrepreneurs now making gins too. While it might seem like new gins are releasing at an ever-increasing pace in the country, many industry experts point to a number of other factors at play. There¡¯s a young, enthusiastic drinking generation with spending power, varied options for consumers, and the nation¡¯s love for botanicals (thanks to our palate for spices) that works in favour of Indian gin.

If you thought that the gin wave was slowing down with the advent of other craft spirits, here¡¯s where we tell you to hold your tonic water. A slew of new launches are slated for the coming months¡ªsome brand new, others expressions of established brands who¡¯re trying to entice newer audiences with specific palates such as coffee, lime, elderflower, and berries. Two just-released new expressions from global brand Diageo¡¯s Tanqueray portfolio in Mumbai¡ªMalacca and Rangpur Lime¡ªare proof that your gin cabinet is in no danger of staying empty for much longer.

Indeed, there hasn¡¯t been a better time than now to be a gin lover in India. Here are some Indian gins that need to be on your radar.

1. Samsara Vale Of Paradise Gin

Samsara Vale of Paradise Gin

The makers of Samsara Gin, who earlier launched The City of Pink and Secret Orchard variants, have recently brought their latest product to the market. Called Vale of Paradise, this variant is distilled with the essence of Himalayan juniper, saffron, and Kashmiri kahwa and draws inspiration from the terroir of Kashmir Valley. The new gin is part of the brand¡¯s New World Experiment series and has been released to mark their third anniversary. Some gin purists scoff at Samsara¡¯s expressions and say they taste more like liqueurs than gin, but there¡¯s no denying the popularity of the brand.

Price: ?3,200 in Goa

2. Hoegaarden Gins

A Hoegaarden beer? Yes please! Now how about a Hoegaarden Gin, that too with not one but three different expressions? The India-only offering by AB InBev includes ¡°citrus-forward Mediterranean Summer gin, Belgian Original that echoes the taste of Hoegaarden beer, and Parisian Romance, which is infused with a floral and gentle aroma of mixed berries¡±. The Belgian Original is known for its zesty notes of orange and coriander, while the Mediterranean Summer is an easy-drinking lime and rosemary spirit with hints of lemongrass and cinnamon. I sampled all three at an event in Bengaluru earlier this year and fell in love with Parisian Romance for the way the gin balances juniper with its floral components.

Price: ?3,200 in Mumbai; ?2,460 onwards in Karnataka

3. Chambal Gin

Chambal Gin

Crafted by third-generation distillers and blenders from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, Chambal Gin is inspired by the fascinating terrain of Chambal, with its untamed river, maze of ravines, and abundance of flora and fauna. The elegantly designed amber-coloured glass bottle harks back to the rustic landscape of the eponymous valley, as the torn label, with crossed rifles as the motif, drives home the point about the area¡¯s notorious past. With an interesting mix of botanicals ranging from wild cinnamon bark, black cardamom, green cardamom, dried lemon peels, almonds, and juniper berries, this gin promises to be a wild ride on your palate. Beyond the bottle¡¯s undeniable visual appeal, it is the use of two types of cardamoms that is most exciting to me.

Price: ?1,950 in Delhi

4. Stranger & Sons Sherry Cask Aged Gin

Stranger & Sons¡¯ latest creation is Sherry Cask Aged Gin. The limited-edition gin has been aged in ex-Amontillado and Oloroso sherry casks for over a year. While the use of Oloroso sherry casks for maturing whisky is well-known (thanks in large part to Paul John Oloroso Select Cask Whisky), Amontillado is a fairly new cask that brands haven¡¯t exactly played with so far. Amontillado is said to be a slow and controlled way of ageing due to its slightly porous oak, which also imparts the spirit with a darker and richer flavour profile. The gin has also been infused with wild honey sourced from forests in South India and cascara (the dried husk of coffee cherries) sourced from Chikamagalur. The bottle also comes with a grapefruit garnish spray, and the brand recommends drinking it on the rocks with a dash of the spray. Almost everyone who has tried it has loved the restrained use of sherry in the gin that still allows the botanicals to shine.

Price: ?3,499 in parts of Maharashtra; ?4,300 in Karnataka; ?2,200 in Haryana; ?3,200 in Goa

5. Baagh Gin

In a world full of juniper-forward gins, the newly launched Baagh Gin aims to position itself with a citrus-forward profile. It brings together the zestiness of Nagpur oranges with the crispiness of lime, along with subtle hints of spice. Baagh, meaning garden, sources ingredients directly from farmers, and the makers say the gin pairs well with just simple tonic water instead of specialty mixers or flavorings. Baagh¡¯s direction of sourcing from farmers directly is commendable. We¡¯re waiting to try this one with bated breath.

Price: ?1,950 in Mumbai

6. Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru Murcian Lemon Gin

Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru Murcian Lemon is a 47% ABV super-premium expression celebrating Spain¡¯s Murcia region and its exceptional citrus fruits. The gin features Murcian Fino lemons along with mandarins and sweet navel oranges, which give this gin a distinct bittersweet taste. The Murcian Fino lemons are produced from a single late harvest and are hand-picked and hand-peeled when they are ripest to ensure the most intense citrus aromas and flavours are harnessed. The makers have also laid emphasis on the elegant bottle design and premium cork closure to differentiate it from other gins. Last year¡¯s Sunset Edition was a decent gin, but with this expression, Bombay Sapphire has hit it out of the park with a spirit that one can savour over long summer hours.

Price: ?5,500 in Maharashtra

7. Happiness In A Bottle Gins

Happiness In A Bottle Gins

From the makers of Jaisalmer Gin comes Happiness in a Bottle. We¡¯ll forgive Radico Khaitan's slightly OTT name for the expressions it has to offer in the collection. Featuring three gins named Joy of Juniper, Joy of Citrus, and Joy of Pink, they all feature ashwagandha as a botanical. The Joy of Citrus gin uses Gondhoraj lemon, grapefruit, and lemon leaf for its botanicals, while the Joy of Pink gin features strawberry, pink grapefruit, lychees, rose petals, pink pepper, and hibiscus flower. While all three expressions sound impressive, we¡¯re rooting for Joy of Citrus, which centres West Bengal¡¯s Gondhoraj lemon for a burst of citrus unlike any others.

Price: ?2,000 onwards in select stores in Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, Goa, and Rajasthan

With so many interesting gins to pick from, the only question that remains is, which one will you pick first?