Some brands begin in boardrooms. Vanaha, a new artisanal gin, began in the woods.
For Mumbai-based Vaniitha Jaiin — a wine and spirits expert and founder of The Perfect Pour, a consulting firm specialising in wine and spirits — the idea for her debut gin began to take root during a quiet afternoon in 2023. She was walking barefoot through the forest near her sister’s home in Puducherry, the air thick with vetiver and birdsong, when a moment of stillness offered unexpected clarity. “There was this feeling of being small, grounded, and entirely present,” she recalls. “I knew then I wanted to bottle that feeling.”
Founder Vaniitha Jaiin
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The name Vanaha — a fusion of vana (forest) and aha (epiphany) — came to her in that very moment.
But distilling that experience into a spirit was anything but romantic guesswork. Over the next two years, Vaniitha and her team sourced more than 500 botanicals from across India — wild mango ginger, Sikkim mandarin, Himalayan juniper, stone flower, among others — working closely with foragers and spice cultivators. “The goal was never to make a gimmicky gin,” she says. “It had to feel honest. Rooted in the land.”
Eventually, the list was whittled down to 24 hero botanicals, each chosen for its purity, provenance, and ability to play well with others. Vanaha is crafted at Revelry Distillery in Goa’s Sattari forest, and undergoes a five-step distillation process — including cold vacuum distillation, a technique Vaniitha learned in Uttar Pradesh’s Kannauj, the country’s ancient perfume capital. “The way perfumers preserve delicate florals taught us to approach gin with similar sensitivity,” she notes.
The resulting profile is earthy and resinous, layered with floral highs and a crisp, citrusy lift. There is deodar and pine tips for a touch of the Himalayan canopy, cacao nibs and teppal for warmth, and citrus notes from Assam lemon and kaffir lime that cut through beautifully. “It doesn’t scream citrus-forward like most modern gins. It whispers forest,” Vaniitha says.
The gin comes packed with 24 botanicals
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For Yash Bhamre, Vanaha’s head distiller, the complexity lies not just in flavour but in how the gin sits on the palate. “People assume spirits are full of sugar, but distillation filters most of that out. Vanaha has no added sugar, around 60-65 calories per 30ml, and many of its botanicals—like vetiver and teppal—have traditional digestive benefits,” he says.
“Gin is one of the most versatile spirits when it comes to food,” says Vaniitha. “We’ve paired Vanaha with sushi and dim sum, tapas, Indian curries — you name it. It doesn’t overpower. It elevates.”
There is also a cultural shift at play. “Our consumer tastings showed even die-hard whisky drinkers reaching for G&Ts or gin with soda,” she notes. “People want to go out, have a good time — and feel fresh the next day.”
Revelry Distillery in Goa’s Sattari
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India is ready. According to the 2024 International Wine and Spirits Report (IWSR), with around 25 million people entering legal drinking age annually, and a projected gin market of ₹2,952 crore by 2032, the premium segment is expected to jump from 20% to 45% of total consumption. It is no wonder global players are eyeing the country — but Vaniitha is focussed on staying local in spirit.
“Consumers today don’t just want a drink. They want a story, a connection, a sense of place,” she says. “Vanaha is that — it’s forest to bottle.”
After launching in Goa on May 16, Vanaha will roll out across metro cities soon after, starting with Karnataka. Priced at ₹2,400 for 750ml, it comes in a thoughtfully illustrated bottle that nods to its natural origin.
Published – May 21, 2025 04:04 pm IST
