Luxebook June 2022

that the abundance of botanicals available locally — including so many amazing herbs, roots, spices and citrus to choose from — is what makes Goa so popular. “As people travel, they have started to understand India’s rich history when it comes to gin and agricultural bounty. Goa with its lush expanse of spice farms has become an obvious choice for gin makers. Goa also offers access to a bounty of spices from plantations along the Konkan and Malabar Coasts. Among India’s most fertile states, Goa was a natural choice for us given its lush expanse of spice farms.” Indian spices contribute as much to these gins as botanicals. Goan nightlife The true magic of Goa however is the constant buzz and nightlife. “As a city, we tend to grow and never stop. To keep the buzz afresh, some brands have started creating limited batches of their product, which offers consumers something new to try while keeping the brand fresh in everyone’s minds,” said Goel. The unique and limited- edition gins further adds to the experience of drinking fine gin.“The current surge of gin distilleries has provided hotels and restaurants in Goa the opportunity to offer a wider array of homegrown gin brands to their guests.” Going a step further, W Goa has create an exclusive five- course gin pairing experience called the Gibson Course for all gin lovers. “As more and more consumers are acquiring a taste for gin, the new distilleries with varied ingredients give us a lot of options to choose from for our restaurants and bars so it’s great,” concluded Kshitij. While the rapid expanse of distilleries has given hoteliers and bartenders a range of gins to experiment with, the larger question remains — will the gin market be able to sustain the demand? “The key challenge is to know which gin will sustain in the market and be able to meet the demand. When we curate cocktails and tastings as part of our menu, we need to be certain that the gin will be available throughout, so the customers have a chance to find the one that works for them and order their preferred drink the next time they visit,” he shared. With its diverse expanse of spice farms and distillation being one of Goa’s most traditional occupations, it only makes sense that this sunny state is the craft gin capital of the country! Jade Forest, Tonic Water Stranger & Sons Gin Bottle — 22| L U X E B O O K | J U N E 2 0 2 2