Now that monsoon is here in full swing, you might think of cancelling your plans of heading out to a restaurant or bar. But there’s no need to frown. You can enjoy the rains and cosy up with a drink in your hand from the comfort of your home. Need to stock up on some new bottles this month and looking for recommendations? We’re here to help. Ahead, we list 5 new alcohol launches that can become a part of your monsoon bar cabinet this month.
1. Satiwa Passion
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This hemp craft gin just got a tropical upgrade. Satiwa Passion is a passion fruit-forward gin that offers a sweet and fruity taste. Its notes pair well with the juniper, hemp and other botanicals infused in the spirit. With an aroma and flavour profile this distinct, Satiwa Passion makes for the perfect drink to savour on a hot summer afternoon.
How To Drink: Pair Satiwa Passion with tonic water and basil/orange slice. Considering its fruity aroma and flavour, the gin can be used as the key ingredient in fruity cocktails.
Price & Availability: INR 1850 for 750 ml; available in select stores in Goa.
2. MESMA
From the makers of Maka Zai rum comes Mesma, a limited edition barrel-aged rum. The spirit is made by blending rum in multiple casks without a particular time period in mind, an experiment that led to a smooth drinking experience. Aged in ex-bourbon casks, MESMA brings out flavours of citrus, vanilla, apricot, oak, and cocoa. Its aromatic profile reveals hints of orange peels, banana, tobacco, molasses, and sweet berries. With limited bottles only available in Goa, this rare spirit makes for a great addition to your bar cabinet this monsoon.
How To Drink: Ditch the elaborate cocktail preparations and enjoy MESMA neat–on the rocks or with a splash of water.
Price & Availability: INR 3600 for 750 ML; available in select stores only in Goa
3. BAAGH
The zesty tang of Nagpur orange and the crispness of lime, complemented by subtle hints of spice come together to make this gin’s citrus-forward flavour profile, as opposed to traditional juniper-forward gins. “Think of Baagh as the first sip of your weekend brunch, or the early drink at a cosy bar, not a 3 am round at an unfamiliar club,” shares its founding partner and chef Manu Chandra. Launched by Chhota Hazri Spirits, Baagh is more than its flavour profile; it is purpose-driven. A part of the profits generated from Baagh will be dedicated to agrobiodiversity and re-wilding initiatives in Assam, in collaboration with The Balipara Foundation, justifying its commitment to positive impact and the brand’s tagline ‘No Planet No Party’. Responsible drinking got a whole new meaning!
How To Drink: BAAGH pairs well with simple tonic water or can be used to create a personalised DIY cocktail, without the need for speciality mixers or flavoured tonics.
Price & Availability: INR 1995; available in Mumbai and Pune, and will be launching soon in Bengaluru.
4. D’YAVOL Vodka
Aryan Khan, Leti Blagoeva and Bunty Singh launched a global luxury collective, D’YAVOL (under their Netherlands-based venture Slab) last year to offer curated lifestyle experiences and products across fashion, beverages, and exclusive experiential events. Slab in partnership with the local arm of Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev, one of the largest brewers in the world) launched D’YAVOL in India. Produced in Poland, the Single Estate vodka is made from wheat and refined with Tahitian black pearls, making it a luxurious, velvety sipping spirit.
How To Drink: Savour it on the rocks for an elevated drinking experience
Price & Availability: Available in Maharashtra for INR 5,000; Goa for INR 4,000; Karnataka for INR 6,500.
5. Broken Bat Gin by Greater Than
Here’s a gin for all the whisky lovers. Adding its own spin to gin by aging it in a barrel and catering to brown spirit drinkers, Nao Spirits’ Greater Than launched The Broken Bat Gin. Paying tribute to the love for cricket India has, Greater Than distillers shaved and cleaned cricket bats made with Kashmir Willow and soaked them in a vat of high-proof Greater Than Gin for six weeks. This resulted in a classic gin that tastes almost like whisky. While the cricket bats were crowd-sourced, the team also worked with a Kashmiri bat-maker to source cracked or chipped wood that would otherwise have been wasted. The final tasting notes? That of aged leather and freshly toasted wood followed by almost-ripe mangoes and sweet juniper spice—reminiscent of your favourite Christmas cake. This innovative gin grabbed the title of the Best Gin in Asia at The Gin Guide Awards 2023. It was also named a winner in the Aged Gin Category globally.
How To Drink: Drink it like you would drink your favourite whisky. Broken Bat is best enjoyed all by itself on ice or topped up with Soda or Cola.
Price & Availability: Available in Goa for INR 1450; Maharashtra for INR 2400; Karnataka for INR 2450.
