In a world where the gin market is said to be saturated, Nao Spirits & Beverages Pvt. Ltd. took on the challenge to create a gin that showcases the rich botanical variety of India. The result is Hapusa Gin, a gin made exclusively from locally sourced botanicals, including Himalayan juniper berries, turmeric, raw mango, and gondhoraj.
In a Q&A with Anand Virmani, the founder and CEO of Nao Spirits & Beverages Pvt. Ltd., we explore the inspiration behind the creation of Hapusa Gin, the challenges they faced while developing and producing it, and its unique flavour palate. We also learn about the vision for the future of Indian gins and the role that Hapusa Gin plays in this emerging market. So grab a glass of Hapusa Gin and join us for this insightful Q&A.
What inspired you to create an Indian dry gin using Himalayan juniper berries?
Our idea was quite simply to create a Gin in India at a time when there were no craft gins in the country. It was only when we started exploring botanicals available in the country that we even discovered there was a Juniper Berry growing wild in the Himalayas. A few quick distillations later we were sure this bold and earthy juniper berry was going to play the lead role in our Gin. We even decided to name the Gin after the Sanskrit name for the Juniper Berry – Hapusa.
Can you tell us more about the Indian-sourced botanicals used in Hapusa Gin, such as turmeric and raw mango?
We use two botanicals that are commonly associated with India in their not-so-common forms. Instead of using turmeric powder, we use it fresh as a root which helps give the Gin its earthiness and depth. The mango on the other hand is dried before using to concentrate the flavours. Also, instead of using the sweet mango, we prefer to use the green mango which lends its sharpness and texture to the Gin. Both these botanicals contribute immensely towards making Hapusa a sipping gin with a complex palate worthy of exploration.
How do you ensure that the eight botanical ingredients used in Hapusa Gin reflect the diverse landscapes and cultures of India?
We cannot take on the immense responsibility of representing all that India has to offer in terms of flavour and aroma. Instead, we have been able to sample across many cultures and have tended to select ingredients that find relevance across multiple landscapes within the country. At the very beginning, we distilled over 120 different botanicals before forcing ourselves to stop. The selection was limitless – as you would expect from the spice capital of the world – and we could easily have kept going to a thousand unique distillations and beyond. We’re happy we were able to find the right balance between the botanicals we narrowed it down to finally.
Can you share with us some of the challenges you faced while developing and producing Hapusa Gin?
Getting the right quality of Juniper was a massive challenge – especially since the people who were foraging had no idea initially what it was being used for. Juniper has traditionally been used for Ayurvedic medicine and flavouring tobacco in India – the need for maintaining a certain quality was never instilled till we got there. The process of sorting and cleaning the juniper is now a massive undertaking that needs to be done properly.
What sets Hapusa Gin apart from other gins on the market?
It is the first gin from India made exclusively from locally sourced botanicals. It also happens to bring to the table a unique flavour palate that’s never been explored before in the world of Gin, primarily because of the Himalayan Juniper along with the Turmeric, Raw Mango and Gondhoraj (Bengali Lime).
How would you recommend enjoying Hapusa Gin? Are there any specific cocktail recipes that pair well with its unique flavours?
The best way to enjoy a sip of Hapusa is at Mountain Temperature. This effectively means you leave a bottle in the freezer for a couple of hours and then pour straight into a glass to make something like a naked martini. Apart from that, we quite enjoy it in our Negronis, Gimlets and Martinis. I would specifically encourage those trying the Negroni to modify the recipe ratio a little bit from the typical 1:1:1 (Gin:Vermouth:Campari) to 2:1:1 to really enjoy the depth of flavours from the Gin in the Negroni.
How has the response been to Hapusa Gin, both in India and internationally?
The response has been overwhelming…while the international response has been incredible, we’ve especially been heartened by the love and support we have received from the trade in India. Seeing them get behind the brand has really given us the encouragement we needed to keep at it. It’s great to see this love get carried out to the rest of the world as well with Hapusa featuring in multiple back bars and cocktail menus – many bars that we’ve looked up to!
What is your vision for the future of Indian gins and the role that Hapusa Gin plays in this emerging market?
Indian Gins are here to stay. When we started this journey we were told by many that the Gin market was saturated and there wasn’t space for another brand of Gin. What we’ve found though is that there is some serious appetite not just for a brand, but for an entire category of Gins coming from India which are able to showcase the country’s rich botanical variety. We hope Hapusa can play its part in bringing that story to the world.
