The Luxury of Homegrown Drinks

The domestic spirits industry has shaken up old narratives to stir up awe and a new awareness; here are the sips which we savoured and recommend that you serve.

- Magandeep Singh

For a land synonymous with a tapestry of rich history and elaborate rituals and traditions, our bar seems to run quite dry. Up until a few years ago, if one had started a conversation around India's indigenous intoxicants (the liquid kind), you may have heard some talk about local hooch from various states, the words "Soma", and "Madira", would have been thrown around, and someone would have proudly mentioned Feni and its G.I. tag, but then, that's it. Voices would have faded, murmurs died down, and we would have all been left wondering what to drink next.

Not so much the case today. While we still don't know what exactly constituted the drink "Soma", (or if it was even ingested in the form of a drink), we have certainly come a long way with making drinks that will become truly, well, historic. The new 'subcontinental bar menu' is a mixed bag—an ode to the old school stuff, like Mahua, and lots of international reprises, like whiskies and gins. With so much noise in the space, time for us to come in and conduct the music. Here are the bottles you need to hit all the right notes.

Godawan #2