Best Indian craft gins shaping a new drinking culture

For a long time, premium spirits in India meant imported bottles with foreign names. This hierarchy is now shifting. A generation that is seeking flavour and provenance over status is turning to Indian craft gins, and the category has grown into a quiet cultural marker. India’s botanicals have always travelled the world—the only difference now is that they finally sit at the centre of our own gin story.

The rise of flavour-first drinking

Around 2015, there was a shift among Indian consumers, who started seeking out flavour that felt genuinely Indian. Gin, being the spirit that lets one tell a story through botanicals, became one of the go-to vehicles for storytelling. What enabled the emergence of Indian craft gins was  timing: rising disposable incomes, people travelling more, and a willingness to pay for quality over quantity.

“Being a country with a vast variety of botanicals and spices, it was bizarre that no one was making a modern Indian gin. Craft gin only works when you can source good botanicals consistently and produce at a scale that makes sense. A decade ago, that would’ve been impossible. Today, it’s viable,” says Anand Virmani, 38, Co-Founder and Master Distiller at Goa-based Nao Spirits & Beverages. 

A decade ago, “premium” meant imported. Not anymore. “Gin became a canvas for Indian ingredients such as kadipatta, pepper, Gondhoraj lemon, tea, citrus varieties—all familiar yet globally modern. Producers realised they could create gins rooted in local terroir, instantly setting them apart from the global gin landscape. As most of the spices or botanicals used to make gin are from India, hence at a time there were 30-32 homegrown gin brands in the country,” says Jeet Rana, 33, mixologist and co-founder of Delhi bar Barbet & Pals.  

What makes a gin worth drinking

In a market now crowded with Indian craft gins, quality comes down to balance, clarity, and how confidently the botanicals show up without overpowering the palate. “It’s about how well the botanicals harmonise rather than shout over each other. You don’t need a ‘craft’ label to spot quality; you just need a sip. If the flavours feel clear, balanced, and enjoyable to you, it’s a good gin. In the end, the consumer’s palate is the real judge,” says Virmani. 

“One should be able to identify botanical clarity both on the nose and the palate and the finish has to be for a long time. A bad gin is usually harsh, muddled, and overly juniper-forced or overly diluted with artificial flavouring,” says Rana, who runs a simple test: If a gin tastes good in a Highball with just ice and soda, it’s well made. 

As India’s spirits landscape evolves, this approach to flavour is what defines today’s best Indian gins—from Himalayan junipers to citrus, pepper, tulsi, and region-specific botanicals lending modern Indian botanical gins their distinctive character.

 Six Indian craft gins you should know  

1. Greater Than Gin

Since its launch in 2017, Greater Than has been one of the more affordable high-quality craft gins in India. A clean, classic London Dry gin, it is juniper-forward and versatile in cocktails, even when it comes to the Indian palate. They also have limited edition Great Than Gins; the juniper-heavy Juniper Bomb, a cask-aged Broken Bat aged with toasted Kashmir Willow, seasonal bottlings of strawberry-infused gin, as well as a coffee No Sleep gin. 

Price: ₹710 onwards 

2. Hapusa Himalayan Dry Gin

Launched in 2018, Hapusa is a bold, Himalayan gin that uses wild Himalayan juniper and native botanicals. Distilled in India, this gin uses locally-sourced botanicals, and has a smooth, earthy, and smoky flavour that's equally delicate. The gin works well in a cold Martini, or a Negroni where the botanicals take the lead.

Price: ₹2,120 onwards

3. Stranger & Sons Gin

Citrus on the nose, black pepper, nutmeg, mace, juniper, and coriander on the palate, and an aftertaste of liquorice and mace, this gin is a mix of spice and freshness, giving a distinct flavour of Indian spices. Founded in 2018, Stranger & Sons has also come out with limited editions. Their Perry Road Peru has a robust flavour, given the usage of pink guavas (peru), best had on the rocks or with some salt on the rim of the glass.  

Price: ₹2,575 onwards 

4. Terai India Dry Gin

A modern gin based in London Dry Gin traditions with an Indian flavour profile, Terai India is built with 11 botanicals—juniper berries, tulsi, coriander, fennel, lemon peel, orange peel, lavender, rose, almond, angelica, and orris root. With aromas of juniper, cardamom, and citrus zest and floral undertones, the gin has an orange peel, coriander, and earthy taste, with a flavour comprising a lingering spice and subtle floral sweetness. Launched in 2020, it also has variants like the Litchi & Mulberries Gin (launched in 2024). 

Price;  ₹1,258 onwards 

5. Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin

This premium, triple-distilled spirit crafted in a traditional copper pot is inspired by India's royal heritage. Made in Jaisalmer, which gives it its name, this neutral grain spirit has prominent citrus, juniper, and spice notes, with subtle hints of tea and vetiver. Initially launched in 2018 for export, it became available in India in 2019. There are two versions–the Classic and Gold editions. The Gold version is made with 18 botanicals like saffron, peels of Nagpur orange, and Gondhoraj lemon. 

Price: ₹3,555 onwards (750ml)

6. Saṃsāra - Indian Craft Gin 

This Indian luxury craft gin launched in 2020 has evolved over the years to give new variants building from the initial bright, floral, and citrus-led flavour built around botanicals like hemp seeds, vetiver, rose petals, cardamom, and cubeb berries. Variants include a Jaipur-inspired City of Pink Gin, and a Kashmir-inspired Vale of Paradise Gin, which can be had on the rocks. The classic works very well in a Martini or a gin sour.

Price: ₹2,500 onwards 

How India drinks its gin now

“Cold: with tonic, with a twist, and without overthinking,” says Virmani. “Gin is one of the most flexible spirits, where the botanicals give structure without overwhelming it. So, bartenders can push it in a classic direction or take it somewhere completely new. That balance is what makes gin such a reliable base spirit,” he adds. 

Rana agrees, “Gin sits beautifully in classics like the Negroni and Martini, and it adapts easily to Indian flavours. That’s why at Barbet & Pals, gin plays a quiet but consistent role across the menu, balancing citrus, spice, and herbaceous elements,” 

Tequila over gin?

While tequila and agave spirits are having their moment in India right now, it’s not yet over for gin. “Gin has built a culture in India: cocktail bars, events, festivals, brand collaborations, home-bartending—it’s now part of our drinking vocabulary. Tequila may be the trend, but gin is still the conversation,” says Rana, who has four gin cocktails on the menu at Barbet & Pals.