Nao Spirits & Beverages, India’s craft spirit maker, has further cemented its place on the global stage with its wins at The Gin Guide Awards 2025 (UK), one of the world’s most reputed competitions. With six awards, the homegrown brand has now crossed the 80+ international award milestone, emerging as India’s most awarded gin brand; well on its way to a historic century of global accolades.
Founded in 2017 by Anand Virmani, Aparajita Ninan and Vaibhav Singh; and later joined by Abhinav Rajput, Nao Spirits was born with a mission to create world-class Indian spirits that celebrate botanicals and showcase homegrown innovation. From starting as a small-batch distillery in Goa to now exporting to over 24 countries and commanding a quarter of India’s gin market, the brand has helped redefine how the world sees Indian craft spirits.
Nao Spirits’ winning expressions include their signature gins, Greater Than and Hapusa, as well as two of their limited editions, Broken Bat and No Sleep. The distillery is also the only Indian distillery to have been crowned one of the ‘Distilleries of the Year’ along with special mentions.
In its 11th year, The Gin Guide Awards (UK) is the world’s largest independent gin competition, judged by a diverse panel of distillers, retailers, mixologists, and distributors. It evaluates gins not only on flavour and balance, but also creativity, craftsmanship, and category leadership—making it one of the most comprehensive recognitions in the industry.
“We’re reimagining what Indian craft spirits can be; pushing boundaries with a constantly evolving portfolio that spans classic and contemporary expressions, and a pipeline of experimental editions. Innovation is at the heart of how we’re redefining the future of craft gins,”says Anand Virmani, Co-founder, Nao Spirits.
Earlier, Nao Spirits had won four ‘Best in Category’ awards, including a ‘Double Gold’ for Greater Than, at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and three category wins.
The awards are: Medal (Highly Commended) – Greater Than (Traditional Gin – Upto 42% category); Medal (Winner) – Greater Than Broken Bat (Traditional Gin – Aged Gin); Medal (Winner) – Greater Than No Sleep (Contemporary Gin); Medal (Special Mention) – Distillery of the Year; Medal (Winner) – Hapusa (Contemporary Gin – Over 42%); and Medal (Winner) – Hapusa (Cocktail Category – Negroni).