Blend of Botanicals: Homegrown Gins Inspired by Ingredients of Various Regions in India!

For a diverse country like India which has a confluence of various cultures, and where spices can be found in abundance pertaining to different regions, brands can experiment so much with a spirit that requires a blend of botanicals. These brands have rightly done so as they make gins inspired by botanicals of different regions of India. Whether you want to taste the tanginess of Nagpur oranges in your drink or have an experience of Kumaon botanicals in a glass, these gin brands give it to you all as you explore homegrown gins made with provincial botanicals.

Amrut Nilgiris Gin 

Amrut is a well-known Indian whiskey brand but did you know they have a gin as well? The Amrut Nilgiris is inspired by the mountains of Nilgiris in the Western Ghats. This spirit is distilled by Nikhil Varma and has Nilgiris tea and paan (betelnut leaf) along with juniper berries, coriander seeds, lemongrass, angelica and orris roots, mace, nutmeg and cinnamon. 

Baagh Gin 

Baagh Gin is another one of the list of Gins having an inspiration of ingredients from a particular part of India. Created by Jatin Dev Bobb in partnership with chef Manu Chandra, Baagh combines the zesty tang of Nagpur orange and the crispness of lime, complemented by subtle hints of spice. 

Punk Gin

Punk Gin is a product of Nao Spirits. This Gin is a pink gin made from handpicked strawberries from the hills of Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra. Infused with classic London Dry Gin and a delicate hint of dried hibiscus flowers, this spirit reveals a lustrous champagne-pink hue and a dynamic flavour profile, melding the invigorating essence of strawberries with subtle notes of lemon peel, black pepper and juniper. 

Hapusa Gin

Hapusa is an award-winning Himalayan Dry Gin, popular for its unique use of juniper berries foraged from the Himalayas and the exclusive sourcing of all eight botanicals from India. Thus, "Hapusa," meaning juniper berries in Sanskrit, is another Indian dry gin you should add to your list. 

Cherrapunji Eastern Craft Gin

The name in itself suggests the region from which this gin originates. It is made with the water of Cherrapunji in Meghalaya, one of the top wettest places on the earth. The gin is made by purifying rainwater of the region along with other botanicals. One of the main ingredients is the GI-tagged Khasi Mandarins unique to Meghalaya and smoked tea which gives it a distinctive flavour. 

Chambal Gin 

Bapuna Alcobrew, with a rich history, is the creator of Chambal Gin, which draws inspiration from the untamed surroundings of the Chambal River Valley. They use a blend of botanicals in their distinctive Chambal Dry Gin to evoke the spirit of the area. The base of the gin is made from juniper berries, but what really makes it unique is the way citrus peels, green and black cardamom, and wild cinnamon bark interact.

Kumaon & I Gin

This Gin claims to be Indians' first provincial gin as it sources all its ingredients from the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. A product of Himaaleh Spirits, it is made from fresh Himalayan spring water and 11 handpicked, 100% locally sourced regional botanicals. Along with the Himalayan juniper, it has timur berries, turmeric, galgal (local citrus), kinu (Uttakarkahd’s tangerine) and many other ingredients.  

Samsara Gin

Vale of Paradise is Samsara Gin’s latest release as a part of their new world experiment series which focuses on bringing spirits from different parts of India. Distilled with Himalayan juniper and paying tribute to the botanicals of Kashmir with saffron and Kashmiri kahwa, this gin is a Juniper-forward herbaceous gin, balanced with sweet notes from kahwa and saffron.