India’s Homegrown Spirits: Craft Gin, Single Malts & Luxury Distillery Tours
- Nishit Kagalwala
- Oct 5
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 5
Across India, the bar has quietly been raised. Homegrown gin distillers are working with Himalayan juniper, gondhoraj lime, and forest spices; single malt makers are shaping whiskies that sit comfortably beside global names. What began as small-batch experiments has matured into a scene with real provenance-distilleries that tell a local story, tasting rooms with intent, and cocktails that taste like a place. It’s no longer about finding an “Indian option”; it’s about choosing from India’s best.
For travelers, that shift translates into experiences worth planning a trip around: Goa’s feni heritage and new-age gin culture, design-led visitor centres for single malts, and maker-led tastings that pair craft with cuisine. In this guide, we map the standouts and the tours that do them justice-routes where you can meet the people behind the stills, understand the botanicals and barrels, and end the day with a glass that tells you exactly where you are.
The India Gin Renaissance - Flagship Homegrown Brands
India’s new-wave gins didn’t copy London Dry-they leaned into place. Think Himalayan juniper, gondhoraj (aromatic lime), black pepper, cardamom, and forest botanicals treated with modern discipline. The result: clean, expressive spirits that feel unmistakably Indian yet mix with global ease. For travelers, that means more than a tasting-it’s provenance you can actually experience through curated distillery visits, maker sessions, and cocktail programs that tell a regional story.
Stranger & Sons (Goa) - A modern Indian gin built on bold citrus and spice; perfect anchor for a Goa craft-cocktail crawl or a private, bartender-led tasting arranged around their signatures.
Greater Than (Delhi/Goa) - India’s breakout London Dry; crisp, versatile, and a great benchmark to calibrate your palate before exploring the more aromatic expressions.
Hapusa Himalayan Dry - Wild Himalayan juniper with warm Indian botanicals; a neat pour that rewards slow tasting and pairs well with citrus-forward small plates.
TERAI India Dry Gin (Behror, Rajasthan) - Grain-to-glass craft with a boutique distillery just off the Delhi–Jaipur corridor-ideal for a half-day visitor experience paired with a guided tasting.
Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin - Desert provenance meets pan-India botanicals (vetiver, tea, citrus); best showcased in minimalist highballs to let the aromatics travel.
How we stitch it together: late-afternoon distillery tours where available, followed by a chef-paired tasting or a quiet seat at a top bar for a three-serve flight (classic G&T, martini, and a house signature). It’s a clean arc-learn the build, taste the craft, and end the night with a glass that tastes like the region you’re in.
Gin reset the conversation; India’s single malts made the world listen.
Single Malt Boom - The whisky houses putting India on the map
India’s new malts aren’t novelties anymore-they’re benchmarks. Tropical maturation, careful cask work, and tight grain-to-glass control have created whiskies with real character and provenance. For travelers, that translates into design-led visitor centres, guided tastings, and maker time that turn a pour into a story you can walk through.
Paul John (Goa) - The most visit-ready experience: a polished Visitor Centre with guided distillery tours, structured tastings, and a bar that shows how coastal climate shapes the spirit. Pre-booking advised.
Indri (Haryana) - A modern malt house with an Experience Centre offering curated tours and flights-ideal as a Delhi/Chandigarh day trip, with cask-finish variants to compare.
Amrut (Bengaluru) - India’s pioneer of single malt; access is selective, but when arranged, the deep-dive into maturation and house style is worth the effort.
Rampur (Uttar Pradesh) - Heritage maker with award-winning releases; public tours are limited, but tastings and brand-led experiences can be coordinated on select dates.
How we stitch it together: an afternoon walk-through with the production team, a seated flight comparing core vs. cask finishes, then a chef-paired small-plates session that lets the whisky breathe. It’s quietly premium-less “factory visit,” more inside track on how India’s malts found their voice.
Goa Spirit Trails - Feni heritage and gin culture
Goa is where old-world craft and new-wave bartending sit at the same table. You can trace cashew trails and copper stills in the morning, then end the day with a martini that tastes of citrus groves and monsoon spice. Here’s a clean, luxe circuit you can actually do.
Make It Happen - Feni & Tapas Food Trail (Panjim) - A guided stroll through Latin quarters and local taverns where you learn why feni is GI-tagged, how it’s distilled, and how to drink it well. Expect stories, small plates, and a couple of tastings that turn “feni” from a word into a flavour map.
Fazenda Cazulo (South Goa) - The modern shrine to Goa’s heritage spirit: the world’s first feni cellar and the famous “Floating Feni” tasting-glasses set on a teak table standing in shallow water. It’s theatrical, yes, but the education is serious: terroir, varieties, and how feni plays with citrus, salt, and spice.
Stranger & Sons (Goa base) - Goa’s gin renaissance in a glass. We arrange a bartender-led flight built around their signatures-classic highball, martini, and a house cocktail that shows off Indian botanicals (gondhoraj, pepper, curry leaf) without overwhelming the spirit.
Paul John Visitor Centre (Cuncolim) - A polished, tour-forward single-malt experience: walk the stills, understand tropical maturation, then sit for a structured tasting. It pairs beautifully with the gin/feni half of the day and gives your palate a clear arc-botanicals to barrels.
How we string it together: late-morning Panjim trail → unhurried lunch → Paul John tour & tasting → golden-hour Floating Feni at Fazenda Cazulo → cocktail flight with Stranger & Sons serves. Private driver, reserved slots, chef-paired bites, and just enough time between pours so the day stays crisp, not crowded.
Other Distillery Experiences Across India
Goa may be the easiest entry point, but India’s best spirit stories also sit along highways, foothills, and heritage towns. These stops pair maker access with clean, design-forward spaces-easy to stitch into Delhi–Jaipur runs or quick day trips-so you taste provenance, not just product.
TERAI Experience Centre (Behror, Rajasthan) - A boutique gin distillery just off the Delhi–Jaipur corridor. Expect a tight, sensory walk-through - botanicals bench, copper stills, and a guided tasting that shows why TERAI’s grain-to-glass approach feels so crisp. An effortless add-on to a Delhi/Jaipur itinerary; pre-booking keeps it smooth.
Indri Experience Centre (Haryana) - A modern single-malt setup designed for visitors: grain to stills to warehouse, then a seated flight (core vs. cask finishes) that makes the influence of wood and India’s warm maturation obvious. Works as a comfortable day trip from Delhi or Chandigarh with a private driver.
Kasauli/Solan (Mohan Meakin heritage, Himachal) - Asia’s oldest operating distillery/brewery sits on a hillside with unmistakable colonial bones. When operations allow, it’s a heritage-style visit-low on theatre, high on legacy. Pair with a slow Himachal weekend around Kasauli or Shimla for a gentle, old-school contrast to the new craft scene.
Rampur (Uttar Pradesh) - Home to one of India’s most decorated single malts. Public tour details are limited; brand-led tastings and behind-the-scenes access can sometimes be arranged by appointment. This is where a DMC relationship helps-lining up the right slot, the right host, and a tasting that actually teaches you something.
How we thread it: Visit TERAI en route to Jaipur, enjoy Indri as a seamless Delhi day trip paired with a curated lunch, weave Kasauli/Solan into a relaxed mountain getaway, and schedule Rampur by appointment as part of a longer North India circuit. Each journey includes private transfers, reserved tastings, and a thoughtfully paced itinerary that lets your palate - and your day - breathe.
Planning Notes
Before we lock the route, here are the nuts-and-bolts that will work to keep a spirits itinerary polished, safe, and compliant.
Bookings - Distillery visits are capacity-controlled and some run only on fixed slots. Lock advance reservations (names, ID, timings) and plan transfers around them. Paul John publishes tour timings/pricing-grab those first, then build the rest of the day.
Seasonality - Goa trails are best Oct-Apr (dry, blue-sky days). The monsoon adds mood to cashew country and feni cellars, but some outdoor pieces (Floating Feni, farm walks) may shift or pause-check operations before you promise a sunset photo-moment.
Legal & safety - India’s drinking age and dry day rules vary by state confirm the latest before you finalize. Always use a private driver; tastings are guided samplers, not sessions. Carry valid ID for check-ins; some facilities require closed shoes and no minors on production floors.
Responsible / Heritage - angleFeni is GI-tagged-book licensed tours and bought from authorized producers. Keep tastings paced (water breaks, palate cleansers), skip “bar-hopping sprints,” and prioritise venues that work with local growers and low-waste programs. It reads better-and drinks better.
IndiHorizons Edge - How We Make It Seamless
Great spirit trips feel effortless because the hard work happens in the background. We work to handle the choreography - like the timings, permits, pacing - just so that your day flows from stills to glasses without a single rough edge.
Private transfers, on your clock: Clean vehicles, vetted drivers, hydration kits, and also the buffers built into every leg so tastings never feel rushed.
Priority tour slots: We pre-book limited-capacity distillery visits and also hold confirmed seats for tastings, masterclasses, and at last bar programs.
Bilingual hosts & expert guides: Engaging, informed storytelling - production to provenance - basically without the jargon.
Chef-led pairings: Small plates designed to match each drink in your tasting - light, seasonal dishes that bring out the best flavors in every pour.
“Meet the maker” access (where possible): Short, focused interactions with distillers or brand ambassadors that basically turn a pour into a conversation.
Wellness × spirits balance: Optional Ayurveda/yoga mornings and spa time, then evening tastings-a luxe pace that keeps the palate fresh and the day grounded.
Compliance & comfort baked in: Dry-day checks, local drinking-age rules, footwear/ID reminders - plus a clear “tastings, not sessions” brief for a polished, safe experience.
Quietly put: you enjoy the stories, flavours, and settings. We make everything else disappear.
