The timing perhaps couldn’t have been better. An inspiring range of Craft Spirits was showcased this October (2022) by the British High Commission in New Delhi and the Department for International Trade (DIT), even as hectic parleys resumed for the much-awaited India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA). 16 Craft Distillers from across the UK, showcased their fine spirits across categories like Whisky, Rum, Gin & Non-alcoholic spirits for the first time in India in the cities of Delhi and Mumbai. The event was supported by Tulleeho, India’s prominent drinks consultancy.
When it comes to drinks from the UK, the first image that comes to a drink lover’s mind is the ubiquitous Scotch Whisky, maybe followed by Gin. There is a good reason for this, as a large part of the UK’s drinks exports continues to be from these two categories. According to the trade data provided by DIT, Whisky is the UK’s largest food and drink export valued at £4.6bn, while Gin and Genever stand second at £500m. But the UK has much more to offer on the drinks front, and “craft spirits” certainly fall under this ambit.
A well-planned tasting
As a beverage writer, tastings are a regular affair for me. However, some tastings stand out from others in terms of attention to detail, and the UK craft spirits tasting was one such engagement. For starters, a detailed brochure of products was forwarded in advance by email to the invitees which for me, facilitated charting out my tasting run. Top on my priority was the non-alcoholic category which has been growing fast in recent times. According to the DIT data, in 2021 – 2022 alone, the No/Lo alcohol category grew by 19.8% to £262.1m in the UK. It is significant to mention that India too has some promising products in this category, but I’ll save those details for another day.
My selection from the UK Craft Spirits tasting
Given the sheer range of the products at the tasting, it is virtually impossible to describe everything in this space. Hence I am detailing a few of my top ones:
No/ Low Alcohol
Producer: Spirits of Virtue
Spirits of Virtue started out as a garage venture by brothers Roddy and Kerr Nicoll with an aim to deliver a range of super-premium non-alcoholic spirits. Today they have grown as an international brand, with offerings for a rapidly evolving, health-conscious market. Their products are based on organic ingredients, a complex blend of botanicals, as also water from the Scottish Deeside spring.
I sampled two of their products- Glen Dochus Zero Alcohol West Coast Blend Whisky and Pearsons Botanicals Zero Alcohol Rhubarb and Ginger Gin. Both had pleasant flavours but I liked the Gin better, as it was quite close to a regular alcoholic Gin. As for whisky, the lack of “body” as related to the alcoholic version was more palpable, but that’s a trade-off in lieu of remaining sober.
Producer: Caleño
Caleño is a range of tropical non-alcoholic spirits inspired by Colombia. The venture was established by Ellie Webb who sought to create tropical, fun-filled drinks to enjoy when not drinking alcohol. After travelling 5000 miles across Colombia to her family’s homeland, she returned home to bottle it all up with the flavours of the tropics.
I sampled both their products at the tasting and liked them well.
Caleño “Light and Zesty” Zero Alcohol is a take on Gin whose tropical flavours of pineapple and papaya showed through their base character of juniper and lemon peel.
Caleño “Dark and Spicy”, an intended zero alcohol Rum indeed gave the impression of a spiced rum with a flavour profile of coconut, ginger, black cardamom and vanilla.
Gin
Producer: Batch Distillery
https://batchdistillery.co.uk/
The name of the distillery makes it obvious- Batch distillery distils its products in small batches. Based in Burnley, Lancashire, they started operating from the basement of a house, growing rapidly to supply boutique supermarkets of the UK like Booths, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Fortnum & Mason. Among their export markets are the USA, Canada, China, Italy and Austria.
The repertoire of the Batch distillery is quite interesting and I tried two of their gins particularly identifiable with India.
The Go Well Spiced Mango Gin had sweet spice aromas and a distinctive finish of mangoes on the palate.
Go Well Gin is created in collaboration with Jimmy Anderson– the English cricket icon who hails from Burnley. The Batch distillery sees this as another connect with India where cricket is revered much, like in England.
The Garam Masala Gin exuded unmistakable aromas often noticed in Indian kitchens and was equally awesome on the palate. Personally, I would like to use it to create spiced-up versions of Gin cocktails like G&T or a Dry Martini.
Batch Distillery has some other interesting Gin variants like the Absinthe Gin and Lime Leaf Gin as noticed from their catalogue available at the tasting.
Producer: Alderman’s Drinks, Didsbury Gin
Didsbury Gin is a range of 100% natural fruit-infused, vegan-friendly gins. The Raspberry & Elderflower Gin that I tasted is made by macerating fresh British Raspberries and a subtle elderflower press to promote a sweeter palate somewhat in the Old Tom style. The gin had a great balance of acidity and sweetness. The producer recommends serving it neat over ice, or with a handful of fresh raspberries, ice, and premium tonic. I tried it neat, as well as with tonic water (minus the recommended raspberries) and enjoyed its decadence to the hilt!
Some of the other fruit-infused Gins by Didsbury are- British Bramble, Strawberry and Sicilian Lemon and Plum and Rosehip. Given an opportunity, I would love to try them all!
Producer: Harrogate Tipple Ltd.
Harrogate Tipple is a small-batch, family-run distillery based in the historical Ripley Castle in North Yorkshire. Their USP lies in keeping everything as local as possible with most of their botanicals grown in the 750-year-old gardens within the castle walls. They also use 100% Spring Water from Harrogate- a Victorian Spa town in the heart of Lancashire.
Harrogate’s mascot called Donnie is a cute Otter named after the founders’ youngest child. It signifies the playfulness of the brand and its use of the cleanest water, as Otters are particularly known to swim in the cleanest of waters.
Harrogate Rhubarb Gin had floral, spicy aromatics and a refreshing palate with a hint of sweetness. I enjoyed it over ice, as well as with ginger ale.
Other products from Harrogate Tipple Ltd. include a Gooseberry Gin, Blueberry Gin and a Mulled Gin typically for the Christmas season.
Whisky
Any tipple presentation from the UK couldn’t be complete without whisky. Sure enough there were some “craft whiskies” at the tasting and my choice zeroed onto an exotic one from – where else but- Scotland!
Producer: Arbikie Distillery
Arbikie is a Scotland-based “field-to-bottle” distillery growing all its ingredients on its farms, hence It can well qualify as “terroir-oriented”. The distillery also lays great emphasis on the protection of the environment, aiming to be the world’s most sustainable distillery.
I chose to sample their Highland Rye 1794– a Single Grain Scotch Whisky claimed to be the first Scottish Rye for over 100 years. The whisky is distilled using Rye, Wheat and Barley and is aged only in new charred American oak- a practice not common in the Scottish whisky industry.
I loved the taste of Highland Rye 1794. The whisky had a deep amber colour with a robust mouthfeel while maintaining its mellowness. This was certainly a different ballgame than the mass-produced Rye whiskies from popular brands. I would love to savour it just over ice or in iconic cocktails like an Old-Fashioned or a Sazerac.
Rum
Producer: Beckford’s
Within a short time of establishing in March 2019, Beckford’s is now one of the fastest-growing Rum brands in the UK notwithstanding the travails of the Covid pandemic. They largely produce flavoured rums, sourcing still strength Rum from the Caribbean and blending them further in the UK. Their range includes sweet 25% ABV caramel and coconut Rums, a 40% ABV spiced Rum and overproof 65% ABV blends.
Beckford’s Maroon 65% ABV Overproof Rum is an ode to Jamaican Maroons who freed themselves from the slavery of the Jamaican Colony to become free black people.
Beckford’s Maroon Rum is blended with flavours like caramel, orange, beet, ginger, and spices. The rum was a treat on the nose with its appetising aromas of tropical fruits and spice. The palate was sweet, delicious, smooth and throat-warming (quite obviously). The producers recommend it to be enjoyed over ice or with ginger beer, though I would prefer it just over ice, garnished with an orange peel.
Liqueurs
Producer: G&I Spirit Group Ltd
Makers of premium Gins, Vodka, Tequila and more recently pre-mixed cocktails, G&I Spirit Group was founded in 2017 by two brothers drawing from their experience of having worked in nightclubs, bars and restaurant business for many years.
Their product Mis Amigos Tequila comes in 5 flavours- Chocolate Cream, Strawberry Cream, Coffee, Chocolate and Chocolate & Lime. I sampled the Chocolate Cream and Strawberry Cream versions and found them to be absolutely delightful! Fans of cream liqueurs will undoubtedly find them appealing.
Producer: Conker Spirit
Founded in 2014, Conker Spirit is one the leading craft distilleries in the UK. They have several distinctions to their name such as being Dorset county’s first Gin distillery and having the dual advantage of being coffee roasters-cum-distillers. In 2017, Conker created the UK’s first Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur.
Conker Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur had aromas of freshly ground coffee, dark chocolate and vanilla. It was intense on the palate with its espresso and caramel characteristics, coupled with a perfect bitter-sweet balance.
Possibilities and challenges for the UK Craft Spirits in India
According to a report by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), India is one of the fastest-growing alcoholic beverage markets globally, with an estimated market size of USD 52.5 billion in 2020. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8 per cent between 2020 and 2023. This itself makes a good case for foreign brands to pitch for the Indian market. Even for the higher-priced brands, the ICRIER report articulates that like in the global scenario, alcohol consumption in India is also price inelastic, which implies that higher prices may not deter consumption.
But any foreign craft spirits brand vying for a slice of the Indian drinks market must also consider the fact that there is already a booming domestic craft spirits industry in the country. Indian Craft Gins, Malt Whiskies, Agave spirits, No/Lo alcohol drinks etc have been lately making waves not only in India but global markets as well. Novelty and price competitiveness will hence be two important factors to consider by foreign producers.
Some more producers at the tasting
HMS Spirits
HMS Spirits is an award-winning British spirits brand, founded in 2016, producing the finest quality spirits. They distil in small batches using a traditional copper pot still and the very best ingredients to craft spirits for a discerning palate.
Their current range includes some inspiring Gins and Rums.
The Pentland Still: King’s Hill
“The Pentland Still” is a micro-distillery using foraged botanicals from Pentland Hills (a range of hills southwest of Edinburgh, Scotland). They also have a Gin called “Love Delhi” which tries to capture the essence of India with its tropical flavours- predominantly mango.
