A New High: India’s Craft Gins Are Ready to Distil Luxury
India’s craft gin scene is brewing into quite a storm on a global platform. The premium gin segment is slated to triple by 2026, and foreign interest is soaring.
By Gargi Guha
Jul 5, 2025
Homegrown brands have trained the spotlight on teasing out the subtleties, focusing on unique botanicals and crafting distinctively varied flavour profiles.
What makes this space interesting is the refined aspects being honed by some gin distillers into bringing out a crystal-clear elixir, replete with nuances. This meticulous attention to detail is a clear differentiator.
“In the first gin wave, a number of Indian brands were introduced, some without a clearly thought-out product strategy. As premiumisation takes hold, luxury too is one important lever of differentiation. Take the luxe packaging of a Mohulo Gin or the gin created by Stranger and Sons for Aer, at Four Seasons, Mumbai,” says Vikram Achanta, co-founder and CEO of Tulleeho, a drinks training and consulting firm.
All About Nuances
On the frontier of recent artisanal innovation is Goa’s Vanaha Gin, launched in May 2025 by Revelry Distillery. Crafted with 24 Indian‑origin botanicals, using India’s first-ever cold‑vacuum distillation process, it aims to capture the essence of the lush Indian forests in a bottle. In a multi-step distillation process, the cold-vacuum distillation, the very first in India, is the dealbreaker step in teasing out those delicate aromatics. “We wanted to stay true to craft and create a truly layered gin,” says Vaniitha Jaiin, Founder of Revelry Distillery. She further elaborates that they travelled to Kanauj and then Grasse on the French Riviera, known for its legacy perfume industry. By combining these unique production methods, the result is a complex, smooth, and layered gin — something that discerning consumers truly appreciate.
An outstanding luxe product is the Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin 'Gold Edition' launched by Radico Khaitan on June 26, 2024. Meticulously crafted to perfection with 18 botanicals, it includes saffron, the world's most expensive spice, and undergoes a unique process where it is filtered through gold, enhancing its purity.
Global Outcomes
On the global platform, too, it is heartening to see our desi gins get their due pride of place. In a recent breakthrough, Jin Jiji India Dry Gin has been named ‘Spirit of the Year 2025’ at the London Spirits Competition, earning a gold medal with 98 points. Jin Jiji is a rendition of Indian nuances and is crafted using Himalayan juniper, tulsi (Holy Basil), chamomile, and a flourish of other botanicals, all endemic to India.
“Premiumisation has been the buzzword in alco-bev for the past 4-5 years. Luxury packaging has leaned into maximalism—gilded flourishes, ornate designs, and cues of opulence. But at Nao Spirits, our interpretation of ultra-premium, especially with Hapusa, has embraced quiet luxury,” says Anand Virmani, Co-Founder, Nao Spirits & Beverages. Tracing back to 2018, one would recall the waves that Hapusa had made. The world’s first Himalayan Dry Gin encapsulating the wild spirit of the mountains while staying rooted in local flavour.
In June 2025, Diageo’s United Spirits acquired the remaining 70 per cent stake in Nao Spirits, a hallmark of validation to India’s premium gin, segueing into a glorious corridor of growth.
A Journey of Growth
The Indian gin market is projected to grow with a CAGR of 7.4 per cent between 2025 and 2032, according to a report from Coherent Market Insights. Brands like Jaisalmer, Malhar, Stranger and Sons, Pumori, the hemp-infused GinGin, Kumaon and the colour morphing, Nisaki are steeped in regional nuances.
The gin market in India is proliferating due to the burgeoning cocktail culture and a certain layered appeal that it presents to its drinkers. The next few years will chart its ongoing journey.