Tag: Indian Beverage

Nurturing Nature

Undoubtedly, wine is among nature’s choicest gifts; the grape’s leap toward immortality. But the best part about wines is that it’s the oldest natural beverage that solicits practically no human intervention. The grape vine is an ivy plant, much like the omnipresent money plant. Just like growing a money plant needs little more than a leaf left in water, sans soil, nutrients, fertilisers or even sun; grapevines flourish almost as independently. The fruit brings natural sweetness, the yeast in the air feeds on it, and voila, you have wine. Since wines weren’t an invention as much as a discovery, it’s only fitting that we, as consumers, would attempt to create better wines. Ironically, winemakers are now designing wineries, equipment, and processes in tune with natural elements to advance nature’s largesse.

LET GRAVTY BE

Wineries, much like other buildings have long been constructed over the ground. However, an increasing number of winemakers today are aligning with the principles of gravity to create underground wineries for a plethora of reasons. This stems from the simple idea that winemaking is mostly a vertical process. So while the land you deploy to create a winery might be limited, there is no end to how deep one can go.

Pernod Ricard’s star winery Campo Viejo in Rioja, Spain, is built inside a natural hill that has been hollowed to home a winery inside. From the outside it may look like a natural feature in continuation of the scenic landscape, but inside its belly runs a meticulous operation, quite like Dr. Evil’s lair in the movie Austin Powers. Grapes are sourced from the vineyards, taxied to the top of the hill, and carefully dropped into the pneumatic presses. The nectar is pressed out, which continues to flow into the chambers below with fermentation tanks lined up with absolute precision. After fermentation is over, these finished wines are moved to the level below where an ocean of oak barrels await. Once these wines are rested enough to reach their desired age statement—Crianza, Reserva, or Gran Reserva—they descend to the floor below where they are bottled and shipped out. All aligned with nature’s free will and flowing with gravity.

Similarly, the Charosa Vineyards in Nashik in India, the winery was constructed on the principals of gravity from its inception. This natural force ensures these fragile berries are only hustled as much as nature desires them to be. The gentle movement, as opposed to pumping, also ensures that the juices and finished wines face no friction. Whenever pumped aggressively or with pressure, liquids create bubbles. These are nothing but oxygen, which is wines’ biggest enemy, turning them to vinegar.

GOING BELLY UP

Underground wineries also allow other benefits such as the restricted infiltration of light. Wines rest like us human beings. Just like darkness ensures a good night’s rest, so also light causes wines to alter their colour, and can cause alterations in their acidity, tannins, and flavours. Light also causes heat and pressure, causing stress to the liquid, often leaving a tired flavour profile. More so since wines are usually aged for extended durations before they are released. In case of Barolos and Champagnes, wines stay in these cellars from a couple of years to up to a decade, for Brunello di Montalcinos it could even be a decade and half or more. Hence, sleeping at peace almost becomes imperative. These underground caves also compress vibrations from the movements above and provide consistent cool temperatures throughout the year.

NATURE MEETS TECHNOLOGY

Even before glass bottles were introduced in the 1780s, steel’s promotion had been cemented during the post-industrial revolution, but winemakers preferred with oak and concrete. While oak is still an unmissable feature in wineries, concrete lost its sheen. It couldn’t be moved easily, the size couldn’t be negotiated, cleaning was a mess, and there was barely any temperature control possible in these mini room-sized fixtures. However, concrete has made a comeback to become the Yeezys and the Nike Airs of wineries now, with contributions from technology, of course. Since it makes most sense to toy with natural elements at a winery, amphoras and concrete tanks are back in vogue and Grover Zampa Vineyards are championing this drive, especially now with their uber-prestigeous Signet collection. Greeks and the Armenians, the oldest winemakers, used to ferment, store, and ship wines around in Amphorae (matka). Their clay is a tad coarse for a newly-made wine, however, eventually turns in to a soothing nurturer. The tannin integration gets cosier, fruit extraction gets brighter, and delivers a mouthfeel and structure unparalleled to that from stainless steel or bottlerested wine. Concrete eggs are also increasingly stealing space in fermentation halls. Shaped like an actual egg- -inverted or not—they provide a rotation and constant movement to the liquid inside, keeping it at work even while it’s resting, extracting the most out of the produce. The skins and solid liquid remain suspended throughout rather than as a bed of solids or a cake floating up top.

SUSTAINABILITY

Superlative wines are not only a result of what happens within the winery, but what transpires outside and around it as well. A winery’s design isn’t confined to its physical structure; it is soulless without its operations and thought-fuelled design. Wineries are industrial setups that constantly guzzles resources; if they only take from nature, the relationship will be short lived. After all, it is nature that maketh the wine!

The country’s biggest winemaker, Sula Vineyards, is pioneering a project that works in tune with nature, turning the carbon cycle backwards. They’ve also championed wine tourism in the country, quickly becoming among the most sustainable winery in the world! From minimising their dependency on coal-fuelled power grid to making their own solar energy, reprocessing all water being used at the winery, to using battery operated mobile vehicles, and employing organic farm to table produce on site, to planting over 10,000 trees each year, Sula ensures that the ecosystem that delivers commendable quality produce also marches in step with nature. As they say, societies thrive when a generation plants trees knowing they’ll never enjoy its fruit and shade.

Tags Indian Beverage

Articles Spirits Wines

Toasting India

The Indian spirits industry is currently going through an ‘Aha’ moment; rather late, considering it is one of thelargest consumers of spirits globally. Despite that overwhelming factoid, India’s own produce has been remarkably underwhelming, until recently. This newfound-glory is rather neoteric, and goes back a dozen years ago when Indian single malts stunned global palates. Even though, India is a predominantly whisky market, our gins are in
their adolescence, rums yet to shine, and wines only slowly warming up to the chase. Through this still-nascent evolution though, our drams are altering, becoming increasingly eclectic and versatile, and we are now crafting elixirs that are unprecedented and equally exciting. These drinks of the future demand your attention and will command space on your shelves in the times to come. So here’s your chance to dive in. Bottoms up!

PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE

If ‘what goes around comes around’ was a rum, it’d be Camikara. India took sugarcane to the world centuries ago, and we may have created rum’s early renditions as well, found in our Sanskrit text under a loosely-clubbed word ‘Shidhu’. After missing the rum boat ages ago, we’re finally waving its flag in the country with a handful of labels to pick from. Camikara, from the creators of Indri Whisky, is a 12-year-old rum, made purely from cane juice, aged in ex-Bourbon casks, of which only 1200 bottles could be retained for Indians. Bottled at 50% ABV, 94 per cent of all the liquid that was put to cask back in 2009, was swallowed by the unforgiving sultry summers of India’s tropical ageing. So while it’s a dozen years old, in true sense, it might actually be half a century wise! This is because India’s proximity to the equator ages our spirits four times faster than that in Scotland. Inspired from the Sanskrit text ‘Chamikara’, meaning ‘liquid gold’, it has a Cognac VS colour, dense and opulent. The rum is layered with fruity, floral, citrus, tertiary, and oxidative notes. The mellow, velvety palate is finely integrated, and with its high proof allowing sip-ability it compels you to hold it on the palate endlessly. I’d relish it neat, against ceremonially tempering it with water, which puts Camikara among a rare breed. But is it just a rare, one-hit, wonder? Nope. There’s a younger, 8-year-old sibling that releases early February that will remain a constant offering for the Indian palate, which too will be an unprecedented feat. Available in Gurgaon at ₹6,200

COFFEE FEVER

Coffee has become something of a cultural phenomenon now. Craft roasters deliver fresh beans to your doorstep, and the narrative is punctuated with a new verbiage that includes grinds, roasts, equipment, terroir, nuances, storage etc. What they have accomplished in the non-alcoholic beverage segment is unprecedented. However, their full-of-beans enthusiasm seems to have percolated into drams as well. Commendable lieutenants of the brigade, Bira’s Malabar Stout, Greater Than’s No Sleep Gin, Segredo Aldeia’s Cafe Rum, have all highlighted the need for more such elixirs. Enter Quaffine, an Indian coffee liqueur, and our answer to the Kahluas and Tia Marias of the world. “Indian produce is on the up, and how. However, we are yet to receive equivalent glory for our liqueurs, which have been mostly neglected. We are the 7th largest coffee-growers in the world, but there isn’t that much to show for,” says co-founder and distiller Nikhil Varma. What makes Quaffine unprecedented is its departure from its predecessors that use coffee extracts or flavourings and caramel. True to source, Chikmagalur coffee is roasted to a medium dark consistency, ground in Goa, and delicately cold brewed for a day, and then introduced to sugar and spirit, and matured further for two weeks before bottling. It makes for a brilliant drink by itself, sans the boozy jolt or
cloying mouthfeel of a syrupy sticky concoction. Quaffine has elegant ethereal tones of cocoa, warm spices, earthiness, and a play of caramel touches. Think Melody meets Kismi Toffee Bar; throw it in a coffee highball, or in the world’s most relished cocktail, Espresso Martini. We preferred ours with a pinch of sea salt and orange rind. “Quaffine is just water, coffee, sugar, and spirit, that’s all; yet, there’s so much to do. We’ll be toying with single estate batches, different roast levels, several coffee types, and what not, so they will soon become a collectible”, adds Varma. Available in Goa at ₹1,650

TASTE OF JAMMU

India’s proximity to the equator renders our spirits to age four times faster than that in Scotland. Therefore, we don’t produce age-statement usuals of 12-18-25 year olds. But that fast-forward ageing regime is somewhat negated by
the pristine air, weather, and waters of Jammu. Much like the essence of their softly-spoken dialect and delicately nuanced fare, GianChand is a recent admission to the Indian single malt whisky lineup; it is an expression of its
terroir. Where most single malts try and arrest you at initiation with their complexity, GianChand wraps you with its
charm, discernment, and grace–arguably the most subtle and intricate of the lot. Dewan Gian Chand, the founder of DeVans, that produces the whisky, was a journalist, who also owned the first liquor store in Jammu and a printing press, and operated a newspaper in the region. In 1961 he turned to distillation, creating malt whiskies that his son, Prem Dewan took over in 1982 and quickly accumulated 8,000 barrels. GianChand is a son’s ode to the aspirations of his father, and the land of big hearts. It ages for up to five years in first-fill Bourbon casks, gaining a candied tone, a
light ripe fruits-meets-savoury perfume that’s further accentuated by the earthy, sherried, smokey touches on the finish. Soon to be a trio, GianChand will see a peated and a completely unpeated variant as well. Available in Delhi at ₹4,490

SWEET DELICACIES

If you’ve ever eaten a raisin, you’re no stranger to the Moscato grape. The pride of Piedmont, beyond its age-worthy Barolo and Barbaresco wines, finest black truffles, Nutella and Ferrero Rocher dolces, and Fiat cars, Moscato di Asti
and Asti Spumante are among the most delectable sweet drops of the wine world. And after a glorious run with Sangiovese and Nero di Avola on the Indian turf at various vineyards, Sula Vineyards introduced another Italian varietal to their backyards and created the first Asti-style sweet bubbly under its premium label. They’re flirting with candied bubblies in the country. First they had a tryst with their Aussie-styled semi-sweet Sparkling Shiraz, and now The Source Moscato is an extension of the same line-up, though a complete opposite of the former. Sparkling Shiraz is red, a tad tannic, and bodacious, while The Source Moscato offers softness, delicate perfumes of white peaches and florals, and Fox’s lemon candy’s sweet citrus with a creamy mousse from the bubbles. Sula has added many firsts to Indian wine, among them, The Source Moscato is the most exciting for me. It works dynamically as a picnic wine, a brunching proposition, an aperitif, a light dessert wine, and an all-round summer sipper. It also breaks the monotony of the Chenin Blanc-based sweet wines and opens up the gates for experimenting and adding something new and unprecedented to the Indian bouquet. Cheers! Available in Maharashtra, The Source Moscato at ₹1,495, Sparkling Shiraz at ₹1,450

RETURNING TO ROOTS

Down history’s glorious passage, wines have always rested and travelled in claypots: ‘Amphoras’. These were giant earthern jugs that were used before the use of oak, steel, or glass; think ‘matkas’ at homes in summers. India has also romanced these as some remains of these Roman amphoras are on display in the museums in Kochi. Grover Zampa, the oldest still-operating Indian winery, is returning to this vessel for crafting wines. The price tag may be tall but their offer of great taste is even taller. Signet is Grover Zampa’s single vineyard series, based solely around Shiraz, that’s been aged for over a year in amphoras, 1000 and 2000 litre foudres, concrete tanks, and the finest of oaks to
create not just a fresh perspective on the varietal and its agreeability with ageing, but also bringing the focus back on its carrier. Clay has naturally been used for refrigeration, enabling a slow fermentation, gentle formation of flavours, and thanks to its porosity, allowing microoxygenation to create more graceful nuances. This makes the 2019 Signet Shiraz Amphora hauntingly aromatic with a highly perfumed floral, purple and sweet dark fruits, jamun syrup, berry compote, and jammy notes. It’s tricky to decode as the wine is a baby in the cot right now, and uncorking it this early
would be criminal. However, the palate is refreshing, uber-smooth, with juicy acidity, and pleasing round tannins. The
fruit is yet to open up, segregate, and spread itself in to layers, and it holds intense promise to please even more, later in its life cycle. Available in Karnataka & Maharashtra at ₹4,000

GINEOUS MASTERSTROKE

The team behind India’s first craft gin, Greater Than, likes to experiment and offer out-of-the-box beverages. While everyone was producing gins with Macedonian Juniper, they went off-track to craft one with Himalayan Juniper: Hapusa. Their No Sleep coffee gin had just gone on shelves when they surprised us with another masterstroke, ‘Broken Bat’. Founder, Anand Virmani, and his crew, had us believe that they were crowd-sourcing old, used bats
to create a fence around their distillery. Instead, they turned them into chips, roasted them in their distiller’s home-oven, and rested their OG gin on them to create what the world had never seen before. Mad-hatters right? “Broken Bat, with its cricket connection, is globally relevant. We too thought of barrel ageing initially but then it wouldn’t have been unique. After tinkering with a ton of local woods, our cricket inspiration kicked in and we were bowled over. You remember the ad from a few World Cups ago? It said ‘Eat Cricket, Sleep Cricket’, now we’ve added ‘Drink Cricket’ to that as well”, says the proud creator. This gin-meets-whisky sort of elixir has an alluring nose that fills you with nostalgia, simultaneously transporting you to Deodar-filled forests of Uttarakhand. It is smokey, leathery, tad savoury and spicy, while retaining its botanical spine. Guess what? Of the 24 crowd-sourced bats, five English Willow bats arrived from the UK and there might even be a limited release. The British brought us cricket, introduced us to gin, and now we’ll make it greater; ‘Lagaan’ encore eh? Nonetheless, Broken Bat will remain the unprecedented ode to India’s love for cricket in a bottle. Virmani says consume it the way you enjoy your whisky–on ice, with soda, or water, even coke. I enjoyed it in a citrus-kissed, crisp Martini. Available in Goa at ₹1,650

Published first in India Today Spice, January 2023

Tags Indian Beverage, Spirits, Wine

Articles Agave Cocktails Spirits

The surge of Agave in India – A beyond the shots story

Post author By Gagan Sharma
Post date November 30, 2022
No Comments on The surge of Agave in India – A beyond the shots story

TEQUILA & AGAVE THEN

A decade ago, no party wrapped before a round of Tequila shots, followed by morning vows of never touching the spirit again. Those shots were simply about ‘give me something cheap, that I could gulp without tasting’. Neither was there any knowledge about the drink, nor any motivation to look beyond those cheap labels. And why would there be any? Who spent on shots anyway, right? The definition of your mid-20s wouldn’t even be the same if you were told those salt rimmed, lemon wedge-backed fiery liquids weren’t even pure Tequilas, definitely not the culturally-driven Mexican heritage drink. Whose heritage is built on shooting drinks anyway? All that is now changing, finally.

TEQUILA & AGAVE NOW

The pandemic moved us from straight drinks to cocktails and trying new spirits at it. What drove it was leisure drinking and their mixability. Those heavily aged, have-encyclopaedic-knowledge-before-approaching-me brown spirits were pushed away by easier, amicable white ones. While in India it was gin, pure premium Tequilas took the global pie. Since 2010, the market has doubled, it’s further growing ferociously, with the premium Tequilas peaking at an 83% fold! It’s probably amongst those rare categories that didn’t dip during Covid, instead it soared. There was all the time, and intent, to let go of those horrible past experiences, unlearn, and relearn about the drink that was never really befriended. And this newly discovered love for agave spirits and Tequilas is going to keep bars and imbibers spirited for a pretty long time.

AGAVE BEYOND TEQUILA

Once you go pure, you don’t return to that edgy firewater. Though ‘Tequila’ has been much bastardised into a common nomenclature for all things shots and made from agave, there’s an unexplored colony of drinks beyond it. Agave too, much like grains and grapes, isn’t the sole base, there’re many more. However, Tequila hails from a GI-tagged region of Mexico with certain quality and prestige attached, think Champagne in France, Scotch in whiskies, or Cognac in brandies. Within Tequila there’s a study of Puro and Mixtos, latter being a mix of base ingredients against a single origin 100% agave based spirit, generally considered much inferior but to mad scientist and a playful genius its allows the proposition to breakfree from the straightjacket of norms and definitions and experimenting unabashedly. Then there’s also the much cult, crafty, rural, and revered Mezcal which by all means is a connoisseurs’ and aficionados’ delight. There’s also Sotol, considered the lesser loved child of the family, that has its own status of sorts locally. And then there’re spots like Califonia, Japan, Australia, Peru, Venezuela, and of course India, that produce the spirit and keep it simply under the title ‘agave spirits’. If anything, even if we mistakenly call all drinks ‘Tequila’, it’s as expansive a proposition as most respected drams.

AGAVE IN INDIA

Patron, Don Julio, Corralejo, El Jimador, Herradura Tequilas and Creyente, Del Maguey, Clase Azul Mezcals have globally been drivers for the premium category, and now India has added to the list with its homegrown label, Pistola Agavepura. I’d happily sip on either and I do occasionally pick them over well-aged malts and rums. Rakshay Dhariwal, the suave hospitality superhero who heads SAZ, Ping’s Oriental, Jamun, and Asia’s 50 Best Bars ranker PCO in the capital, wanted to be creative during the lockdown and birthed Pistola. “Before the pandemic, we saw clients drifting towards premium Tequilas and asked us to source special bottles. These were proper 100% Puro de Agave labels, so they knew what they were drinking. I wanted to follow this shift. During lockdown I wondered how else can I get to people’s homes besides food, which we had been doing anyway. I thought of creating everything from bottled cocktails to tonic water, to our own gin, but settled for an agave based drink that’d put India on the map”

Much like wines, ciders, rums, and cognacs, anything that’s made with fruits or plants is heavily influenced by provenance and terroir. Agave drinks are no different. India’s tryst with the plant goes back a couple of centuries! India has a ton growing wildly in the weirdest of places from Shimla to the Deccan Plateau. “When Queen Victoria visited India, she ordered planting agave bordering railway tracks to protect animals from hitting them”, Rakshay shares. Deccan Plateau’s red soil and rather barren lands graciously welcome the plant in its laps. It’s enough not only to cater to Indian palates, even to be exported. Who knew? And who knows what potential the Indian terroir holds? It may take the world by a storm, right? However, what’s foremost is purity.

PROVENANCE MATTERS

‘100% Puro de Agave’ is a spirit made purely from agave plants. If you’ve been drinking spirits under the (say) INR1800-2000 mark, chances are they aren’t Puro, instead they’re what’s called Mixtos, created from a variety of base ingredients. Though a dominant and essential part of the game, it’s not what’s driving the change. These Puro de Agave spirits offer an experience, a glimpse into the heritage of its producer, and will always be expensive. It takes seven kilos of agave to make a litre of Puro spirit, and agave isn’t cheap. Befriending the spirit is as geeky an affair as that of Cognacs, single malt whiskies, and age-statement rums. It solicits patience, trials, and indulgence. Social media plays an important role in driving these changes. And who influences better than celebrities?

CELEBRTIES STEP IN

Celebs have been biting into the agave craze since George Clooney got in and sold his label, Casamigos, for a whooping USD1 billion. Teremana (The Rock), Lobos 1707 (LeBron James), Cincoro (Michael Jordan), Villa One (Nick Jonas), Don Ramon (Pierce Brosnan) and 818 (Kendall Jenner) have all followed suit. “They definitely help the category grow and can open gateways to open craft spirits too”, says Bacardi India’s Jonas Ax who’s heading Patron. Rakshay too concurs, “they not only make people drink better, also add a certain oomph to drinks & rituals”. If Tequila has been the drink of the Hispanics, celebs’ endorsements definitely open the market to other communities. Though, there’re visible ups, there are some sour notes too. Kendall Jenner has been heavily criticised for everything, from sipping her tequila on ice to flagrantly stepping into an industry she knows nothing about just to make her even richer. Some believe the sheen of celebrity can divert attention from the nuances of Tequila, its provenance, and heritage, which actually make it a great drink. The fine line between homage and appropriation is blurring. However, for the Indian denizens, that’s a worry for a far distant future.

BARTENDERS’ POISON

Be it neat, on ice, with a dash of sparkling water, or through cocktails, the agave spirits’ bug will catch you for sure. Considered the most mixable spirit, bartenders are halleluah-ing every passing moment. At the end of US’s prohibition era (circa1930-40s), cocktail revolution brought Margaritas to the fore and they’ve not really left, albeit TGIF and Ruby’s Tuesday’s awful syrupy concoctions. Picantes, Palomas, Margaritas, not only accentuate the provenance, prowess, finesse of the base spirit and are loved equally on either side of the bar. “Earlier it was gin, now there’s a rapid shift towards agave spirits. In our new menu, there are 8 agave based cocktails, a drastic increase from just 3. Agave spirits and spices go well, they do justice to Indian palates, and we’re trying to bring classics back with a new touch. Even our guest ask us, what else can we do with the spirit” shares Navjot Singh, head bartender of Lair, New Delhi, that’s single handedly responsible for bringing Picante in the limelight and making Paloma sexy again.

WHAT DO WE DO?

Rakshay is already adding more shades to Pistola’s spectrum with a Joven, Anejo, Phoenix Anejo, and an interesting Rosa, a cabernet Sauvignon barrel aged Reposado with a pink hue. Patron has already made a honey and coffee flavoured rendition. Especially in India where there’s no right path to the spirit and a lack of definition for local produce, the opportunities are endless. And with the advent of Indian gin, conversations about flavours have only expanded. “There’s definitely a market for flavoured variants, we’re a population of 1.4billion, there’s space for everything, just not now”, Rakshay shares. Jonas too agrees “we’d like people to decode the spirit first and then move to flavoured ones, they definitely take the inhibition away and are imperative”.

India is already upping the revelries. Jai Solanki, the crafty chef and owner of Lair, New Delhi, is gearing up to open the floodgates for local palates and hosting the first-even Agave Fest in Goa in January. In the carnival spirit to Goa, it’ll bring together gastronomic meccas, revered bars and their mixologists, and connoisseurs alike over thumping music lineups, games and more over 6-7th January at W Goa. Who would’ve though we’d see that in India? If that’s not a sign, then what is?

Whichever way you look at it, this is not a fad. With this instant influx there’ll be a bubble that’ll burst, acting as an imperative balancer. Nonetheless, once you’ll befriend a pure agave spirit, you’ll not return to those edgy, rough, firewater of spirits that filled your shot glasses. And to that itself we can raise a toast. Salud !!

First published on India Today Spice, November 2022

Tags Cocktails, Indian Beverage, Personalities, Spirits, Tequila

Articles Spirits Trade

A Taste of Feni

Much like there’s very little sense in reading versions of Indian history written by European historians, it’s imperative Indians talk about their own heritage drinks. If Mexico has Mezcal, and Japan has Sake, India has Feni, the undisputed unofficial ambassador of the land and its people. Despite Feni having gone global, yet is still coaxing Indians, young and old, to drink and own it. Dawning the ‘Heritage Spirit’ tag like an albatross around its neck, it’s accessible to the world but not to Indians outside of Goa because of our convoluted laws. Things are changing though, and with that the image and acceptability of this fiery country liquor is steadily gaining favour.

On the onset I must confess, after being a trade professional for over a decade, I knew as little about Feni as you do today. At all my visits I looked for its two avatars – coconut and cashew – and brought them back sealed packed. Much like the King’s beer effect, which only tastes good at Goan shacks but not otherwise, Feni made for an unpopular choice at home soirees in Delhi. The resort, hence, was to make a punch with the locally produced coconut flavoured Cabo, pineapple juice, fruit slices, topped up with a limey soda, serve extra chilled. Feni made me feel like an outsider, an outcast, and the feeling was mutual. It was only this year when I returned to Goa and visited this charming Distillery in South Goa- Fazenda Cazulo, that I befriended the drink. All it needed was to be looked at from a different window, and Hansel Vaz, founder of Cazulo Premium Feni, provided just that. It also came at a time when Goa is deemed the epicentre for craft spirits production. And if at all there should be a quintessential first stop, it should be for Feni!

Coconut, Cashew and more

Though coconut and cashew are the most known expressions, astoundingly I found that a Feni could come in about 26 expressions, pure distillations, botanical expressions and even liqueurs- clearly carving out a niche for itself, not just as a drink, but a drink category by itself! While cashew Feni boasts a GI Tag, the cashew fruit itself was only introduced to India by the Portuguese in the 16th CE. What’s cool about this fruit from the Amazon rainforest, is that thrives on the red infertile hard rocky hills of Goa, and when Hansel says ‘Drink Feni and Save Goa’ he has a point! To distill more Feni Goa will need to plant millions of more cashew trees which in turn could save Goa’s pristine hills and keep Goa green forever for the future! Its interesting that the first mention of the distillation in Goa was in 1545, by a Dutch spy who described the process of Coconut Feni. Going back nearly 500 years now, no Indian drink has helped shape a civilization as much as Feni has.

Feni – Matrimony

Feni culture stands unique in many ways. Firstly, it’s amongst the only six drinks in the world that are still fermented through a process called ‘underground natural fermentation’ in huge claypots called ‘Matheichi bhann’. The skill and craftmanship for making these claypots was so specialized that it even decided who and how the Potter married back then. Hansel shares that potters needed to be tall and slim, tall- for longer arms to make bigger and deeper pots- for batch consistency, and slim so that when they bend their paunch would’t leave a flat spot! To ensure the distilleries stayed loyal to the potter and his similar sized vessels, tall slim potters would look for equally shaped mates!! The shape of a pot decided your life partner, so much for a drink, eh!

Man over Machine

Secondly, while everyone gained from the Industrial revolution, Feni seem to have skipped it entirey. We barely heard any technical jargons on our visit, let alone spotting a scientific tool or equipment. Feni production relies on the best human gifts, their senses, intuition, and wisdom of age- all fine tuned over generations. At every stage from cashew juice to Feni, the distiller only looks and listens to gauge how far in the process are they. A quick fermentation of the cashew juice to 8% Cashew wine, followed by a rapid first distillation up 30%, and ended with a slow, low heat distillation upto 37-45% thrid distillate- without any discernable cuts for head, heart, tails of the cashew spirit. Feni is unique because, where most spirits are distilled to a higher strength and then brought down with distilled water, Feni is the only spirit that is distilled directly to ‘drinking strength’. Without a refractometer and hydrometer, how does one know at what strength? The answer lies in the etymology of the spirit’s name. Interestingly, “Feni” is derived from the Konkani word for bubbles- ‘fenn’. The distiller pours the spirit in a small glass and watches the size and shape of the bubbles which is indicative of its strength. Nope they don’t event taste it, so much so at Cazulo the distiller has a vow of refraining from drinking on the job. Interestingly this ‘bubble test’ is practiced in Mexico by Mezcal distillers as well!

The laws around Feni

Even the way to govern the production of Feni is unique. Feni laws date back to around 1735, which are curiously still followed even today. One unique law is the Annual auction; Goa’s cashew orchards divided into ‘Zones’ are each auctioned twice, one for collecting fruits and then again for distillation. In Goa uniquely cashews can’t be plucked, to ensure perfect ripeness in fruit and flavour and thus can only be picked from the floor. While the first Auction allows the winning bidder only to use the cashew nuts, the second auction ensures the right to distill- only if he can buy the fruits from the first distiller! This practice lead to the entire community coming together and cooperating for a very sustainable economy, and self employing while value adding in creating the Feni economy- from the cashew fruit which ordinarily is considered an agricultural waste product. How wonderful!

Goa’s Feni laws are unique in its way of collecting ‘Duty’ for Feni production. Here, Excise Duty is paid on the number of Cashew or Coconut trees on the farm, and not on the volume of Feni they produce. Sounds confusing, but when I enquired Hansel about the rather unusual practice he said, “some smart bureaucrat figured that it is easier to hide or fudge production figures, than it is to hide a tree!”

Logical, I say! The first distillate of cashew fruit is called ‘Urraca’. It’s a tasty heady drink generally drunk with salt, lime, and a slit green chilli, topped with Limca. Interestingly the summer favorite and much loved Urraca is also deliberately not defined in Goa Excise laws, curiously because it thus cannot be branded or retailed, and only sold unlabelled. That came to me as a surprise, and yet again I turned to Hansel seeking a logical explanation. He smiled and said, “if it is defined you can sell it, and if you sold it, what will you have left to distill a Feni?”. The first distillate called Urraca is re-distilled into a Cashew Feni. Now I know he smiled at my foolishness, not my innocence.

At Fazenda Cazulo- a centuries old feni distillery, guests are invited to understand the Feni-making process before sampling them. Much like any other spirit, Feni distillation puts a ton of sense in decoding the drink. Hansel is an amazing storytelling and translates traditional knowledge to modern audiences with ease. While cashew is produced only over three months and so limited in production; one may think because coconut Feni is produced all year round it would be affordable. The reality is far from it. Coconut Feni isn’t made from coconut water but from its flower’s bud nectar and only skilled toddy tappers collect it. This craft of Toddy tapping unfortunately is dwindling. Unless modernization can solve the problem of unavailability of coconut toddy, coconut feni will remain a pricier proposition, however, only in comparison.

The ‘Floating Feni’ Experience

Fazenda Cazulo’s signature Feni tasting expereince is the ‘Floating Feni’, where Feni’s are served and paired with a platter of colourful and interesting fruits, sweets, savouries items. Now being a sommelier I understand food and wine pairing and sort of knew what to expect. But bringing that view from the same window to this table was simply foolish. Feni doesn’t follow the European food pairings that say wines do. For that matter, the universal favourites like nuts, cheese, or citruses just do not agree with Cashew Feni on the palate. Who would’ve thought! Hansel again had our attention. They instead work with green chillies, bell pepper, green apple, guava, local delicacies like bimli, perad, tilia doce (sesame sweet), doce de grao (channa sweet), chorice pao, olives and more. Every time I thought I got a grip of the drink, it toppled me over. I needed an understanding of the drink the way I understand it best – in cocktails.

From ‘Bhann’ to the ‘Shaker Tin’

India’s best and Asia’s #4 bar is barely a few minutes drive from Cazulo’s distillery. Pankaj Balachandran and Arijit Bose, along Hansel’s younger brother Donovan Vaz, and Cazulo’s brand ambassador Karl Fernandes run Bar Tesouro. One easily notices that the first page of their menu is entirely dedicated to Feni cocktails- a bold step for any bar. Even a unique Feni called Dukshiri features on the menu, made from the roots of a rare plant- Indian Sarsaparilla . Now on tasting Feni the first time one may not agree with it, however Karl puts it in a simple way. He says “while eating a green chillies whole and by itself may not enjoyable, mixed in a curry and it adds personality and lifts it up. Similarly, you have to learn to use feni and a classic like a Negroni or a Margarita makes it more acceptable and enjoyable”. I was glad I received this gyaan on Day 1 of my week-long stay in Goa and all I did thereafter was to drink just that. So much so I craved from them once back in Delhi. I found a way to exploit all those bottles I had been stacking over the years.

What next?

As the demand and understanding of Feni grows, producers are also pushing for new paths. First on charts is making it available for sales outside of Goa. For that they need more supplies, that’re already available. Feni is already priced five times more in Canada than in India! Maharashtra government recently allowed using their cashew fruits for a Feni-styed spirit production, which may seem progressive, however doesn’t serve the Goan Feni distillers’ purpose. The vocal for local wave also couldn’t serve much for Feni given its limitation to the state because of its G.I. However, in this era when India is going through a cocktail revolution, Feni has gained much limelight. Places like Bar Tesouro, Joseph Bar, For The Record, Mahe, Jamming Goat, Bomras, all boast of Feni drinks which are reaching desperate travellers and they’re increasingly bringing the drink back home and flashing them under the craze of ‘homegrown’ spirits alongside crafty gins, rums, and whiskies from the state. The battle for Feni to become as cherished as say Indian gins is more political than anything else. Changing excise policies could be as daunting as changing the Constitution of India, which may need timely referendums, but there’s inherent reluctance towards them. A bit of hesitation also comes from the people of the land questioning if overproduction will lead to fiddling with their heritage. However a drink that has held its destiny in its own hands for 500 years barely has anything to worry about.

First published in Sommelier India Wine Magazine in November, 2022

Tags Conversations, Indian Beverage, Indian Spirit, Spirits

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14 Indian Wines That Get Better with Age

Post author By Gagan Sharma
Post date April 22, 2022
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There are some great cellar-worthy local wines in the market. Know which ones to buy, and how long you should pack them away

The rules of the wine world don’t apply to India. We’re off the grape belt, don’t have the most congenial climate for winemaking, not all classic varietals work here, and the industry is too young to be defined by wine styles and appellations. Against all these odds, Indian wines have flourished, built a fast-growing local market, earned international acclaim, and awards by the dozens. These are all a testament to them being on the right path. And I’d go an extra mile to say we’re at the cusp of the golden era of Indian wines. The best of the local wineries, who persevered through the tough early days, now boast of the prowess of at least a decade and a half of harvests under their belts. Not a surprise, then that we’re churning out many high-quality wines that deserve a special occasion to be uncorked.

What is a cellar-worthy wine? 96% of all wines made around the globe are meant to be drunk within six months of their production, called ‘quaffable’ wines. Winemakers prepare their nectars and release them within six months with the understanding that it will be drunk before the year is out. This rest of the 4% of world’s wines go into the cellar to be aged and enjoyed after time unleashes its magic in them. It takes a few birthdays for these wines to mature and are best drunk after a half a decade or more.

The grapes that go into their making are cultivated with much scientific care, discerningly picked, and turned into wine using special treatment. The wine is aged in a controlled environment, dressed up in the best of bottles and packaging, and of course sold at a huge premium to the quaffable variety. They’re often called reserve wines. In the new world (in wine terminology old world refers to European countries) like New Zealand, Australia, Chile, and India, that word holds very little value because of a lack of wine specific regulation. In European countries there is a long checklist of conditions before wines can be given the title.

Cellar-worthy wines are the ones to be stored in your wine fridge or at the back of your wardrobe and forgotten for a few years or sometimes even a decade. How do you decide that? Well, either the winery will tell you, or you’ll have to take a bet. Even better, ask your sommelier friend, that’s me! Most times the wineries age these wines themselves and release them at their peak. But on many occasions the wines are released early and the buyer has to do the ageing. While the former has a guarantee of being well-kept, it comes at a high cost, a rarity value, and limited supply. In the case of the latter however, the wine is much cheaper since you don’t pay for storage and care. You can buy a full case and stack it in your personal cellar, and take a chance on its maturity by uncorking one every other year.

Over the years I have found Indian reserve wines an excellent value for money proposition. It is a worthy entrant in your cellar, and if you’re new to this game, they should be your new best pals.

Here’s a cheat sheet of Indian reserve wines that are worth buying now.

Grover Zampa Vineyards Chene Grand Reserve Tempranillo

The first still-produced reserve red wine in the country with the La Reserve label, Grover Zampa’s Chene is a blend of the Spanish varietal Tempranillo and Shiraz. Chene, meaning oak, indicates the dominant tone it picks during prolonged barrel ageing in premium French barriques (225 litre barrels). Tempranillo dominates the flavour while Shiraz fills it with tannins, provides the structure, the dark shade and the spicy flavour, making it an intriguing drop for a developed palate. Half a decade of ageing after its release is mandated.

Rs 2000 in Karnataka, Rs 2200 in Maharashtra

Grover Zampa Vineyards Chene Grand Reserve Chardonnay

A fairer sibling of Grover Zampa’s successful red, this wine is barrel-fermented before being aged. The flavour is a delicate balance between white and yellow tropical stoned fruits, nuts, spice, gripping oak, and refreshing citrus acidity that washes the palate as it leaves and prepares for the next sip. This wine can be uncorked, if needed, from an early age and relished with fish and mild Indian preparations. But ideally should be left in the cellar for upto 5-7 years.

Rs 2000 in Karnataka, Rs 2200 in Maharashtra, Rs 2220 in Delhi

York Vineyards Arros

Handcrafted by the talented Aussie-trained winemaker Kailash Gurnani, its early renditions that I tasted felt like ‘Bordeaux Cabernet meets Aussie Shiraz’. Over the years, the blends have changed but the quality has remained top class. The yet-to-be-released 2020 Arros is a pure Shiraz, and probably the best so far. Pick a few bottles, uncork some and relish with a good meaty dish, and let the rest sit for a worthy occasion. I recently uncorked the 2012, which was excellent with the potential to get better if aged a few more years.

Rs 1400 in Maharashtra

Sula Vineyards Rasa Cabernet Sauvignon

Rasa made big waves recently with a minimalist new label, a departure from the earlier big and bright smiling sun. The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a discerning drop which if aged for 5-6 years can turn into a gastronomic delight. It has the tannins and the acidity to match the astute structure, and will surprise you with its primary flavours even after a decade.

Rs 1850 in Maharashtra, Rs 2450 in Delhi

Sula Vineyards Rasa Zinfandel

An underdog amongst prime contenders for the finest red in the country, Rasa Zinfandel surprises you every time you uncork it. It has ripe and gritty tannins, refreshing acidity, and brilliant notes of dark and red fruits making it a great pairing partner for a varied fare. Given those strong tannins, it is best cellared and forgotten about for at least 5 to 7 years. Goes well with a good steak, a meaty stew, or a rustic Indian mutton.

Rs1510 in Maharashtra, Rs 1440 in Delhi

Fratelli Vineyards Sette

Since its entry in the late 2000s, Sette has been synonymous with cellar-worthy reds. I’ve travelled with the wine to present it at several international tastings only for the crew to be left astonished that it was a ‘desi’ and not an Italian Super Tuscan. With the blends changing every year, as destined by nature, Sette’s library of vintages also make it a collectible. Depending on the vintage the wine can easily stand the test of time over a decade, I’m still holding on to my 2009!

Rs 2000 in Karnataka & Maharashtra

KRSMA Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

The only winery in the Hampi Hills, KRSMA enjoys a cult following and a ‘pick at sight’ sort of respect. Cabernet Sauvignon was the first red wine release from the boutique house and has remained their top gem. The 2012 was a fantastic vintage but it’s the 2016 that shows the perseverance of the family when it changed its personality from a restrained Bordeaux style to a lavish, fruit-forward, structured Californian style. No matter what the vintage, currently 2017 is on offer, cellar and relish it not before its 10th birthday. It’s a wine whose uncorking is an occasion in itself!

Rs 2000 in Bengaluru, Rs 2660 in Hyderabad, Rs 1900 in Goa

Reveilo Wines Reserve Chardonnay

Never was Chardonnay barrel-fermented in India until Reveilo showed the way, back in 2006. Many big names weren’t even born then! It could easily be touted as the first (proper) ‘reserve’ white wine in the country, and for me it represents the epitome of quality winemaking. There’s fruit, there’s crunch, a pleasant citrus acidity, an oaky lift, a touch of tannins, and a pleasing buttery finish. It is a culmination that any discerning palate would relish. A must have in every cellar! Age it for at least two years though.

Rs 1395 in Maharashtra

Reveilo Wines Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

The darker sibling of the same label, Reveilo’s Cabernet Sauvignon is a collector’s delight. Unlike the white it is not barrel fermented, but it sits in the barrel for a year before being bottled, further aged, and released on the shelves. Worth ageing for at least five years, or maybe longer. Once it wakes from slumber it dances on the palate, captures your attention with every sip, and takes centerstage at the discussion table. A well seasoned lamb rack with mint sauce or a Rogan Josh and rice with this beauty is a match made in heaven.

Rs 1495 in Maharashtra

Vallonne Vineyards Anokhee Cabernet Sauvignon

Anokhee is the top label from the family-owned boutique Vallonne Vineyards, and thus demands top price too. It sells out faster than any other label and is rarely ever available on the shelves. A special journey to the winery just to score a few bottles is completely worth it. The Anokhee Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys the reputation of being the only Indian wine listed at Waitrose, London. It’s rare that you’ll find it on the shelves, but if you do, I’d suggest buying a case and ceiling it in your cellar for at least a decade. It is easily among the most ageing-worthy red in the country right now, lay it down for easily a decade.

Rs 2700 in Maharashtra

Vallonne Vineyards Anokhee Syrah

While their Cabernet Sauvignon is highly celebrated, I’d bet on their Syrah’s future, especially the 2020 vintage. It’s a pick from various vineyards, and blended to create the harmony their previous vintages haven’t enjoyed. Syrah is the softer version of the in-your-face gritty, punching, boastful Shiraz. It is not oak-heavy, but fruity, floral, juicy, and astute. I scored a few bottles signed by their shy winemaker on my last visit to Nashik. It will sit in my cellar for at least seven years before I uncork and relish its unique personality.

Rs 2700 in Maharashtra

Fratelli Vineyards JCB 47 Brut Sparkling

A Fratelli collab with French vintner Jean Claude Boisset, whose company runs 28 wineries in California, Canada and France, this single vineyard bubbly is an ode to the year of India’s independence. A pure Chardonnay, the base wine is barrel-fermented before being bottle fermented, released not before its second birthday. Sparkling wines get better and more complex with age, gaining minerality and nuttiness that go well with mushrooms, truffles, fatty fish, and seafood. It is aged at least for a year before being bottled, I would recommend a further 4 to 6 years in your cellar for peak maturity.

Rs 3500 in Karnataka & Maharashtra

Reveilo Late Harvest Chenin Blanc & Vallonne Vin de Passerillage

Sweet wines haven’t yet received the regard and praise they deserve, in India. Reveilo’s Late Harvest Chenin Blanc and Vallonne’s Vin de Passerillage are among those that come up tops at blind tastings across the country. While Reveilo’s LHCB is honeyed, tart, furry, and tropical notes driven, Vallonne’s VDP is floral, limey, and golden raisin driven. They are both vivacious in their youth, but definitely worth cellaring from a couple of years to over a decade. Reveilo’s LHCB is easily available, but Vallonne hasn’t produced their dessert wine since 2017, and we don’t know when they will. So if you spot them, grab them, and hide them at the back of your cellar.

Reveilo LHCB – Rs 895 (375ml), Vallonne VDP – Rs 1500 (375ml), both in Maharashtra

Tags Conversations, Indian Beverage, Indian Wine Trade, Sommelier, Wine

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In Appreciation of Tamras Gin

Post author By Gagan Sharma
Post date April 22, 2022
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It’s the Gin 2.0 era, and amongst the most exciting new entrants is Tamras Indian Dry Gin made by liquor first-timers Khalil Bachooali and Devika Bhagat.

After about 20 gins on the shelves, we ask if we need more, and the answer is always YES! In 2014, there were 100 gin brands in the UK; by 2019 there were 750, and the numbers are still growing. There is probably room for dozens more in a country of our size, with its large bouquet of botanicals and unparalleled love for spirits.

But even among the new brands in the market, Tamras, which like most of them, is also based in Goa, stands out for its vast spread of botanicals, the manufacturing process, and even the personality of its bottle. It is also the first gin brand to open its gates to the public with a visitors centre in Colvale, North Goa, and a cocktail bar where the experience takes the gin a notch higher.

Of the two founders, Devika Bhagat was first introduced to gin by a friend in London in 2008, and she befriended the drink promptly. Khalil Bachooali drank whiskies till he met Devika, and as the rule goes, what she drinks, he drinks. He fell in love with gin as well. Devika is a highly respected screenwriter known for films like Manorama Six Feet Under, Bachna Ae Haseeno, Ladies vs Ricky Bahl (2011, and Four More Shots Please! on Amazon Prime, while Khalil produces TV commercials.

One rainy day in 2018, they found themselves stranded in a London bar. With nothing else to do, they embarked on a gin tasting spree with the bartender. Like many other good stories that began over drinks, Tamras’s journey probably started here. After two years of backpacking in the gin universe, hunting for knowledge, wisdom, and botanicals, they dropped anchor in Goa in 2020, amidst the first COVID wave. They set up their company Adventurist Spirits Distillery, and began work on the distillery with help from Julia Nourney, an award-winning distiller from Germany. The process took about a year. They waited until the pandemic eased to launch Tamras in December last year, first in Goa and then Maharashtra.

Tamras is a Sanskrit word that means copper (tam) and extract (ras). It is also an ode to the copper-still distillation process they use. The ingredients they use are a complex combination of 16 botanicals handpicked from across the globe – juniper berries (Macedonia), coriander seeds, lemon verbena, orris root (Morocco), angelica root (Poland), black cardamom, cubeb pepper (Indonesia), grapefruit (Egypt), fennel, green cardamom, lotus flower, lotus seed, mausambi, Indian lemon, Nilgiri tea, and Indian mint (India).

What makes Tamras stand out further is the five-step production process. The base spirit is made from the finest Basmati rice procured from Punjab. They offered me a sip to taste when I visited the distillery. More important than the botanicals is the fact that if any gin-maker offers you a sip of their base spirit, that’s the first sign of quality.

The Tamras base gin is distilled with 12 of the 16 botanicals. However, whole citrus fruits, Nilgiri tea, Indian mint, and lotus seeds with flowers are distilled individually and separately because of their differing points. The five resulting distillates are finally combined slowly and reduced to the ‘imperial’ bottling strength of 42.8% over 28 days, ensuring their extended stay on the palate, which Julia learned from Cognac distilleries in France. In all, it takes at least two months before a bottle of Tamras is ready! No one does that in India.

With an encyclopaedic list of botanicals available in India, we have a problem of plenty. What to select and what to leave out is a challenge that every Indian gin maker is up against. And most end up with just a few ingredients to keep things simple. Devika and Khalil had no such inhibitions. As revealed earlier, they use as many as 16 botanicals from as many as six countries. In keeping with their company name, they have been genuinely adventurous.

I was lucky to have Khalil as my guide when I visited the distillery recently. He lives and breathes gin. He is enthusiastic, energetic, and dynamic. Keeping up with his energy level is challenging. It is a minimalist, well-designed distillery that could easily pass off for an artsy hotel’s lobby. The 230-litre German Müeller copper still, which they have named ‘Odysseus’, sits at the centre as the crown jewel. I tasted the base spirit, individual botanicals, and the five individual distillates. This was followed by the gin tasting process. I tasted it neat, on ice, and with Indian tonic water. All of which provided their unique experience and a complete journey of sorts.

Taste-wise, Tamras provides a juniper-forward front that slowly makes way for the spices like cardamom and coriander, followed by green and orange citruses and mint, with tea closing it with a peppery zing on the palate. In a blind tasting, it jumps out of the glass for its vivacity. With a splash of tonic, the palate becomes playfully candied, with an elegantly rounded nose and a balanced flavour of spice, citrus, and earthy flavours.

My fondest memory of the distillery visit was the stories about how Khalil and Devika picked each of the botanicals. The only thing that topped the storytelling was the Negroni and a lazy Martini that Khalil graciously fixed for us. The distillery is open for visits through prior booking, and if you’re in Goa, it’s an unmissable experience.

Of all the contemporary gins in the market, Tamras is indeed unique with its strong personality. I’d be happy to sip it on ice, as I do with Pumori and Hapusa, or in a Martini, as I do with Stranger & Sons and Terai. Its intense and complex aromas last much further than most other gins. I can sit and imbibe it all day long.

Retail Price: Goa: Rs 1950, Mumbai: Rs 3200. Coming to Delhi soon.

Tags Cocktails, Indian Beverage, Indian Cocktails, Indian Restaurant

Articles Conversations Honey Mead Wines

Spreading Sweetness and Light

Post author By Gagan Sharma
Post date April 20, 2022
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All about Mead. The new dessert wine that’s made of honey and produced environmentally. Gagan Sharma tastes it and is delighted

India’s relationship with honey is similar to that of having an undercover agent in the family. You know them, have grown up with them, but do you really know them? In December 2019, a report claimed the majority of Indian honeys were fake, adulterated, or chemically tweaked. It kindled a conversation about understanding them better. For an oenophile, there’s more to honey than just adding it to their breakfast spreads, in desserts, or in cocktails. There’s also mead, an ancient fermented alcoholic beverage gifted by the Indians to the world, which has been on the rise since its return in a nouveau, polished avatar about five years ago. And amongst its flag-bearers is Arka, an exotic dessert drink from Maharashtra.

Priyanka Save, a mechanical engineer by profession, was producing Fruzzante where she, along with Canadian fruit winemaker, Dominic Rivard, turned fruits into sincerely crafted fizzy alcoholic drinks. Based out of Bordi at the northern tip of Maharashtra, Fruzzante is the world’s first Chikoo (mudapple) winery that also produces drinks with starfruit, pineapple, orange, mango, and strawberry. On one of his visits in 2017, Dominic caught a cold, and to soothe his itchy throat, Priyanka gave him a remedial concoction of warm water, spices, ginger, and honey. Dominic of course loved it, and enquired if it could be infused in their sparkling chikoo drink. This was enough for Priyanka to put her mad scientist hat on and begin experiments around fermenting honey. She has forever been passionate about showcasing the brilliant natural offering of her region and this was her unprecedented chance to bring glory to the neighbouring Palghar tribal belt, whose golden nectar she’s been relishing since childhood. She jumped on the wagon, and a few months later, with assistance from Canadian mead-expert, Jay Hildybrant, Arka was born.

Priyanka says, “honey and mead find mentions in the vedas, they were consumed by the Pandavas, by royalties, and dignitaries. A lot of inspiration for Arka came from those periods. Honey is an extract of flowers, and Arka is the ancient Sanskrit term for that. We understand people relating honey to luxury & sweetness and that’s what we wanted to put in the bottle. Also, we knew it could later be exported, hence the bottle and the label had to bring in Indian elements like the stamp, elephants, etc”. While at it, Priyanka shares ‘Madhu’ was amongst the initially proposed names, a common Hindi moniker for honey. However, Maharashtra’s excise policy prohibits any alcohol being named after a woman’s name! Though stupid and funny enough a rule, I reckon ‘Arka’ aptly exhibits the philosophy of the drink.

When I tasted Arka from its first 2500-bottles batch I was pleasantly surprised. It was aromatic, perfumed, had surprisingly refreshing acidity, a pleasing furriness on the plate, and wasn’t cloying at all. It was something that could be relished often, than be held on to like a botrytised Semillon from South Africa or Australia, or an expensive, occasion-worthy Sauternes. The honey is sourced by the tribals inhabitant of the forests where flowers grow wildly, which moved Priyanka to christening it as ‘wildflower honey’, against multifloral as it’s generally called. Water is also sourced from the nearby stream that provides yeast essential nutrients to work. Unlike wines, where yeast is rendered inactive by dropping the fermentation temperature or adding sulphites, with Arka fermentation is arrested by adding more honey, suppressing the yeast than killing it. This not only sweetens the drink, it also helps retain the honey’s original character that blossoms even more with aeration. The honey is organic, sourced from the wild as it’s supposed to be, mixed with naturally sourced water, no sulphites, no killing of the yeast, Arka is the true ‘arka’ of nature we say!

Arka, described as a wildflower honey comes in a distinctive bottle with a special cork and is imbued with several botanicals

At my first tasting, my instant reaction wasn’t just wow! such a delicious drink, instead it was wow! so much can be done with this drink. You see with dessert wines the idea is to capture the grape’s varietal character, and no flavour additions are permitted. However with meads, there’re no restrictions. Honey being a strong character even if fermented dry retains its sweet flavours, to which a plethora of botanicals can be added. Priyanka knew this from the start. Being an oenophile herself, she allures the mouthfeel of oak and tannins in a well-made red wine. Wanting to duplicate that she started toying with flavours and rose petals came in as a natural progression. They’re considered regal, a symbol of romance, the utmost sign of purity in Indian mythology, and it fitted precisely in Arka’s philosophy. Dried rose petals added that furriness, the grip, and gave it a commendable body that any discerning wine would be lauded for. We tasted it straight from the tanks at the winery in March last year. From the first whiff it arrests you like a cruel mistress and doesn’t let your attention waiver. It comes capsulated with a special cork that allows the mead to breathe and live until it’s consumed, and then it becomes a memory.

After Rose Arka, the team went tad loco and playing with flavours became an obsession. Priyanka found herself naturally drawn to the Palghar belt again, this time for the Konkan Bahadoli Jamun berries. Priyanka confidently says “we look for ingredients that impart flavours, and are close to Indian hearts. Who hasn’t enjoyed these dark, gummy, juicy, teeth-staining berries?”. Rightly so. These local berries have a thin skin that doesn’t allow the drink to get too dark or tannic, but impart enough to be treated like a red wine. Jamuns are deseeded, pulped, and added to the base Arka mead before being sweetened. Much like a wine, it’s then rested in ex-wine neutral oak barrels for about 3 months before returning to the tank for stabilisation, bottling, and shipping off.

Experiments continue, and now Arka will soon have two more cousins. The next one is a limited release batch in collaboration with chef Varun Inamdar. Apart from being a super-talented chef he’s also uber passionate about chocolates, and can single-handedly be deemed responsible for driving Priyanka to set trails with them. South Indian cacao nibs are lightly roasted before being infused in the base of the original Arka mead for about a week before being sweetened, rested, and released. The one after that will fill the bottle with single origin honey from Vidarbha region and famed Nagpuri oranges. That’s a combo that can’t go wrong, right? But, this one may be at least a year’s wait, and knowing Priyanka’ perfectionism, it may even be longer, so we shouldn’t get excited just yet. After all, there’s so much to come after that…

Meads are gluten free, guilt free, and way more versatile than what we have put on the shelves in this short span of five years. They’ve definitely excited us and made us look at our alcobevs in a different light, an environmentally and consciously driven light. Fruzzante brought glory to many Geographical Indication tagged fruits, and now with Arka that family is set only to grow further. What Arka does is it brings along a better understanding of honey, meads, our agricultural richness, and commends the efforts of the families behind the nectars. It’s a celebration of Indian ethos, the rich cultural heritage, and our senses. And if you’re still not convinced, remember what Einstein said – the day bees die humans will have only four years to live. With every sip of Arka you’ll make the earth breathe and be a more sustainable place to be at. It’s the essence worth having.

Arka MRPs – MH + Goa

Rose – INR1095

Original & Jamun – INR1050

By April it would be available in Rajasthan Delhi & Punjab, prices will vary

First Published in Sommelier India Wine Magazine, 2022

Tags Indian Beverage, Indian Wine Trade, Sommelier, Wine

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Yo Ho Ho And A Bottle Of Rum

Post author By Gagan Sharma
Post date April 20, 2022
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Sugarcane has been growing in India for centuries. We are said to have gifted sugar to the world, and some early renditions of rums too. Our historic texts talk of Shidhu, a drink produced by fermentation and distillation of sugarcane nectar. Marco Polo’s journals from his travels to India in the 14th CE too suggest him enjoying ‘a very good wine of sugar’. Even with such early tryst with rums, India has failed to befriend the spirit. While the other ‘Indians’ in the Carribean have carved a roaring success with them, we’re still wrapped in the nostalgic imbibing of its cheaply made, industrial, fiery avatar. All that is now changing. New homegrown rum brands have charged up the scenes, igniting what could easily be christened India’s homegrown rum revolution.

Rum – A Complex Drink

Anything made from fruits or plants is complex, look at wines, brandies, and agave spirits. Rums are no different, and making them in India can yield further intricate liquids. To begin with, there are 116 varieties of sugarcane in India. Then comes their provenance, seasonality, and the time of harvest that can completely alter the results. India’s dearness to the equator creates a phenomenon called ‘tropical ageing’ which roughly equals one year of barrel ageing here to three years in Scotland! That also implies higher rate of evaporation, aka ‘angel’s share’. And then there’re taxes, duties, levies, excise, etc. All this by no means can result in an inexpensive spirit. Yet, if your ‘desi’ rums carried an excessively affordable price-tag, you’ve been duped.

Indian Rums On The Block

The recently launched Goa-born rums Makazai and Segredo Aldeia and the Indian-international Two Indies are breathing a new life into the Indian rum sector. From careful selection of their raw materials, to minimal intervention in spirit production, captivating storytelling, and sincere branding are all aiming to rebuild our understanding of the spirit. They boast a multi-dimensional personality, rendering them drinkable on their own, and as a worthy base for chic mixes, beyond our favourite rum & cola concoction. And with India being in the middle of its own cocktail renaissance, the latter has become imperative for a brand’s success. Cheaply made booze doesn’t cut it anymore, neither for mixologists, nor consumers.

Aman Thadani, the force behind Fullarton Distilleries, had already introduced a craft gin (Pumori) and whisky (Woodburns) before launching Segredo Aldeia rums. “We looked at the Indian rum category and found only mass-produced brands. Gins were pretty much in the same shape five years ago, but see how well the segment has matured. What gins have done to India, now rums will”, Aman says confidently. Kasturi Banerjee turned to distilling & blending after 16 glorious years in the banking sector, and created Makazai Rum. She realised the paucity of premium Indian rums during a mixology program. Kasturi says “the rum category was already established, we didn’t have to reintroduce it to the drinkers, only add to it. I wanted a rum that I could taste and say ‘I want it’, it didn’t exist, so I created it”. Makazai in Konkani stands for ‘I want’. Nikhil Varma, senior manager for distilling and brands at Amrut Distilleries, says “premium rum is a very niche segment in India, yet quite distorted. Rums sell, there has always been a conversation around them, and now talks are shifting to their quality”.

Indian Rum Market

India has been a huge rum market, mostly driven by price points. The play of the spirit’s historic importance amongst defence professionals in Britain, the Caribbean, Americas, and Australia, has played in India too, pushing a major chunk of sales through defence canteens. Old Monk, created by ex-armyman Colonel VN Mohan, has been the quintessential go-to brand with the likes of McDowells, XXX, Contessa, and Hercules following closely. There have been no rums beyond these mass-produced, dark, sticky, candied ones, taking away the slightest of motivations to look beyond, understand, and upgrade. So this job of providing better liquids was left to international brands. This made India the second biggest market for Bacardi rum, after the US. While they, and Diageo’s Captain Morgan, have been successful at creating semi-premium products, Indian brands have failed at it, which opens a completely uncharted window of opportunity for these new homegrown brands. The desire for lifestyle-oriented, well-seasoned products moved Bacardi to introduce their age-statement rums like the Ocho (eight years) and Diez (ten years) in India. A similar proposition from Indian producers is desired. And the works have already begun.

Makazai currently produces two molasses-based rums, sourcing its distillates from Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Their gold rum is au naturel with no tweaks in colour and flavours after being barrel aged in Punjab, while the white is completely unaged. Segredo Aldeia uses a mix of unaged cane and aged jaggery spirits. Even their white rum features portions of the aged spirit, which takes a higher proportion in their unique, and the country’s first, coffee-infused ‘Cafe’ rum. Two Indies puts together a two-year old molasses-based Caribbean rum and a jaggery-made three year old Indian rum. They are allowing the provenance, the quality of the spirit, and the play of nature make a statement on their own, without tweaking the final products with additives. Even though aged rums have charms of their own, Aman believes whites are the real underdogs that often go unappreciated. I concur.

Breaking Myths And Misconceptions

These new rums are undoubtedly polished propositions, yet, brands have their work cut out. Kasturi believes “rums have been linked to quantity drinking, we’ll have to create quality consciousness”. Aman opines “educating the consumer is a must and rum ticks a lot of boxes that way, from the the story on the label to what’s inside the bottle, its sensorial appreciation, and the theoretical aspects of the spirit”. A real push would be required to unlearn and learn afresh. Nitin Tewari, bar & beverage consultant at BarTrender, who has worked with Bacardi, also suggests investing in busting the myths like its positioning as a winter drink alone. Further, taking learning from gin brands in positioning the spirit as a lifestyle proposition. Nikhil stays conscious though while decoding rums as it can “easily turn complicated, which intimidates the consumer. We need more brands, and more conversations”. Having said that, as Aman noticed, “Indian consumers are willing to experiment and are shifting between spirits, becoming more comfortable with toying with different ways of appreciating their spirits, different proportions, mixers, garnishes, cocktails, etc”.

India has had a long history with rums. It’s time we crafted their better renditions. With world becoming a smaller place, India carving out beautiful, experimental, experiential craft spirits, and consumers dwelling in deeper understanding and appreciation for their tipples, it’s only fair we get our share of glory for our rums too. Makazai, Segredo Aldeia, and Two Indies have birthed the rum revolution, with a handful more eagerly waiting to join the tally. 2022 be an exciting year to see them spread their wings and create the magic that Indian palates have long deserved.

Goa Prices

Makazai ‘Bartender’s Edition’ White Rum – INR1000, Makazai ‘Tribute Edition’ Gold Rum – INR1300

Segredo Aldeia White Rum – INR1500, Segredo Aldeia Cafe Rum – INR1650

Two Indies Gold Rum – INR675

Tags Cocktails, Indian Beverage, Spirits

Articles

New Visual Identity Reflects Confidence

Post author By Gagan Sharma
Post date April 13, 2022
No Comments on New Visual Identity Reflects Confidence

How do you know Indian wines are marching ahead with confidence and pride? It’s when the biggest producer makes an identity revamp, and departs from their mascot, that too for their top liquids. It’s not only a courageous statement of individuality, but also India’s proclamation of its induction in the serious winemaking society. The big bright sun smiling across Sula’s label has been synonymous with many Indian’s first encounter with wines. Their classic range has been the benchmark for relishable & reliable wines in the nation. Their top brass, however, is now nonchalantly moving away from this nostalgic grip. First The Source, and now with the new vintage release of RASA, Sula is humbly retiring from the guidance of that sun. Their new visuals are effortlessly modern-contemporary, sleek, and minimalistic, displaying the elegance and class the bottle encapsulates.

Disseminating Wine Education

From their beginnings in 1998, the giant Sun has brought promise of quality, consistency, and vivaciousness. Now, neither the Sun, nor the family’s name is to be seen on the top labels anymore! Rasa is Sula’s celebration of craftsmanship and its best vineyard sites. It now carries a neat white label displaying only the essentials – name, vintage, varietal, and Nashik, India. And it is not just the efforts being put in reconstructing the label, but also what they hold. There has been a massive technical study and altered barrel regimen that has gone into crafting the blends. And to exhibit that, Sula hosted the first of what will be an annual affair now; its maiden Monsoon Tasting with a select few sommeliers. In a two-day rendezvous between their winemakers and the invited professionals, Sula hosted several masterclasses to make professionals experience the subtle nuances that make the final blend. The exercise did put the professionals in the winemaker’s shoes; getting engaged in tasting raw liquids from tanks, different barrels and oak styles, and more. In a first for most, the winemaking brigade gave the guests the work of blending their own cuvee, which was as educational as it was fun.

Reflecting Confidence on the Product

Now if someone asks, is it a gamble for Sula? Have they made the label too simple? I’d believe otherwise. India is picking up accolades across the globe at reputed international competition purely for its quality. Till that remains unchanged, all doubts are unwanted. Reading Sula’s name on the bottle is definitely assuring, but even more is their self-confidence in their liquids that stands out, sans the branding support.

Fratelli has rebranded and so has the international powerhouse of Chandon. Changing their visual identity is always challenging and a risky task. But with a global agreement in India’s produce, it seems more assured. At the same time, a commanding message to the denizens, to look beyond the label.

First published in Spiritz.in,2022

Tags Conversations, Indian Beverage, Indian Restaurant, Indian Wine Trade, Sommelier, Wine

Articles Honey Mead

Alco-bev trend: To bee or not to bee

Post author By Gagan Sharma
Post date April 1, 2022
No Comments on Alco-bev trend: To bee or not to bee

Mead is reclaiming its hallowed roots, promising not just a flavourful, spirited alternative, but it weighs in on the sustainability narrative too.

If Adam and Eve were to put down the apple and pick up a drink instead, it could only be mead. The teetotaller Einstein once prophesised that the day bees die, humans will have only four years to live. Then, could he have possibly been drinking something else? And it was only mead that ensured Pandavas survived their exile in the pitiless rugged wilderness. The oldest beverage known to mankind is now making waves in India too; its birthplace, where it all began. Yet, it’s still under covers, waiting to be unveiled and deciphered.

Mead is nature taking the bees’ work and turning it into another discerning gem. Honey is fermented producing 4-16 per cent abv with varied sweetness and fizziness, to which further flavours can be added. Traditionally, these were either fruits or spices, adding to the medicinal, antibacterial, antioxidant values of alcohol in the first place, hence the expression ‘davaa daaru’! Honey in itself is a soother and the loosely grouped term ‘madhu’ has represented alcoholic beverages in India since the Vedas, thus bars were christened ‘madhushala’, inspiring poets likes Ghalib and Harivansh Rai Bacchhan. Our alco-bevs have revolved around honey, so has our civilisation, toting honey as the only antidote to all deadly pandemics, apparently. And as with all things old; traditions revisit as a second coming. So also with meads which is being resurrected with glory and passion.

Old Wine in a new Bottle?

Moonshine Meadery’s recent quirky stint at Shark Tank India kindled countless conversations. The Indian gin craze and meads approximately began at the same time, circa early 2018. While gins have created a revolution, half a decade on meads are yet to be completely decoded. Something as rudimentary as setting it as a category in itself has been a task. Though it comes in a pint bottle and our excise lists it as wine, you’ll see #MeadIsNotBeer trending on Instagram, which, let’s agree, is the ultimate socially-befitting court of decision!

Mead to Order

Many urban warriors are reviving the art of beekeeping now. Rohan Rehani, Moonshine Meadery’s co-founder, quit engineering, and mastered the art through a professional qualitification. And in the hunt for the most sustainable, purest, and varietal honeys they’ve setup their own namesake honey brand. Is it really the purest though? Well, here’s a true story. I was born allergic to honey, a reaction so strong that a teaspoon would land me in an ICU. Until I visited Moonshine and dared tasting their varietal honeys, and buying 8 kg over the following weeks. Turns out, I was allergic to fake honey (or foney as we call it now), and had never experienced the real stuff!

Why the move to meads?

Unlike beers, (most) wines, and spirits, meads are gluten free, and low on calories too, taking away the guilt of nursing a beer-belly or chubby cheeks. Unlike the stubbornness of the universally written rules around Witbiers, Hefeweizens and wines, meads have no limitations of style, sweetness, and what goes in it, minus water and honey of course. “There’s a dearth of flavourful beverages in the country. We bring in a cultural nostalgia too working with flavours like Bhoot Jholakia chillies, coffee and jasmine that’s very southern, mangoes and pineapples that we’ve grown-up with, Kokum that every Maharashtraian-Goan house has, etc”, says Nitin Vishwas, Moonshine’s co-founder. Priyanka Save, co-founder of Arka Honey Dessert too has brought rose petals, jamun, orange, and cocoa to the spectrum.

What sets mead apart

Apart from the playfulness, no-expiry tag, and versatility, it’s their ability to make Earth a better place. Bees add immense value to the environment, making it more sustainable, productive, and supportive. Dr. Yoginee Budhkar of Cerana Meads shares “if it wasn’t for bees, humans can’t use pollen anyway. Bees do the work for us. Not just segregating wet and dry garbage, and avoiding plastic straws, drinking mead is a delicious way of supporting the environment and making better choices.”

As I write this just after Women’s Day, Save makes a powerful statement with “the queen bee is rising”. The recent release of Jack Daniels Honey and Patrons’s Honey Tequila is a global statement that it most definitely is. “Meads and honey-accented drinks are a cool bridge between the childhood favourite cola and sharbet and the bitter-toned wines and beers. And in the Indian weather, a light, flavoursome, guilt-free drink makes the perfect fit”, adds Vishwas. Options vary from the dry and fruity meads from Moonshine to the Spiced Yule from Cerana and the ‘pressed and blessed’ dessert nectars from Arka. We hear more are on their way.

What’ll make 2022 the golden year for meads?

Unlike in beers, honey is in limited supply and can’t be over produced. In the last decade and a half, producers have refined their offerings from their liquids, to labels, storytelling, and styles, gathering evidence from market demand and aspirations. Finally, they seem to have garnered enough confidence to toy and flirt with hues and flavor profiles with unabashed gallantry and flair. What Bira did for beers in India—providing an alternative to mass-produced chemical-induced lagers—meads will do for a bigger spectrum of the menu. And let’s be honest, we’ve also been spoilt for choice; it’s rare to go to the liquor store and return without picking a few new labels. FOMO is for real.

No matter what your motivation or inspiration that drives you to mead—a new drink, flavourful offering, sustainability, environmentalism, or guilt-free drinking—it’s here to stay. And as Einstein urged: Keep the bees alive if you want to indulge in good choices. Translation? Drink meads and make earth great again.

First published in India Today Spice March,2022

Tags Honey Bee, Indian Beverage, Mead, Sommelier