Five Great Gins from India to Try Now
Indian Gins
Premium gins from India just make sense. Gin and tonics were born there, before they became popular in London in the 1920s, as overheated pink-faced British generals needed a refreshing cool-down cocktail. At the time, quinine, a bitter extract of the cinchona bark in tonic water was thought to prevent malaria. The addition of their ration of gin made it more palatable. Today, the botanicals in the soda and the spirit combine for a beguiling combination.
A native bill of botanicals is a common denominator among the following craft gin distillers, who take pride in showcasing the spices and herbs they source from various regions of India. Darjeeling tea, tulsi, and lemongrass settle right in with juniper, angelica, and other herbs and bitter roots typically found in gin. Indian distillers import the traditional ingredients from other countries for their flavor impact but add their local spices liberally.
Most importantly, these gins, like all of the world’s best, remain gins at their heart, ready to be mixed into cocktails like martinis, negronis, and collins to add a South Asian note to any mixology repertoire. Imbibe them with an Indian feast, or any time you need an inspiring flavor profile.
Jin Jiji India Dry Gin
Jin Jiji India Dry Gin
Made in Uttarakhand, in Northern India in the Himalayan foothills, Jin JiJi uses traditional Indian botanicals found in ayurvedic medicine to create a complex flavor that, naturally, goes great with tonic. Short for jijivisha, which loosely translated means a love for life, Jin Jiji is made from a neutral rice based spirit infused with wild juniper, coriander, black tea, angelica root, cashew, holy basil, chamomile, lemon, cardamom, fennel, and clove and bottled at 43% ABV.
Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin
Named for the medieval “golden city” in the Western Indian state of Rajasthan where the coriander seed is grown, the Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin offers a twist on the classic flavor profile, with strong notes of licorice and cubeb pepper adding an interesting undertone to the 45 percent ABV liquid. Try this award-winner in a negroni.
Amrut NILGIRIS Gin
Made in the Western Ghats mountain range at 7000 feet about sea level, this straightforward gin uses the traditional botanicals used in London Dry, with a lemongrass swapped out for the citrus peel and warm spice notes from mace and nutmeg, plus bitterness from an infusion of tea leaves. The result—an intriguing herbal gin that has a distinct South Asian character that’s marvelous with tonic and lime.
Hapusa Himalayan Gin
Launched in 2018, Hapusa was one of the first craft gins from India on the market, and probably the very first in the super-premium catergory. Diageo India recently added Nao Spirits, the Goan distillery that makes Hapusa and Greater Than, a small batch London Dry, to their portfolio. The word “hapusa” means juniper in Sanskrit, a fitting tribute to the main flavor element in every gin, and this one is wild juniper harvested in the Himalayas. Combined elegantly with ginger, mango, turmeric and cardamom, the juniper forms a solid botanical base for the native spices. Vincent Gatti, author of “Gin: The Elevated Vodka,” loved the wild juniper’s herbal tones of this 40% ABV gin in a vesper at London’s Cinnamon Club, but this bottle also works well poured straight out of the freezer.
Samsara Gin
This floral and citrus-tinged gin shows botanicals from across the mountainous Northern region of Kashmir. The original bottling is delicious, but their Vale of Paradise has the addition of fragrant rose petals and earthy vetiver, which add a signature perfume, and the second distillation infuses saffron threads and Kahwa, a sweet spiced green tea that is a Kashmiri specialty. Drink this one in a martini to really experience the complexity.