22 Homegrown Gin Brands To Have In Your Bar Cabinet This Season

Oh, you are too cute! You really thought you'd see a day when a no new alcohol brand was released in India? Nope. Nope! OK, even if not day, then week at least. But who is complaining right? So, say hello to Terry Sent Me, a playful new gin that brings out the rebellious spirit in you. Inspired by the speakeasy culture of the Prohibition Era, this one aims to actually capture the flavour of exciting times. We love how the bottle also is a nod to the Prohibition Era with an almost Film Noir touch to it! 

A 'modern contemporary take Indian gin', this one is a citrus-forward gin with a blend of secret botanicals. If you want to know what those are, maybe Tarang Doshi, founder of Terry Sent Me, can help. But for now, only those in Goa who've sampled this can tell you. Of course, those in Maharashtra, Delhi and Karnataka won't have to wait too long!

Price: INR 850 in Goa

This should really not come as a surprise now. Yes, there’s a new gin. Yes, it’s distilled in Goa. And yes, it is affordable. Hello, Sector! From the brand Living Root Distilling Company, this one distils the base gin and the citrus distillate separately, then blends them to make a London Dry gin. Expect notes of juniper berries and a hint of coriander. The Cubeb Berries (for a bit of a pungent, peppery flavour), Cochin Ginger and Lemon Balm give this balanced gin a distinct flavour.

Check them out here.

Price: INR 850 in Goa and INR 1,650 in Mumbai

There is another new gin on the block, folks. And this one's from veterans in the world of spirits. Stranger and Sons founders team up with Pankaj Balachandran, co-founder of Goa's iconic Tesouro, for a London dry-style gin. Apparently, the gin features the classic juniper and is citrus-forward with the intent to be experimental. They have also launched a vodka and a rum. The bottles look simple and can easily be distinguished thanks to the different colours. After all, after a few drinks, who can tell the difference, eh? 

Find out more on Instagram here.

Price: INR 1,050 in Goa, INR 1,950 in Karnataka and INR 1,850 in Maharashtra 

While we know very little about this new gin, we're trying our best to tap into our sources in Goa and Pondicherry to tell us more. For now though, we know that Great Indian Gin has options that include a native dry gin, a Nagpur orange and a Simla Green Apple. With the idea of making gin even more accessible, the brand has launched smaller bottles—smaller packs in 180ml and 60ml, as well as the usual 750ml bottle. The bottle itself says that is a versatile gin made for the Indian youth, so don't go expecting complex flavours.

Check it out here.

Price: INR 161 for 180ml in Goa 

India's first craft gin is also one of our favourite gins in the market currently. Greater Than's gin is a London dry gin in style and nine different botanicals come together to make this gin quite citrus-happy. Besides Juniper, which is the botanical that makes the alcohol gin, there are coriander seeds, Angelica and orris roots, ginger, lemongrass, fennel, chamomile and orange peels. If you need a drinking partner, anyone from team LBB will be happy to oblige. Our favourite way of having this is in the classic G&T style. For the tonic, pick up a case of tonic water from Svami Progressive Drinks; try the Cucumber Tonic Water. 

Price:  Between INR 1,450 and INR 1,590 

Conceived and created in Goa, Stranger & Sons' London dry-style gin has everything from India (go #VocalForLocal), apart from juniper and angelica, and we love the spices in the mix. Loaded with Gondhoraj limes, coriander, black pepper and cassia bark, you'll feel all warm and fuzzy with pepper, nutmeg and a hint of citrus with every sip of this one. Once you're done with the immediate taste, expect a sweet yet cinnamon lingering flavour. Which brings us to our favourite style of drinking this—60 ml (or more up to you, we don't judge, we just drink) of gin, 30 ml of Swa Artisanal Syrups' Orange Mint syrup and some ice. Check out their  limited-edition options too. 

Price: INR 1,855

We already raved about this new gin here. But we cannot get over how it’s India’s first hemp gin! Distilled using nine botanicals—juniper, coriander, lavender, rosemary, caraway seeds, cinnamon, lemongrass and butterfly pea flower, and of course, hemp—it’s also India’s first single-shot vapor-infused gin, making it more of an exciting prospect to sit back and enjoy. Created by Shubham Khanna, who is just 24 years old, we can’t wait to try the Gin Gin Gin Gin Mule, which is the regular Gin Gin Mule, but using Gin Gin! This means we’re going to pair it with equally cool and exciting ginger beer from Gunsberg.  

Price: INR 999

Made in Rajasthan, Terai is an Indian Dry gin, which is a modern version of the London Dry. This one uses 11 botanicals: juniper berries, tulsi, coriander, fennel, lemon peel, orange peel, lavender, rose, angelica and orris root. For this one, we hear a proper Martini brings out the flavour, so we highly recommend you have that, since the gin itself has a hint of sweet, spicy and a little citrusy too. Check out the cap, which is a nod to the craft from Channapatna, famous for lacquerware, and is exactly like one of those beautifully coloured wooden toys, reminiscent of old-school kids’ nurseries! Pair with the Sepoy & Co if you are in Delhi and can get your hands on this Indian Tonic Water. 

Price: INR 1,800

Samsara, too, is a gin that has hemp seeds (from the Bombay Hemp Company). Another in the classic London dry gin style, this one has rose petals, vetiver grass, green cardamom and juniper. Its very very smooth, and now had a pink gin too, which is infused with flavours of rose and strawberry. Kick back with a gin and tonic, courtesy Franklin & Sons!

Price: INR 1,350

Now we all know that the star ingredient in any gin is the juniper berry. But did you know that Hapusa (Sanskrit for juniper) is the world's first dry gin made with Himalayan juniper? Well, if this doesn't make Hapusa gin interesting, the fact that only native Indian botanicals go into it, certainly will. Ingredients like turmeric, mango, ginger, cardamom, coriander seeds, gondhoraj limes and almonds sourced from Tamil Nadu, Goa and Kolkata together with the very special berries make their way into a 1,000 litre copper pot to distill out this beauty. So, this means this a truly #vocalforlocal whether in its ingredients or name!

Price: INR 2,600

From the house of Radico Khaitan, one of the oldest whisky distillers in India, comes Jaisalmer Gin, a triple-distilled neutral grain spirit. This one has a refreshing flavour and uses 11 Indian botanicals, the likes of coriander, vetiver, sweet orange peel, lemongrass, Darjeeling green tea leaves and cubeb pepper. If you're wondering how it tastes, aside from the juniper taking centerstage, there are hints of liquorice and citrus too. This makes Jaisalmer Gin ideal in an exotic cocktail. We're using the Swa Artisanal and Natural Passion Fruit Tea or Summer Berries cordial to whip up ours! 

Price: Between INR 3,500

The fact that this gin comes in bottles shaped like old-school traveller water flasks isn't the only thing that's unique about Pumori. This newest entrant to India's gin scene is produced only in small batches at its home of origin, Goa. It uses 12 rich botanicals sourced from all across India, one of which is juniper from around Mt. Pumori in the Himalayan range of mountains. It also has orange peel, lemon peel, cardamom, coriander seeds, liquorice, nutmeg, rosemary, aniseed, cinnamon, almond and vanilla and is made in the New Western style. The liquorice root and cardamom give this gin a dash of freshness while the finish is rounded off by vanilla and almond notes. Enjoy it on the rocks at first and then with a half and half of Bengal Bay Organic Tonic and water.

Price: Between INR 1,750

Tickle Gin comes to us from the makers of Goa's famous white coconut rum, Cabo, so you know you're in for a good drink. Expect to be reminded of a hot summer's day in Goa because this dry gin has notes of pepper, cardamom together with Himalayan juniper and a strong aroma of raw mango! It also uses classic ingredients like orange peel, cinnamon, coriander seeds and clove. To make sure none of the botanicals lose its freshness and characteristic notes, Tickle Gin is produced using a cool, cold extraction method. Enjoy Tickle as a classic G&T with a Tonic Water Can from Mixtale Beverages and a slice of apple and watch it tickle your senses.

Price: INR 650 onwards

From the maker of GinGin (India's first hemp gin) comes another first for India in the gin department—the first blue gin. But Clearly Good Gin is not only the country’s first blue gin, it’s also possibly the world’s most affordable. Distilled eight times and vapour infused with 15 botanicals including the lovely Himalayan juniper, coriander, pepper, cinnamon, Indian green chillies, butterfly pea flower and what is being called a secret citrus blend, this one has hints of kokam leaves, kaffir lime leaves, bitter lemon peels, Nagpur orange peels and gondhoraj lime too. Why is it blue? Well, the butterfly pea flower. And the best part is when you add tonic to it, it turns pink! Now do you believe in magic? To elevate that citrus flavour, we say add some pair this with some Spiced Orange Tonic from Bengal Bay.

Price: INR 245

Crafted and created by a team of two lovely women, we are all for Matinee and the spark of colour it brings to the otherwise serious gin world. This one has four never-used-before ingredients in the form of Snake saffron, white turmeric, Kagzi lime, and Goan peppercorn, that are not just Indian, they say, but also throw in a whole different set of flavours compared to the usual fennel, cloves and coriander seeds. 

Read more about it here.

Price: INR 1,499

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 kicked off distribution in...you guessed it...GOA, and then Mumbai.

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! 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, sweet 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. 

Price: INR 1,950

A non-alcoholic gin, it 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.

Price: INR 1,499

Here's a gin that doesn't burn your throat as you gulp it down on the rocks. Soci is a fairly new gin from Goa, and it is as good neat as it is with cocktails. A special thing about Soci is that the ingredients infused in the gin are cold-pressed. This keeps the flavours at their most optimal levels for a refreshing experience.

Price: INR 2,400 for 750 ml

Mohulo is a premium sipping gin from Smoke Lab that claims to capture the essence of India. Evolved from the heartlands of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, it contains the Mahua seed and twelve botanicals that strike a delicate balance of floral, fruity, and spicy flavours. With a long, lingering finish, floral aroma and a smooth, well-balanced palate with a subtle sweetness from the Mahua— we are sure this homegrown gin will take your G&T sessions from zero to a hundred.

Price: INR 5,000 for 750 ml (Delhi and Mumbai)

The essence of Jin Jiji lies in its botanicals that are unique to India. From the fragrant Tulsi leaf used in Ayurveda to the wildly aromatic chamomile flower, each botanical has a story to tell. The heart and soul of this Indian dry gin is wild juniper, foraged from the Himalayas. With an aroma that's well-balanced with soft tones of juniper and sweet spices, delicate nuances of chamomile and mint combined with citrus rind on the nose, this gin simply glides on the tongue minus any bitterness.

Price: INR 1,400 for 700 ml

Chambal Gin, named after the north-central Indian region of Chambal, which is known for its wild river, labyrinthine ravines, and diverse flora and fauna, is made with handpicked ingredients. This spirit's botanical blend of juniper berries, wild cinnamon bark, black and green cardamom, dried lemon peel, and almonds gives it a nuanced flavour profile that captivates the senses without being overpowering. The packaging, with its torn label featuring motifs of crossed rifles, pays homage to the region's historic dacoits and is a perfect match for Chambal.

Price: INR 2,300 for 750 ml