Coffee, Rum, Gin-But-Not-Gin: 14 Alcohol & Beverage Brands To Check Out In 2022

Not only was Bartisans an amazing find by our content lead, Ahalya, when she was scrolling through Instagram, but it ended up being part of our first ever basecamp batch. Run by a mother and son duo, Bartisans offers handcrafted high-quality syrup mixers that come in sustainable packaging. A muddle of flowers, fruit, spices and herbs - the mixers are delicate and balanced, and include ingredients like like Blue Pea, Mint, Lavender, Rose Petals, Smoked Pineapple, Tamarind, among others that make amazing Whiskey Sours, Martinis, Gin Fizz and more. 

LBB Pro Tip: Apple & Cinnamon, Blue Pea & Mint, Smoked Pineapple & Basil mixers are highly recommended after extensive tasting by the crew!

Price: INR 450 upwards

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A best-seller on LBB, I was floored by the quality of coffee. As the self-appointed coffee connoisseur at work, I found that they have great beans, strong flavours, and still make it easy enough to drink. This single origin coffee brand from Chikmagaluru is 100% Arabica, and what makes it better is that the beans are not commercially roasted by are in fact, roasted in small batches. If you’re a bit lazy, then just get their doppio that is ready-to-use coffee liquid. Just add hot water or milk, and voila! 

LBB Pro Tip: If you like it strong, the Southern Mix is a must-try, as is the Irish Cream Coffee doppio. 

Price: INR 600 upwards

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Who doesn’t love a brand started by women! No one. And we love it even more when the product is a lovely gin, distilled in Goa. The founders of it - Anjali Shahi and Lavanya Jayashankar, wanted to make gin drinking easier, and less stuck up, which is why the spirit comes packed in a vibrant red bottle with a fun vibe to it. With a hint of spice, a burst of citrus and a dash of earthiness, it’s like the founders say, “the drink feels like a burst of freshness with every sip”.

LBB Pro Tip: Have this one on the rocks.

Maka Zai means I Want, which after tasting, you definitely want. More and more! Currently, there are two variants. The Gold Edition Rum is for a leisurely, post-meal drink, perhaps unwinding after a long week, while the White Rum is an easy breezy tropical flavoured one with a hint of herbs and Maharashtra-grown sugar cane. Currently only available in Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra, it’s definitely one for the bar cabinet. PS: This one’s also run by a lady. Thank you, Kasturi Banerjee!

LBB Pro Tip: Have the White Rum with ginger ale, and the Gold Edition as a Manhattan. 

Price: INR 1,000 and INR 1,300 

Read more here. 

The latest Indian whiskey on the spirits block, this one also has a mountain connect like sister brands Jin Jii and Darjeeling Gin. Sourced from the foothills of the Himalayas, and distilled in Haryana, the drink is available in Goa and Gurgaon, so make a trip there! Fruity, oaky and with notes of caramel, it’s got a lovely blend of flavours thanks also in part to the fact that its aged in sherry, wine and bourbon barrels. 

LBB Pro Tip: Have it with water, if not on the rocks.

Price: INR 2,999

WHAT? A non-alcoholic gin? Sign us up for a change! While they ran out of stocks quite quickly (I am still waiting for my delayed delivery), the gin-not-gin is meant to taste exactly like the spirit according to a trusted source who has sampled it. Loaded with juniper, ashwaganda, tulsi, arjuna, Angelica root and green tea extracts, it’s a fresh and cooling drink which you can have with soda or even a juice. The drink is slightly cloudy, so don’t panic about that. It’s just the berries and herbs.

LBB Pro Tip: This one is not an alcohol-removed beverage, but just non-alcoholic, so safe for even pregnant women, they say!

Price: INR 1,499

Shrouded in mystery until it you actually try it, this woman-led vodka brand is another ode to India and it’s culture. Unfortunately, since in Karnataka it is still a mystery, I cannot really say how it tastes. We can wait for owner Varna Bhat to take it to other cities. What we can tell you though is that this vodka is meant to be India-infused. So, think of spices, aromas, flavours that are very familiar, but also new in the form of vodka. 

LBB Pro Tip: When you do get your hands on this, try it with coconut water. It’s meant to taste fantastic. 

Price: INR 850 for a 750 ml bottle.

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AGAIN, in Goa, the Segredo Aldeia rum is distilled by Fullarton Distillers and is available in two variants - White Rum and Cafe. The former is sweet-ish with hints of vanilla, sweet wood, toffee on the nose, and flavours of sweet wood, herbs, peaches and cream. The Café Rum on the other hand is fragrant with coffee, toffee and vanilla while on the palate, it has a dark chocolate finish. 

LBB Pro Tip: Go to Goa, as this is only available there! And then ask for it on the rocks. 

Price: INR 1,500 upwards

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Diageo, launched their first local craft product in India, and it had to be a 100 per cent rice whisky! Epitome Reserve, a beautiful golden liquid blend is made of locally sourced rice from the northern frontiers of Punjab, which then travels over 2,000 km to be matured in Goa in bourbon casks over three years, and then finished in PX (Pedro Ximenez) Sherry and Cherrywood casks in a 50-year-old warehouse. According to Tulleeho, our friends in all things spirited, tell us that it has it has woody flavours, with vibrant characters of rich dried fruits, and sweet toffee caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, and rich spicy notes. Epitome Reserve comes in a meticulously handcrafted maple wood pack that brings to life the ethos of the Banyan Tree, with shades of green and teal, and is meant to be a keepsake. 

LBB Pro Tip: The liquid is best enjoyed neat, on the rocks or with a dash of water

Price: On request as it’s a limited-edition whiskey!

Namaste meets konnichiwa in what is touted to be the world’s first-ever Indo-Japanese Gin, Doja. With botanicals from India and Japan, this one is not only easy to drink, but it is great for drinking any time of the day. Not that we're promoting all-day drinking, but you know...

One of the most unique gins we have come across, it has Yuzu (a Japanese sauce), Sansho Peppers, Hinoki (a Japanese cypress) and Cedar from Japan, blended with coriander, pepper, and cardamom from India. Bottled and packaged in Goa, they kick off distribution in...you guessed it...GOA, and then Mumbai.

LBB Pro Tip: Have this one on the rocks, or with water. 

Price: INR 2050 in Goa and INR 3700 in Mumbai.

Yes, it's another gin. Yes, it is available in Goa. And yes, we're excited! Curated by created by Khalil Bachooali and Devika Bhagat, with the help of master distiller Julia Nourney, this one uses 16 botanicals including coriander seeds, black and green cardamom, lsweet lime, grapefruit, pepper, lotus seeds, and fennel. We hear it also highlights juniper more than usual. While we're still to get our hands on it, we also hear it's got a citrusy hit as is smooth and silky. 

Pro Tip: Best had neat, then with tonic but also great as a Martini. 

Like drinking but not too much, and nothing to heavy? Well, pick Moonshine's mead which is essentially honey wine; so honey and water fermented by yeast, that can have various flavours. Thanks for Moonshine Meadery, you can sip on Apple Cyder Mead and Coffee Mead. We tried both, and we're fans of them, but the Coffee Mead won by a little bit. Cold-brewed with Arabica and Robusta beans, this one isn't as sweet as the Apple Cyder. But if you like honey and sweet Kashmiri apples, then go for that one. There is also the traditional one using flowers, Ajwain, orange blossom honey, and is perfect to start out your mead journey with - cool and easy! Alcohol content of about 6.5% so you'll be cool and in control. Get your stock in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa for now!

Pro Tip: If you are based in Pune, or are visiting, they even do meadery tours for the curious, at INR 2,000 per person, for up to20 people only. They also have seasonal meads including Salted Kokum, Chocolate Orange, Bourbon Soaked Apple and more. 

Desmondji made Agave cool, but this past year, Maya Pistola Agavepura came about as well! Said it be "Single Estate 100% Wild Agave Americana from the Deccan Plateau of India", this one is the brainchild of Rakshay Dhariwal, a product by Passcode Hospitality which also includes Rakshay's sister, Radhika. Similar to Tequila, but not Tequila as it's not made in that area, Pistola will soon have a few more variants, but it all kicks off with reposado which is creamy, with notes of vanilla, caramel but with a piquant hit too! Plus, it is made without additives, artificial colouring or flavouring agents, so double win! The current price is expected to be INR 2,695 for 750ml, and surprise surprise, it's available in Goa!

Pro Tip: If you're not sure about this cool new beverage, then know that LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Pitbull, Dwayne Johnson, Nick Jonas and plenty more celebrities are also on the Agave bandwagon! Ideal for a heavier cocktail, we recommend you make a Margarita of it!

I stumbled upon Bonomi on Twitter, and when they had some good looking cold brews, I had to order. And I genuinely mean good looking. I knew nothing about them before. Once I did try their Classic Cold Brew though, I was absolutely blown away. Made with beans from Chikmagalur, these ones are apparently brewed for 18 hours. It might be too strong for a noob, but if you like your coffee smooth and a tad bitter, this one is for you. They also do a whiskey-barrel aged version, which this far, is possibly my favourite coffee find of 2021! The more you drink it, the more you'll like it. Almost more whiskey flavoured than it is coffee, it's got a lovely after taste without the after effects of alcohol! 

Pro Tip: They also do small batch syrups, cocktail boxes and limited-edition coffees, so keep an eye on for that.