Mahua, once banned under British rule and later marginalised as a ‘dangerous’ tribal drink, is being reimagined as an ultra-luxury spirit by South Seas Distilleries. Drawing on a family distilling legacy since 1922, Rupi Chinoy’s Six Brothers Mahura uses copper pot stills, platinum filtration and oak ageing to elevate an indigenous tradition into a rare, origin-led category aimed at global connoisseurs.
In 1892, the British colonial government passed the Mhowra Act, prohibiting the collection of mahua (or mahura) flowers and the production of any spirits derived from them. Although, according to many, the ban was not designed out of concern for public health, but to limit competition with European spirits imports. This pushed one of India’s oldest indigenous distilling traditions into obscurity. Post-independence in 1947, the situation did not improve. Mahua remained labelled a dangerous drink — tribal communities were restricted from producing and selling it outside the village market. The spirit that had once been served in royal households of Maharashtra, crafted by the six brothers of the Chinoy family across the princely states of Aswa, Jawhar, and Akkalkot, was reduced to the margins. That suppressed history is the starting point for understanding what South Seas Distilleries is attempting with Six Brothers Mahura.
The Chinoy family has been distilling in India since 1922. South Seas Distilleries, which was formally established in 1984 in coastal Maharashtra, became one of the country’s oldest malt distilleries, producing liquid for some of the world’s largest spirits brands before entering the consumer market itself. The distillery double-distils its mahua in copper pot stills (the same ones used to produce its Crazy Cock Single Malt Whiskey), before putting the spirit through platinum filtration. The flagship expression, the Six Brothers 1922 Resurrection, is aged in oak casks, limited to 102 bottles as a nod to the years since the family's distilling journey began, and priced at INR1,02,000 by allocation only. Whereas, the more accessible Six Brothers Small Batch sits at INR2,492, available across Mumbai, Maharashtra, Goa, and Haryana.
According to Rupi Chinoy, director of South Seas Distilleries, most of the spirits sold in India do not originate here. Be it scotch, cognac, or tequila, each carries the weight of its geography, its GI protections, and decades of painstaking global positioning. Mahua, a spirit with a documented history going back to the Indus Valley Civilisation, with the earliest evidence of dyeing practices tied to the Madhuca longifolia tree found in the 6th-century cave paintings at Ajanta, has never had that infrastructure built around it. What it has, Chinoy argues, is everything that infrastructure is designed to protect: rarity, cultural depth, a flavour profile unlike anything else in the world, and a story that has been waiting over a century to be properly told. "Mahua finds itself at a crossroads similar to where tequila or Japanese whisky once stood, a heritage spirit yet to be fully acknowledged globally," says Chinoy. The difference, she adds, is that mahua will not fit neatly into an already existing category; rather, it will create its own. In this exclusive interview with Robb Report India, we discuss her conviction behind the bottle and more.
Rupi Chinoy: "Our conviction stems from legacy, both inherited and lived. The Six Brothers, our founding fathers, began the family's journey into distillation in 1922 and were among the first commercial distillers of mahua in India. Mahua was once the spirit of choice for royal households. Over time, this tradition was disrupted, first by colonial restrictions and later by post-independence prohibition. Mahua was never lacking in character. It was simply never distilled, refined, and presented to the world in its true form. What it needed was not reinvention, but refinement and repositioning."
RC: "Six Brothers Mahura 1922 Resurrection is the world's first matured mahua spirit. For us, luxury is not defined by price alone but by rarity, heritage, craftsmanship, and meaning. What places it in the luxury segment is how this heritage has been elevated, with every detail reflecting uncompromising craftsmanship. This is a spirit rooted in authenticity, yet refined for the modern world."
RC: "We approached mahua with the same discipline and precision typically reserved for fine single malts. This meant bringing structure to a spirit that was traditionally unstandardised, with a focus on controlled fermentation, precise distillation cuts, and consistency in quality without losing its inherent character. Our expertise in copper pot distillation allowed us to refine the spirit's natural floral and fruity notes while eliminating harsher edges. The use of platinum filtration further enhanced purity. In essence, we elevated the spirit without having to change it."
RC: "Mahua finds itself at a crossroads similar to where tequila or Japanese whisky once stood, a heritage spirit yet to be fully acknowledged globally. The difference is that it will create a category of its own rather than fit into an existing one. What sets it apart is its floral origin, cultural depth, and intrinsic link to India's forests. These are not limitations. They are strengths. Mahua's journey is about defining a new category, one that is created in India and proudly Indian in its essence."
RC: "It comes down to balancing respect for origin with precision in craftsmanship. Our role is that of stewards. The madhuca longifolia flower is not just a raw material. It is a symbol of cultural and ecological significance. We preserve this essence while refining it through careful distillation and platinum filtration."
RC: "Six Brothers draws from indigenous ingredients and deep cultural heritage, reviving one of India's oldest spirits. Crazy Cock Single Malt Whisky, the Heritage Editions, reflects our expertise in crafting Indian single malts and introduces the world's first single malt whiskies finished in mahura casks, bringing together two distinct facets of India's distilling legacy. Together, these brands represent a broader philosophy: to move India from being a participant to becoming a creator of globally relevant, origin-led spirits, with a distinct and confident voice on the world stage."