29-05-2025
Spirited Picks: What India's alcobev insiders buy when they travel
Peak travel season is upon us. People you know, or barely know, are putting out shiny Stories from all over. Chances are your bags, too, are packed. And as a spirits enthusiast, you're probably wondering what bottles to snag — at Duty Free or your destination. If that's indeed the case, we've got reccos from some of the most tuned-in names in India's alcobev ecosystem.
As owner of Pass Code Hospitality, which runs 20 restaurants and bars across the country, and co-founder of homegrown agave brand Maya Pistola Agavepura, Rakshay Dhariwal is always sampling new stuff — and recco-ing spirits. The latest addition to his sizeable tequila collection is a sotol from Flor del Desierto, picked up in Thailand. Sotol is a traditional Mexican spirit, like mezcal or tequila, but distilled from dasylirion, a spiny, desert-dwelling plant in the asparagus family.
'This one's a pechuga-style sotol,' says Dhariwal, referring to a rare distillation method in which meat, typically chicken or turkey breast, is added to the still during a final distillation, often alongside fruits and spices. It adds body and complexity, says Dhariwal. The 'Snake Pechuga' he bought includes rattlesnake meat in the distillate, along with local botanicals. 'It's got outstanding flavour and aroma,' he says. If a serpent in your drink feels like a step too far, he suggests the more conventional Fortaleza, a tequila he calls 'one of the smoothest I've ever had.' Flor del Desierto.
Currently holidaying in Vietnam, Uday Balaji is all praise for Sampan Rum, an agricole-style rum made by Distillerie Indochine near Hoi An. 'It's made entirely from sugarcane juice and has this lovely fresh, floral character,' says the Coimbatore-based whisky educator. For those heading to Southeast Asia, he also recommends keeping an eye out for Glenglassaugh Portsoy, a coastal single malt from the Brown-Forman portfolio. 'I feel it's a much-overlooked gem,' says Balaji of the peaty dram. 'I've come across it at several duty-free outlets in the region, especially at Changi Airport and in the Philippines.' Also on his radar, if Europe happens this year, is Smogen, a bold Swedish whisky. 'It holds its own against several Scottish single malts,' he says. Glenglassaugh Portsoy.
Mayukh Hazarika's Cherrapunji is one of India's standout gins — smoky, rainwater-distilled in Meghalaya, and infused with botanicals from the North East, including second-flush tea from the Lushai Hills in Mizoram. But gin isn't the only thing Hazarika likes to sip after a long day. At times, he turns to Calvados or Armagnac. 'I've mostly picked up the Calvados Chateau du Breuil and Pays d'Auge, from Berlin, and they never disappoint.' The Chateau du Breuil, he says, is smooth and rounded; the Pays d'Auge, sharper and more structured. For Armagnac, he turns to Janneau, which is soft, slightly spiced, and always dependable. If you're in Holland, he recommends picking up Rutte, a 'benchmark' gin distilled at a 150-year-old facility in Dordrecht, about 100 km from Amsterdam. Rutte.
Kasturi Banerjee's Maka Zai, launched in 2021, was one of India's first homegrown craft rums. Since then, the former banker has expanded her portfolio with Mesma, a limited-edition barrel-aged expression that leans on aromatic complexity. When she's travelling, Banerjee makes a point of seeking out local spirits, especially rums that experiment with indigenous ingredients. 'I look for flavoured rums, especially those using indigenous fruits or spices, and how distilleries are experimenting with not just traditional Asian crops like sugarcane, but also less common ingredients like cashew.'
She is particularly fond of the agricole-style Samui Rum, which is distilled by the Magic Alambic Rum Distillery (La Rhumerie de Samui) on Koh Samui's quiet southwest coast. Dos Maderas Luxus, a rum aged in the Caribbean and then finished in casks that previously held 20-year-old Pedro Ximénez sherry in Jerez, Spain, is another favourite that she picked up in the UK. Her latest find is Rosemullion Honey Rum, from Frankfurt. Made in Cornwall, the rum is infused with local honey and herbs. Her whisky picks are rooted in Ireland, and she especially recommends Redbreast for its elegance and Connemara for its gentle peat. Redbreast.
Vinayak Singh, co-founder, Dram Club
As co-founder of Dram Club, a community for spirits lovers, Vinayak Singh often leads whisky tours to Scotland, and never returns without a bottle of Highland Park 18. 'It's consistently good… I have no idea why it's overlooked.' Another label that never fails to impress is Octomore. 'We recently had a tasting of the super heavily peated Octomore 9.3 — it was a big hit.' Both brands, especially the Highland Park, are often available at duty-free shops in Southeast Asia, says Singh. Highland Park 18.
