Piccadily Agro Industries Limited has once again made a resounding mark on the global whisky stage, winning six prestigious medals at the World Whiskies Awards 2025. The company’s flagship brand Indri Single Malt with its exclusive expressions, emerged victorious across various categories, reinforcing Piccadily Distilleries position as a trailblazer in the Indian and international whisky landscape.
Indri secured an impressive lineup of awards. They included Indri Founder’s Reserve Wine Cask 11 Years Old, 58.5% ABV (12 years and under – small batch) – Winner; Indri Refill Oloroso Sherry Cask Single Cask 03, 58.5% ABV (No Age Statement) – Winner; Indri 2024 Diwali Collector’s Edition, 58.5% ABV (No Age Statement – small batch) – Silver; Indri Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon Exclusive Edition – House of Black, 46% ABV, (No Age Statement) – Silver; Indri Ex Sauternes Wine Cask Single Cask 47050, 58.5% ABV, (No Age Statement) – Silver; and Indri Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon Exclusive Edition – House of Green, 46% ABV (No Age Statement) – Bronze.
Since its launch, Indri has taken the international whisky scene by storm, challenging industry norms with innovative expressions that celebrate India’s terroir and expertise. With each award and accolade, Indri has established itself as more than just a brand—it’s a symbol of national pride and a testament to the potential of Indian single malts.
Shalini Sharma, Head of Marketing, Piccadily Agro Industries Limited said, “Indri’s journey has been nothing short of groundbreaking, and we are incredibly proud of these remarkable wins at the World Whiskies Awards 2025s. This recognition is a true testament to our relentless pursuit of excellence and our vision to firmly establish Indian single malts on the global whisky stage. Being recognised on such a prestigious international platform is not just a victory for Indri, but a triumph for Indian single malts as a whole. We are reshaping global perceptions, proving that Indian single malts can set world-class benchmarks and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the finest whiskies across the globe.”
The Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Jitin Prasada has said in the Lok Sabha that the United States under the Trump administration has not yet imposed reciprocal tariffs and that both countries were planning to negotiate a trade agreement, focussing on increased market access, reduction of import duties and removing non-tariff barriers.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, the Minister said, “Both countries plan to negotiate a mutually beneficial, multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement. Both countries would focus on increasing market access, reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers, and enhancing supply chain integration.”
Confirming the same, the Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs that negotiations between the two nations are still on and no agreement on trade tariffs has been reached so far. Barthwal briefed the committee, headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, and said that bilateral trade agreement talks between the two nations are still on.
When members of the committee asked why India was not raising its voice against tariffs, as done by Canada and Mexico, he said the two were not comparable as the US had security concerns and border immigration issues with them.
It is reported that the Commerce Secretary assured the committee that India will sign a “mutually beneficial agreement”. He said India will protect any industry which is crucial to its domestic economy, saying that developing countries cannot lower their tariffs on everything.
It must be mentioned here that soon after Donald Trump took charge as President of the US, the US government issued Memorandum on Reciprocal Trade and Tariffs, wherein the Secretary of Commerce and United States Trade Representative were to take necessary actions to investigate harm to America from any non-reciprocal trade arrangements adopted by trading partners and provide a report with detailed proposed remedies for each trading partner.
Prasada also said that India continues to engage with the US to achieve enhancement and broadening of bilateral trade ties in a mutually beneficial and fair manner. “This is an ongoing exercise and Indian exporters are working towards diversifying trade baskets and export destinations.”
In 2023-24, India exported engineering goods worth USD 17.62 billion. The other major goods included electronics (USD 10 billion), gems and jewellery (USD 9.9 billion), petroleum products (USD 5.83 billion), textiles (USD 4.7 billion), marine products (USD 2.5 billion). During 2021-24, America was India’s largest trading partner. The US is one of the few countries with which India has a trade surplus. Trump had said, “India charges us massive tariffs, massive you can’t even sell anything in India. It’s almost… it is restrictive. You know, we do very little business inside. They have agreed, by the way. They want to cut their tariffs way down now because somebody’s finally exposing them for what they have done.”
Radico Khaitan expects sales of ₹500 crore from its luxury brands in the next fiscal, according to its Managing Director Abhishek Khaitan. The premium brands are the famous Indian single malt ‘Rampur’ and the artisanal gin Jaisalmer Indian craft gin. The company has plans to add to more brands in the next fiscal.
The company has been experiencing robust sales and expects 8 to 9% growth in volumes and by 12 to 15% in terms of value. The prestige and above segments have been registering double digit growth and the company expects to close in the same range of about 15%.
Radico Khaitan’s luxury portfolio consists of Rampur Indian Single Malt, Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin, Sangam World Malt and Spirit of Victory 1999 Pure Malt. “For the first time in Q3 (December quarter) we achieved a turnover of ₹100 crore (from premium) and for the nine months of FY’24, we have achieved ₹250 crore (turnover). We are very confident that for FY’26, Radico Khaitan should achieve ₹500 crore of turnover, just for the luxury segment only,” said Khaitan.
The Enforcement Directorate, a central agency, conducted raids for five continuous days from March 6 across the state-owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) offices, distilleries and breweries to investigate into purported irregularities in the liquor trade in the state.
The ED has uncovered a liquor scam involving the Excise and Prohibition Minister V. Senthil Balaji and other senior leaders of the ruling DMK party. The ED is alleging that distilleries across the state were inflating expenses and fabricating purchases, particularly through bottle-manufacturing companies, to siphon off around ₹1000 crore into untraceable funds and shell companies.
Balaji termed the allegations false and stated, “I will face this legally. The specific FIR details mentioned in the ED statement are missing. There are no irregularities. They are creating an image as if there are irregularities.”
The ruling DMK government has termed the raids as ‘political vendetta’. The Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister, Udhayanidhi Stalin told media persons that Tamil Nadu has been consistent in raising its voice against the three-language policy, (skewed) devolution of finance and delimitation (based on current population). “Hence the Union government might be using raids by its agencies as a diversionary tactic. They might tell something after the completion of the raids. Let’s wait.”
The ED conducted raids at the distilleries and breweries in Chennai and Coimbatore, at the residence and offices of friends of Excise and Prohibition Minister V. Senthil Balaji at Karur, at the head office of TASMAC at Egmore in Chennai, regional offices and residences of TASMAC managing director S. Visakan IAS, and few other top officials linked to TASMAC.
4,829 outlets
The ED has asked the TASMAC district officers across to gather and collate data about bar licences, purchase and sales indents, licences of breweries and distilleries and other financial records of all the 4,829 TASMAC retail outlets in the state, to be submitted to the ED through the TASMAC managing director’s office.
Last year, the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) which was tabled in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, had revealed that outlets of TASMAC did not pay the differential excise duty of close to ₹30.5 crore due to the revision of rates of Indian Made Foreign liquor, even as the MRPs were revised. It also flagged several other issues like cash-based billing, over-charging and lapses in e-procurement system etc. The TASMAC fetches ₹44,000 crore as annual revenue for the government.
According to media reports at least 41 FIRs resisted by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) against the discrepancies in purchase and sales in TASMAC, in the past 15 years, were taken as the basis for the investigation by the ED officials. The investigation was also looking into the bar licences issued through a tender process across the state in 2023. The ED enquired about the details with regard to the selection process for giving out bar licences, details of the bar owners across Tamil Nadu, their political affiliations, MRP violations, bar procedures, liquor procurement, and information on breweries, distilleries, and FL2 (Recreation Clubs) and FL3 (Star hotels) licensees, including their addresses.
The media reports mentioned that raids were also conducted at Kongu Mess, Sakthi Mess and at the residences of the owners of these outlets; but these did not yield any results. The owners of these two restaurants in Karur are said to be friends of Minister Senthil Balaji and have been under the ED scanner for quite some time.
A team of around 35 officers from Kerala, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh conducted the searches simultaneously to assess the financial irregularities in TASMAC. However, DMK sources say that the raids did not yield anything as expected by the agency, and this was a prelude to the upcoming raids and searches in the run up to the 2026 elections. The raids, sources say, were targetted at Balaji who is already on bail in the cash-for-job scam case.
The Jammu & Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP), led by Mehbooba Mufti, has started a signature campaign seeking prohibition. The PDP has called the ruling National Conference of Omar Abdullah a government indulging in ‘hypocrisy’.
Across Srinagar, the PDP has put up posters seeking a ban on liquor sales and urging tourists to ‘respect local culture and traditions’. The campaign was spearheaded by Iltija Mufti, daughter of Mehbooba Mufti. Even as posters are coming up the police is getting the posters removed.
But what is more surprising is that the government had conducted an economic survey and presented it to the Assembly. The report projected a 4% increase in excise revenue, expected to touch ₹2,000 crore in 2024-25. The rise is attributed to policy changes, including strengthened tracking mechanisms, transparent auctions for liquor vends, and an overhauled excise framework.
PDP has led the charge, with MLA Fayaz Ahmad Mir submitting a bill to ban the “advertisement, sale, purchase, consumption, and manufacture of alcoholic drinks” in the region. The National Conference and independent legislator Sheikh Khurshid Ahmad followed suit with the BJP also voicing support.
In Jammu, the former J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina had earlier staged protests against alcohol sales. PDP chief and ex-CM Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija launched a signature campaign recently to rally public backing, vowing to take it to every constituency in Kashmir. “We want J&K to be declared a dry state like Gujarat and Bihar,” Iltija said. “J&K is called the land of rishis and peers (Sufi saints). We have our own sensitivities, culture, and customs. That should be respected.
Recently traders at Srinagar’s historic Lal Chowk had put up posters that, after welcoming tourists, said, “For a memorable and enjoyable trip, we kindly request: Love and cherish your family, avoid liquor, drugs, spitting on roads and smoking. Respect our culture and traditions”.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) jamboree is going to commence from March 22, coming soon after the ICC Champions Trophy which India won. In India, to state the obvious, cricket has the highest viewership and liquor companies have been taking the route of surrogate advertising. However, this time, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare wants to crack the whip on surrogate advertising.
In a letter addressed to the IPL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Ministry has urged the two entities to ban the sale of tobacco and alcohol products at all IPL-related events and sports venues. It also said that all forms of tobacco and alcohol promotions, including surrogate advertising, is prohibited. The directive covers advertisements at stadiums, IPL-related events, and national television broadcasts during matches.
In a letter dated March 5, director general of health services Atul Goel also called on the cricket board to prevent players and commentators from endorsing tobacco or alcohol-linked products, either directly or indirectly. Cricketers serve as role models for young people, making it crucial for the IPL to uphold its social responsibility, he said and added that the IPL, being the country’s biggest sporting event, has a duty to support public health initiatives and align with government efforts to curb tobacco and alcohol promotion.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, cancer, chronic lung conditions, diabetes, and hypertension are a major health concern in India, contributing to over 70% of annual deaths, Atul Goel stated while highlighting the growing burden of these illnesses and the need for stricter regulations to curb their risk factors.
“Tobacco and alcohol use are key risk factors for NCDs. We rank second in tobacco-related deaths worldwide; with nearly 14 lakh annual deaths, while alcohol is the most common psychoactive substance used by Indians,” he said.
Major sponsors during ICC Champions Trophy
During the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy, played in Pakistan and Dubai, saw Oaksmith Packaging Water advertising majorly. JioStar which was the official broadcaster and streaming platform for the mega event had confirmed sponsorship from Dream11, Pernod Ricard India, Beam Suntory, Kohler, Birla Opus, Vodafone Idea, ICICI Direct among others.
CCPA Keeping a Tab
Ambrosia has been writing about the issue of advertising restrictions for liquor companies in India and also how surrogate advertising has crept in. Often times, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) urges companies to guarantee compliance with advertising norms, after getting complaints of liquor brands breaching surrogate advertising regulations, over the past three years, particularly during major cricketing events.
The CCPA only recently had issued notices to 13 companies, including major alcohol, tobacco and paan masala makers, for resorting to surrogate advertising. Surrogate advertising is a deceptive practice where a company promotes products that are banned from direct advertising by promoting other products under the same brand name from the same company.
In 2022, the government had announced guidelines to curb misleading advertisements and endorsers by banning surrogate ads, while imposing strict norms for those advertisements that seek to lure consumers offering discounts and free claims. The guidelines on “Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022” seeks to regulate advertisements targetting children.
Action against violation of the guidelines will be taken as per the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), which provides for a penalty of ₹10 lakh for first offence and ₹50 lakh for subsequent contravention, it said.
The CCPA had requested a list of products marketed under the same brand as alcoholic beverages, known as brand extensions, besides seeking revenue and turnover data related to the sale of alcobev and also the brand extension products such as mineral water, playing cards, music CDs etc. In the light of some companies sponsoring events, the CCPA also sought sponsorship details of events, payments to celebrities and influencers etc. The idea was to ascertain the correlation between the actual sales of brand extension products and the expenditure on promotions. The reason given is not to encourage drinking. It has cited the World Health Organisation (WHO) which has mentioned that bans or comprehensive curbs on alcohol advertising “are cost-effective measures” in the interest of public health. Its data shows India’s consumption of alcohol per person will rise to nearly 7 litres in 2030, from about 5 litres in 2019, a period over which fellow Asian giant China’s consumption will drop to 5.5 litres. And alcohol-related deaths in India stood at 38.5 for every 100,000 of its population, versus 16.1 for China.
The spirits industry continues to be male-dominated, the reasons for that are many, including the taboo attached to drinking in some societies. But with premiumisation, responsible drinking, liberal society, near gender-parity, consumerism etc. the taboo is gradually disappearing. What is heartwarming is that women have broken the glass ceiling, entering the realm of the alcobev sector in varying capacities. On March 8, International Women’s Day, Ambrosia salutes these women who have dared to shatter the man-made myths. The best part is that the women force has dared to dream, creating brands that have raised the bar, so to say, in the alcobev sector.
Hina Nagarajan at the helm
We begin at the pinnacle that is with Hina Nagarajan, who till recently was the Managing Director and CEO of Diageo India, and has now moved on to a higher position in Diageo’s Global Executive Committee. From April 1, 2025, she takes on a new role as President of Diageo Africa. This will be her second stint in Africa, where she previously served as Managing Director of Africa Emerging Markets. Over the past four years as MD & CEO of Diageo India, she led a passionate and dedicated team to achieve many milestones, delivering a strong financial performance, and navigated challenges in a highly regulated environment. Under her leadership, Diageo India’s market capitalisation crossed ₹1 trillion up from about ₹45,000 in mid-2021.
Prior to joining Diageo, Hina spent over 30 years in the FMCG industry and held several leadership positions at Reckitt, Mary Kay India and Nestlé India during her career. Her most recent position before joining Diageo was as Sr. Vice President, Regional Director of Reckitt, North Asia since mid-2015, leading the business operations across China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Hina, a product of Delhi University and subsequently from the renowned Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, is an accomplished senior leader with a proven track record in business transformation and development in complex emerging markets. She has a unique and versatile experience of building high quality and growth businesses in the diverse power markets of India, China, SE Asia and Africa across several sectors (food & beverage, health & hygiene, nutrition, beauty, home décor).
As a top woman leader, she is a strong advocate of creating opportunities for women and contributes extensively to Inclusion & Diversity Programmes. Her recognitions in this area include: EMpower Top 100 Ethnic Minority Role Model Lists (2020, 2019); WeQual I&D Award Winner (2019); and Cranfield University Top 50 Women to Watch (2019).
Smart, Young Women Entrepreneurs Changing the Landscape
In post-Covid era, India has seen the emergence of women entrepreneurs like never before and in sectors which one never dreamt of. These smart entrepreneurs have shaken up the world of distilling. They include Varna Bhat, Founder and CEO of Blisswater Industries (makers of Rahasya Vodka); Sakshi Saigal, Co-Founder of Third Eye Distillery (Stranger & Sons Gin); Anjali Shahi and Lavanya Jayashankar, Co-Founders of Speakeasy Spirits (makers of Matinee craft gin); Kasturi Banerjee, Founder & Director of Stilldistilling Spirits India (makers of artisan rum Maka Zai); Yoginee Budhkar and Ashwini Deore, Co-Founders, Cerana Meads; Devika Bhagat, Co-Founder of AdventuristSpirits (makers of Tamras craft gin); Karishma Chandy, Co-Founder of Happenstance Beverages (Pitbull Rum); Nidhi Kedia of Nisaki Gin. The list keeps growing.
The Rahasya of Varna Bhat
Varna Bhat is a dynamic and visionary entrepreneur with over a decade’s experience in brand building, scaling, and communication across diverse industries, including beverages, fashion retail, electronics, sports leagues, and jewellery. Today, she is a serial entrepreneur having founded three companies (including Blisswater) in less than a decade of a sensational entrepreneurial journey. Her parents wanted her to be a civil servant, but she had other interests, entrepreneurship being on the top. As a Goan, something was brewing in her head and that was no secret – vodka – and in Goa it was not difficult to hit upon the right partners for distilling and bottling. Lo, born was Rahasya, a flavoured vodka which is distinctly Indian made from Indian grain with crispy notes. Varna is busy exploring overseas market.
No Stranger to Alcobev, Sakshi Saigal
It was in 2018, Sakshi Saigal, her husband Rahul Mehra and her cousin Vidur Gupta teamed up to set up Third Eye Distillery, yet again from Goa, seemingly a birthing place for young and daring entrepreneurs. Sakshi’s poison was gin, more so when she was in Barcelona, Spain doing her MBA. On returning to India, she thought Indians needed the Barcelona experience of finding gin bars with consummate ease. While she did not venture into setting up a bar, she took a leap (along with her co-founders) to ensure that craft gin was easily available in the bars of the country. Thus, was born Stranger & Sons.
In an earlier interview with Ambrosia, Sakshi had given the genesis of Third Eye Distillery. “It goes without saying that we individually are not just cocktail enthusiasts, but also had access to observe the beginnings of the Gin Revolution first hand. I was working towards my MBA in Barcelona, while Vidur was studying in the UK and Rahul had just set up his craft brewery in Mumbai. While we were tasting and drinking a variety of gins every day–whether in London’s cocktail bars or the Gin Tonics of Barcelona, we were getting well acquainted with the gin landscape. That’s when it piqued our interest as to why India wasn’t up to speed with gin although gin manufacturers all over the world looked to India when it came to sourcing botanicals and we kept encountering brands based on a vision of India that we knew very well had never been a reality. This made us question why products with these botanicals are made everywhere but here. To add to this, there wasn’t any other quality homegrown product then that was conveying the story from our perspective; so, we decided to change that and embarked into a lot of research before setting up Third Eye Distillery.”
Banker-turned-Rum producer: Kasturi Banerjee
“After 16 incredible years in the financial services industry across the UK, India, and Singapore, including a 12-year tenure with Standard Chartered Bank, I took a bold leap into the alcobev industry in 2020. I didn’t just leave banking—I traded spreadsheets for stills, and numbers for nuanced flavours. Driven by a passion for craftsmanship and innovation, I founded Stilldistilling Spirits, a start-up dedicated to crafting premium, homegrown artisanal rum that’s redefining India’s spirits landscape.”
She then took up a six-month bartending course and took up an internship in a bar in Mumbai to turn her passion into a profession. Kasturi then launched Maka Zai and MESMA rum, pioneering India’s premium rum market with distribution in five states, naval canteen, duty-free outlets, and one export market. She is a forerunner in the category through relentless advocacy and on-ground activations, including tasting sessions, trade shows, and masterclasses. “Today, I’m not just building a brand—I’m crafting experiences, challenging norms, and redefining what premium rum means in India. For me, rum isn’t just a product—it’s a narrative of India’s craft potential, and I’m here to bottle that story.”
On the growing number of women entering the alcobev industry, she says “It’s great to see a steady increase in the number of female entrepreneurs entering the beverage sector, across several roles. From restaurant ownership and beverage programme leadership to bartending and spirit founders, there’s a noticeable trend toward greater equality unfolding. Over the past 12 months, both globally and here in India, we’ve witnessed remarkable progress. Opportunities are becoming more accessible to all, and recognition is being rightfully extended regardless of gender.”
Reshaping Perceptions of Agave: Kimberly Pereira
Kimberly Pereira, Chief Operating Officer at Maya Pistola Agavepura (Pistola), has played a key role in the brand’s growth since its launch in 2021. Having spearheaded its popularity across the country, she embodies the spirit of Pistola as a torchbearer for Asia’s first premium aged 100% Agave spirit. Her passion for the brand steers her efforts in all aspects of the business, from production to distribution, as she continues to create a niche for Pistola in the world of spirits.
Kimberly’s tenure at Pistola has been marked by her ability to shape the company’s strategic direction and expansion plans. From her initial role as Sales Manager – Goa (2021-22), and Brand Ambassador (2021-23), to her current position as Chief Operating Officer, she has played a pivotal role in the brand’s evolution and establishment nationally. Her current focus lies in popularising the relatively unknown spirit to the Indian beverage market, presenting it as a refreshing, wild, and authentic alternative to global tequila culture. By reshaping perceptions of a premium, 100% agave and earning the moniker ‘Agavepura’, she is actively creating new avenues of growth through tasting experiences and educational sessions, aimed at enlightening connoisseurs and beverage enthusiasts about the diverse variants of Pistola.
Kimberly’s extensive experience in hospitality, brand management, and the services sectors has fuelled her passion for creating authentic and memorable customer experiences, a principle she holds dear in her role at Pistola. Her international travels and her love for offbeat bars, craft spirits, and unique cocktails have enriched her understanding of the global beverage landscape, further enhancing her ability to cater to the diverse tastes and preferences of the brand’s customers.
Born and raised in Kuwait, and having studied in India and abroad, she has experienced different global cultures during her extensive travels. Outside work, she enjoys hosting friends and family over a home-cooked meal, long drives, photography, or a lazy day at the beach.
Taking the family legacy forward: Sanaya Dahanukar
Sanaya Dahanukar is a dynamic marketing professional at Tilaknagar Industries Ltd. (TI), India’s leading brandy company. As the fifth-generation member of the Maharashtra-based Dahanukar family behind TI, Sanaya brings a blend of legacy and modernity to the company.
She has been an integral part of the organisation for the past two and a half years, working closely with her father, Amit Dahanukar, the Chairman and Managing Director of Tilaknagar Industries. Sanaya’s entry into the family business followed her graduation from the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in Economics and minored in Philosophy.
Sanaya’s passion extends beyond marketing, as she has also delved into the art and science of alcohol making and blending. She successfully completed the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 course, further deepening her expertise in the industry.
In her role, Sanaya is hands-on in all aspects of marketing, from naming and packaging to brand communication and the execution of campaigns. She is deeply involved in driving Tilaknagar’s new product development strategy, collaborating closely with the blendmaster to shape the next generation of offerings. Aimed at elevating TI’s presence in the premium and luxury segments, Sanaya plays a pivotal role in strengthening the company’s flagship brands and expanding its portfolio. Her contributions reflect her commitment to blending the company’s rich 90-year legacy with innovative strategies for the future.
Swa, Handcrafted by Women: Vaishali Mehta
Vaishali’s journey is a testament to resilience, innovation, and purpose. A proud Gujju born and raised in Kolkata, she grew up in a family where conversations about food and flavours were as central as the meals themselves. With an MBA from Symbiosis University and a successful career in advertising, she honed her skills in building brands and relationships.
Her entrepreneurial spark ignited during her stint with a startup in New York, where she was captivated by the fresh, natural ingredients used in beverages. However, the joy of accessing fresh Alphonso mangoes in the U.S. turned bittersweet upon her return to India, where artificial, preservative-laden syrups dominated the market, even in a country abundant with natural produce!
Determined to change this, she set out to create something of her own – something that would not only celebrate India’s rich ingredients, but also uplift women. Thus, Swa Artisanal Syrups was born. With a focus on natural, preservative-free syrups handcrafted by women, Swa embodies authenticity and empowerment. Vaishali’s dedication to providing skill upliftment and financial independence to marginalised women has made Swa’s production facility a thriving, women-led hub. Under her leadership, Swa has partnered with some of India’s top F&B brands and become a favourite among consumers for its unique, naturally delicious syrups.
Vaishali’s passion lies in creating products that delight customers and solve real industry problems, all while fostering an inclusive, supportive workplace. Whether it’s mixing drinks or building her team, Vaishali ensures Swa is always on the right track – speeding ahead with purpose and heart.
From Programmer to Head Brewer: Vidya Kubher’s journey
Vidya Kubher’s journey to becoming the Head Brewer at Geist Brewing Co. reflects a blend of curiosity and adventure. Initially driven by a love for craft beer as a consumer and a desire to delve deeper into the world of beer, her enthusiasm for the beverage has only grown as she has explored new styles and brewing techniques over the last 13 years.
Prior to beginning her career as a brewer in Bangalore, Vidya lived in Chennai and worked as a programmer at a mutual fund company before joining an auto ancillary business. Vidya would often drive down to Bangalore for work between 2008-2011, which is when she developed a keen interest in beer and began a personal quest to sample as many different brands and styles as she could.
Incidentally, one of these discoveries was Geist beer (which at that time was manufactured and bottled in Belgium using a reverse outsourcing model). Further, travelling to countries like Germany -particularly Munich, for its famed brewing culture – and Belgium over the course of a few years gave Vidya significant additional exposure to this particular beverage category.
Through her conversations with local brewers and other industry professionals during these trips, Vidya realised that various aspects of brewing were interesting to her and a brewing career became the logical next step. Vidya enrolled in a well-regarded and comprehensive brewing technology course: Siebel Institute’s World Brewing Academy Master Brewer Program. The dual-country course across the Siebel Institute in Chicago, USA, and the Doemens Academy in Munich, Germany gave Vidya insight into two distinct brewing cultures, which she credits for giving her a well-rounded and balanced foundation. To hone her skills and gain some hands-on experience, Vidya also spent time training at various breweries and a yeast lab in Europe before making her way back home.
She started working with Geist Brewing Co after reading about their brewery in Bangalore and intentions to set up a yeast lab. Her initial role as a brewer got her involved in Geist’s microbrewery operations at two brewpubs in the city between 2012 and 2016 before becoming responsible for overseeing beer production at the brand’s 10,000 sq. ft distribution brewery – South India’s first – once it was set up in 2017.
As Head Brewer at Geist Brewing Co., Vidya spends her time on various activities such as creating recipes, managing various aspects of brewing and the yeast lab, working on production schedules and even contributing to events. Since 2017, Vidya and her team have been responsible for brewing 40+ different craft beers.
Shaping India’s Cocktail Culture: Minakshi Singh
With 18 years in the alcobev and hospitality industry, Minakshi Singh has played a key role in shaping India’s cocktail culture. She co-founded Cocktails & Dreams Speakeasy in 2012 with Yangdup Lama, followed by Sidecar in 2018, which is recognised among the world’s best bars. Most recently, she launched The Brook, further expanding her impact on the industry.
Her career began with leading global spirits companies like Pernod Ricard, Diageo, and Tulleeho, where she gained deep expertise in beverage strategy and brand-building. Beyond hospitality, she co-founded Drinks India Company, a consulting firm focussed on elevating beverage programmes, and BHUMI, a farm-to-table initiative championing sustainability and local sourcing.
As a co-founder of India Bartender Week (IBW), Minakshi is committed to fostering a strong bartender community through mentorship, knowledge exchange, and industry collaboration, strengthening India’s standing in the global cocktail scene.
In the beginning there was Mead: Yoginee Budhkar & Ashwini Deore
Nashik-based Cerena Meads is the creation of Yoginee Budhkar and Ashwini Deore, both coming together while pursuing their doctorates at the Food Engineering & Technology Department at The Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai. Budhkar believes that as the target audience has shifted to include both men and women equally, at least in tier-I and tier-II cities, this change in consumers has naturally led to a change in manufacturers.
It isn’t everyday that a famous English cricketer decides to launch their own Scotch whisky – well may be not globally atleast. In India this has become a recent trend where celebrities have started jumping onto the alcobev bandwagon. Take for instance Sanjay Dutt, whose Glenwalk Whisky is doing pretty well in the market. Even SRK and his son Aryan have launched their premium Vodka in the market..
Now what makes Dram Bell special is that it comes from Kevin Pietersen – the former England Cricket Captain, who is a marquee investor in the company. I did sit down with him for a chat and you can read that conversation here.
The Dram Bell scotch whisky comes in 2 variants – the Premium and the Reserve. The Reserve comes with a 5-year age statement. But today I am reviewing the premium, priced at INR 1,750 per bottle for a 700 ml with a ABV of 40% and currently it is only available in Maharashtra with plans to launch in other states soon. Now this is positioned slightly higher than the other products in this. Why? We’ll talk about that later.
This whisky is brought to you by Ardent Alcobev Pvt. Ltd., which is a JV between Rajasthan Liquor Ltd (RLL) and Industry veterans, Debashish Shyam and Jatin Fredericks. Now you must be wondering how does KP come into the dram here? As mentioned earlier he is an investor in Ardent and naturally he is going to use his star power to promote the brand.
The whisky gets its name from a unique tradition during the Victorian time when distilleries rang a bell for the workers to come and enjoy a dram of whisky – on the house – a tradition that apparently these makers continue to the day.
What’s interesting is that Angus Dundee Distillers is the one who distils, blends and bottles Dram Bell in the Highlands Region in Scotland. Now they are a renowned name who are the makers of famous single malts like Tomintoul, etc and have been around for a longtime.
The scotch is made under the supervision of Ian Forteath, Dram Bell’s Master Blender with the blend using a combination of aged malt and grain Scotch whiskies, matured in first and second-fill American bourbon oak casks and the makers say that this results in a refined and complex flavour profile. Now what does first and second fill cask mean? It means that a cask that has previously been used to age sherry, port, bourbon, or other aged wines or spirits, and is now being used to age another whisky for the first time. And this process tends to add a distinctive flavour.
Packaging
The mono carton packaging is very Scottish in terms of the red/maroon colours with all the information – the key one being that it is exclusively made in Scotland.
It comes with a neck tie that has info from KP and the bottle is very familiar, since it is bottled by Angus Dundee it is slightly familiar to Tomintoul single malt. I like the ingredients where is states on the bottle – scotch whisky, water and natural colour, which means it has purely got its colour from the barrels and maturation process – making it authentic.
Nosing and Tasting
At first whiff you can get the aromas of sweetness, hint of chocolatey, toffee/caramel sort of finish. Its is surely fruity and also a hint of fennel may be? In terms of taste – it is sure sweet with hints of apple, spice and caramel finish. On the throat the finish is short but smooth and there is no burn, which hints that it has even matured well.
Conclusion
So how is Kevin Peterson Dram Bell scotch whisky? Well for a price of Rs. 1750 it is competing with some very good names in the category. Like Teachers Highland Cream, Grants, 100 Pipers Deluxe etc. And with the prospect of it being more affordable in other states (when it launches), this makes it a pretty good proposition.
Most expensive Indian single malt whisky, priced over ₹10.5 lakh
Celebrating its 75th anniversary, Bengaluru-based Amrut Distilleries launched The Expedition, its oldest single malt whisky, aged 15 years to the world market. To commemorate the occasion, it has released 75 bottles of the limited edition, each priced over ₹10.5 lakhs ($12,000).
Ambrosia was invited for the special launch event where both the bottle and the spirit perfectly captured the essence of the celebration. The Managing Director of Amrut Distilleries, Rakshit Jagdale said that of the 75 bottles, nine would be for the Indian market and the rest going to the US, Europe and other markets. Two of the bottles have been pre-booked.
(L-R): Rakshit N Jagdale, MD, Amrut Distilleries with Bhavya Desai, Group Head & CEO, SAP MEDIA WORLDWIDE LTD and Thrivikram G Nikam, Jt. Managing Director, Amrut Distilleries
Amrut believes that The Expedition will elevate the entire luxury segment, demonstrating yet again the brand’s ability to craft exceptional malts beyond its regular range and setting new benchmarks. Amrut has been at the top of the game of Indian Single Malts, even as India’s premiumisation drive continues to motivate manufacturers to do better.
The Expedition has been matured for 15 years, the first eight years in sherry casks from Europe and then the next seven years in ex-bourbon casks from the United States, thus elevating its complexity and depth. The 15-year maturation period is a milestone in the Indian alcobev sector.
