Luxebook December 2021

wave of premium rum in India. Launched in 2013, the spirit is an amalgamation of two historic rum producing cultures. Nikhil Verma, Sr. Manager-Distiller and Brands at Amrut explains the journey of the Two Indies Rum. Amrut takes West Indies molasses rum, combining it with their in-house jaggery rum from India to create this special blend. Two Indies also won a Gold Medal – Exceptional in 2021 Chicago Indie Spirit Award - Rum Category, chalking up a total of 92/100 points. The gold rum has a smooth and dry finish, with sugarcane, tropical fruits, honey and dark chocolate dominating the palate. Gladius rum is produced by Boutique Spirit Brands, and has three varieties to pick from. Gladius Blended 10YO is a blended rum which has notes of citrus, vanilla, oak and nutmeg with a lingering buttery caramel mouthfeel. Gladius Gold Reserva 13 Rum is produced from the finest virgin and 13-year matured spirits. The third rum in their collection is the Gladius Limoni, a premium citrus white rum with a tangy lemon aftertaste. Maka Zai is named after the phrase “I want” in Konkani, produced on the shores of Goa. Distilled by Stilldistilling, the white-and-gold craft rum was launched 11 months ago in Goa and entered Maharashtra in September 2021. Kasturi Banerjee, Founder & Director, Stilldistilling Spirits, decided to leave the banking world and pursue her passion for spirits by creating Maka Zai. Her love for mature liquor led her to launch two varieties of premium homegrown craft rum. Said Banerjee of this decision, “Rum has been a pretty old spirit in India, but somehow it was never represented in the premium category.” Hence, the entrepreneur sought to match the demands of the experimental consumer who is interested in homegrown brands, by creating a locally made rum. An increasing number of home bartenders during the pandemic helped the launch of the rum. Banerjee also credits the efforts made by the brand in digital initiatives to initial growth. Maka Zai conducted cocktail-making workshops, food and beverage pairing masterclasses. The brand focused on the online consumer during the lockdown, while there was a dearth of physical events. Stilldistilling even mentored bartenders on their photography skills, teaching them how to take good pictures of a cocktail, an Bartender’s Edition — White Rum A mixable rum, this spirit is made using molasses sourced from around the Panchaganga river in Maharashtra. The first thing that comes to mind with a swirl and a sniff, is sweetness from the lush sugarcane. The rum then melds into herbaceous grassy notes. Ideal way to drink: Sip on the white rum with ginger ale or fresh coconut water. For a sweeter cocktail, add sugarcane juice and a squeeze of lime to the rum. Pair it with: Finger food like prawn cocktails and pizzas. Tribute Edition — Gold Rum The Maka Zai Gold Rum is blended on the Goan seashore, and contains hints of praline, dry dates, figs, caramel, cinnamon, and honey. It has a creamy mouthfeel and a whiff of vanilla. Ideal way to drink: This sipping rum is great with a cube of ice or even Diet Coke. Pair it with: Lasagna, flavourful mutton dishes, dark chocolate. Pro tip: Try Maka Zai’s gold rum in an alcohol- forward dessert. RUM PAIRINGS Kasturi Banerjee Founder & Director, Stilldistilling Spirits all-important component when growing social media followers. Mix-and-match Based in Kerala, Wild Tiger Rum was ideated by entrepreneur Gautom Menon. This rum had been in the works for nearly a decade and is bottled on the banks of the Bharathappuzha river. Wild Tiger Special Reserve rum is made with Indian molasses spirit, which is aged in American oakwood casks that once stored Bourbon, thereby imparting extra flavour in the blend. The addition of pure cane juice spirit results in a unique dark amber liquid. Segredo Aldeia comes with a story akin to the whole history of rum in India. Its name is Portuguese for secret village, and has a backstory revolving around buried treasure, the history of Goa 26| L U X E B O O K | D E C E MB E R 2 0 2 1 D E C E MB E R 2 0 2 1 | L U X E B O O K | 27