Raising the Bar

A craft gin from the Northeast has shaken the alcobev industry by winning international accolades. But that's not enough to slake the start-up founder's thirst for growth

- • Bunty Thoidingjam

Think Cherrapunji and images of misty hill tops, verdant terraced fields and rain come to mind.

It was once the wettest place on Earth and has been a tourist magnet for decades.

And now the spirit of the place has been distilled and bottled. "I wanted people to taste the terroir in their glass," says Mayukh Hazarika, founder and chief executive, Raincheck Earth Co, which makes the artisanal gin called "Cherrapunji". Its USP? The gin is made with purified rainwater and local botanicals.

The botanicals include Khasi mandarin peel from Sohra, wild pepper from Cherrapunji, smoked cardamom from Sikkim, kaji lemon from Assam, smoked tea from the Assam-Manipur border and juniper from eastern Himalayas. In its quest to be sustainable, Raincheck Earth uses a military-grade stainless steel bottle, which is reusable.

Vocal for Local

An alum of St Anthony's College, Shillong and IIM, Indore, Hazarika held various roles in sales and marketing for brands such as Pepsi, Samsung and Lava before the proverbial entrepreneurial bug bit him. There was also the urge to give back something to the place where he was born and grew up.

He says he wanted to start something that was authentic, create jobs and put the Northeast on the global map through sustainable and meaningful entrepreneurship. And he zeroed in on gin. Over the past few years artisanal gin has been the spirit