Meghalaya on the global spirits map

In the mist-draped hills of Cherrapunji, where the clouds descend like whispers and the rains write poetry across the red earth, a quiet revolution is brewing.

- AGENCIES

A bottle of gin, born from rainwater and infused with the wild heart of Meghalaya, has just stunned the global spirits world.

Cherrapunji Eastern Craft Gin, distilled by Raincheck Earth Co, has bagged the prestigious Double Gold Medal at the 2025 Spirits International Prestige (SIP) Awards held in California — a rare honour shared by less than 2 per cent of over 1,200 entries from across the globe.

But what makes this victory remarkable is not just the medal — it’s the story behind the bottle.

At the heart of this gin is rain — not just any rain, but the fabled downpours of Cherrapunji, one of the wettest places on Earth. The spirit is crafted using harvested rainwater, a nod to the region’s ecological uniqueness and a tribute to its fragile environment. This water forms the base of the gin, which is then layered with a dozen botanicals — Khasi mandarin, Himalayan juniper, smoked cardamom, even smoked tea — all locally sourced, all deeply evocative of the northeastern terroir.