Luxebook December 2021

and barrels of rum. Aman Thadani, the brains behind several loved homegrown spirits including Woodburns Whisky and Pumori Gin, launched these rums in March 2021. Made by Fullarton Distilleries and released to public in Goa, they made their way to Mumbai in July 2021. The concept, design, as well as the actual liquid itself took Thadani two years to finalise. Segredo Aldeia launched two rums, a Cafe Rum and a White Rum, available in Goa and Maharashtra. When asked about the two, Thadani admits, “I knew even before we launched that we would have one crowd favourite, and that favourite is the Cafe Rum.” Cafe rum has been created using single origin dark roasted coffee beans. The spirit is laced with coffee and hints of toffee and vanilla. With undertones of tobacco and leather, this rum has a smooth dark chocolate finish. It is ideally had on the rocks, and can be paired with dark chocolate or a charcuterie board with cold cuts, cheese, dried figs, apricots, and nuts. For the purists Thadani created this rum mainly for the purists, and beginners keen to start their rum journey with a type of white rum. It is produced with a combination of cane and jaggery. Cane is traditionally used in an Agricole style of rum, while jaggery is traditionally used in muscovado-style rum, making this an experiment in the blend of both. The rum tastes of herbs, peaches and cream with lingering notes of vanilla and caramel. The ideal way to drink this is with a dash of soda with a citrus garnish of your choice or in a highball cocktail. It can be paired with a variety of breads and cheese, as well as grilled meats, especially red meats. At Fullarton Distilleries, Thadani forayed into the liquor market with one of India’s favourite spirits, whisky. Then diving into the gin craze, he launched Pumori; the entrepreneur also sensed the rum revolution and created Segredo Aldeia. Said Thadani of this decision, “The world is going through a mezcal, tequila craze, but since blue agave is not grown in India, rum is what is next on the cards, I believe, and it really felt like a natural progression for us.” Banerjee expects a further increase in the number of rums coming out of Goa. “I hope to see (these brands) coming soon, because there is no other way to expand the category it’s not the job of one person,” says the founder of Maka Zai. A rum revolution While Thadani is positive about the changing view of Indian consumers, he hopes to bring about a revolution in the spirits space with high-quality, small-batch production. From a manufacturing standpoint, he explained Fullarton’s desire to create a conscious quality and taste centric approach with their brands, unlike the widespread mass production popular in the country. Thadani also feels the need for education amongst Indian consumers to understand the diverse types of rums. One product ruling a particular segment for an extended period of time can shape the perception of the category, something that a variety of products can combat, by giving consumers many choices. Segredo Aldeia comes from this want to experiment, with its coffee-based rum. For both Segredo Aldeia and Maka Zai, expansion is on the cards. While Thadani faced a roadblock due to Covid-19, he intends to launch Segredo Aldeia in Bengaluru very soon. Maka Zai too has plans to expand to new markets by March 2022, and though Banerjee is excited to spread countrywide, to Karnataka, Delhi Rajasthan Assam; Delhi, and Bengaluru are foremost on her mind right now. Aman Thadani Founder, Segredo Aldeia 28| 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 | 29