By Suman Tarafdar

For the better part of the last two centuries, culinary links between India and the UK have found expression in the strangest of forms. Few can top gin perhaps, which was invented in India as a way to make the bitter tasting quinine – essential to cure malaria – palatable for British soldiers in the 19th century. However, London remains gin’s favourite haunt, its spiritual home, with an astonishing number of brands and establishments concocting ever more inventive beverages to entice the aficionado.

In recent years, India has seen a spurt in home-grown gin brands. Arguably the pioneer has been the Goa-based Stranger & Sons. “Made from inherently Indian botanicals, Stranger & Sons Gin captures the essence of contemporary India in every bottle for the curious and discerning consumer,” says Sakshi Saigal, who started the venture along with partners Rahul Mehra and Vidur Gupta in 2018.

Their journey to launching the brand was perhaps organic. “The three of us are not just cocktail enthusiasts but we also had the vantage of observing the beginnings of the gin revolution first hand. I was working towards my MBA in Barcelona, while Vidur was studying in the UK and Rahul had just set up his craft brewery in Mumbai,” says Saigal.

“While we were tasting and drinking a variety of gins every day – whether in London’s cocktail bars or the gin tonics of Barcelona, we were getting well acquainted with the gin landscape. That’s when it piqued our interest. We asked ourselves why India wasn’t up to speed with Gin although Gin manufacturers all over the world looked to India when it came to sourcing botanicals. We encountered so many brands based on a vision of India that we knew had never been a reality. This made us question why products with these botanicals are made everywhere but here.  With the idea of building a truly Indian Gin, we saw this as an opportunity to tell the story of a new India through an interesting medium – gin,” adds he.

Stranger & Sons was created in contemporary India, a country that is diverse, nuanced and eccentric, adds Gupta. “There’s a peculiar quality to India that always makes you look twice and puts you on the path of seeking, in our case, seeking the strange. Our brand name ‘Stranger & Sons’ is an ode to the wonderful strangeness of India and a nod to the creative entrepreneurial spirit inherent in most Indians.”

Why gin?

In a predominantly brown spirits market, gin is increasingly growing in popularity, especially amongst the almost totally urban SEC A audience. “Gin has caught the attention of consumers in India,” says Mehra. “I think the abundance of botanicals available locally – so many amazing herbs, roots, spices and citrus to choose from –  is what’s really unique and special about Indian gin. As people travel, they have started to understand India’s rich history when it comes to gin and agricultural bounty, so it has become an obvious choice for gin makers. I can say with some confidence that we played an important role in highlighting these facets and continue to work tirelessly to add to the India conversation. Although the gin consumption style in India is slowly evolving, we believe that the journey for gin in India is just beginning. India continues to be a largely brown spirits market; however, with gin-based cocktails being amongst the best-selling drinks on the menu, more bars and restaurants are looking to include a variety of gins in their offerings. Stranger & Sons is also doing its share in popularising Gimlets and Gibsons.”