The New Indian Single Malt: Kamet
Ambrosia|March 2021
Let’s start with a brand new whisky from a two-year-old company called Peak Spirits. After Amrut and Paul John, there’s another Indian single malt whisky that’s coming to town, from the makers of Jin Jiji—a newly-released cashew gin from Goa—comes Kamet, an Indian single malt whisky that celebrates its provenance. While it’s inspired by Mount Kamet in Uttarakhand, one of the highest peaks in the country, Kamet draws on local motifs and characters such as the Indian parrot, an important part of the culture in the villages surrounding the distillery near Kurukshetra. Lopamudra Ganguly Speaks to Ansh Khanna, the curator of Kamet.
Ansh Khanna
The New Indian Single Malt: Kamet

“Kamet was envisioned by me and Master Sommelier Ken Fredrickson, who believed India to be one of the greatest places in the world to produce whisky given the unique six row barley and ageing conditions. It is a JV between Peak Spirits and Piccadily Distillery,” says Mr. Ansh Khanna.

Is India Good for single Malt?

“We consider India to be one of the greatest places in the world to produce single malt whisky, given our unique six-row barley and ageing conditions.” Ansh Khanna, co-founder of Peak Spirits that owns the two labels, says, “We had been working on the single malt much before Jin JiJi. Given the ageing requirements, the journey to launch is much longer.”

At the beginning of this year, Peak Spirits, run by Mumbai-based Ansh Khanna and Chicago-based sommelier Ken Frederickson, soft-launched their first product Jin Jiji in select cities in the US, Europe, and Canada. The ‘India Dry Gin’, which is distilled in Goa, and will soon be available in the state — along with their first-ever whisky, Kamet. Named after a 20-thousander in the Garhwal Himalayas, among India’s highest mountains, work on the NAS whisky, says Khanna, began around 2016. “Ken and I believe that India’s unique conditions and six-row barley — we source ours from the foothills of the Himalayas — make it an exciting place to produce a single malt of great complexity,” says Khanna.

This story is from the March 2021 edition of Ambrosia.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the March 2021 edition of Ambrosia.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM AMBROSIAView All
E-commerce In Alcohol Is The New Route To Market Strategy
Ambrosia

E-commerce In Alcohol Is The New Route To Market Strategy

Post Covid e-commerce could help the industry out of a crisis. But in the new normal the growth rate may not be high. A report.

time-read
6 mins  |
May 2021
Processes for alcohol-free beer production: A review
Ambrosia

Processes for alcohol-free beer production: A review

Carlos MULLER1 Luis Eduardo NEVES1 Luciana GOMES1 Munique GUIMARÃES1 Grace GHESTI1 * http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1043-5748

time-read
10+ mins  |
May 2021
The US and China offer resilience and opportunity for drinks groups
Ambrosia

The US and China offer resilience and opportunity for drinks groups

Strong performances in China and the US have shielded multinational drinks companies from the fallout of Covid-19 in recent months. IWSR examines the reasons why.

time-read
3 mins  |
May 2021
Increasing demand for nostalgic flavours in drinks
Ambrosia

Increasing demand for nostalgic flavours in drinks

Nostalgic flavours such as peanut butter, lemonade and chocolate have become increasingly popular during the pandemic. IWSR looks at how the trend is manifesting in different beverage categories.

time-read
3 mins  |
May 2021
‘80% of the International Awards won by Indian wines are from Karnataka'
Ambrosia

‘80% of the International Awards won by Indian wines are from Karnataka'

The Wine market in India is still in its infancy but is growing at a much faster rate as compared to any other category/ segment. Grover Zampa, the second biggest manufacturer of Wines in India has been on a spending spree acquiring wineries in India to increase their presence in the market. In an interview with Ambrosia, Ravi Vishwanathan, Chairman, Grover Zampa Vineyards speaks about his investments, the Indian market and the possibilities for the future. Excerpts:

time-read
8 mins  |
May 2021
Trends in alcohol consumption in Europe continue their positive course
Ambrosia

Trends in alcohol consumption in Europe continue their positive course

Over recent months, we have seen very welcome findings on drinking behaviours released by leading health authorities across Europe, particularly with regards to the decline in underage drinking. This contrasts sharply with misleading coverage which often suggests that overall consumption is dangerously on the increase, in particular since the pandemic started, writes spirits Europe Director General Ulrich Adam.

time-read
3 mins  |
May 2021
Pernod Ricard and Brown Forman Merger Speculation
Ambrosia

Pernod Ricard and Brown Forman Merger Speculation

As speculation mounts about the strategic merger between Pernod Ricard & Brown & Forman, we look at the far reaching consequences of the deal.

time-read
10+ mins  |
May 2021
Glasgow Whisky announces distillery purchase to expand global business
Ambrosia

Glasgow Whisky announces distillery purchase to expand global business

The company is expanding its wings with an environmentally sustainable and energy efficient distillery

time-read
2 mins  |
May 2021
Excise revenues save the day for Maharashtra and Karnataka
Ambrosia

Excise revenues save the day for Maharashtra and Karnataka

The pandemic has not much changed consumption levels of liquor in Maharashtra, though the excise department may fall short of the excise revenue target of ₹19,225 crores for 2020-21. Home delivery of liquor in Maharashtra has done exceedingly well as it has earned almost equal revenue for the State as compared to last year.

time-read
1 min  |
May 2021
Bacardi adds flavour to Indian market
Ambrosia

Bacardi adds flavour to Indian market

Over the past few years, Bacardi has further strengthened its position in India as a premium brand. Known for its diverse brand portfolio, Bacardi aims at bringing superior quality spirits to the market. Zeenah Vilcassim, Marketing Director, Bacardi India, unveils her strategy for the Indian market.

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2021