16 Best Gin Brands in India for 2024
Gin is a unique distilled alcoholic beverage that is loved across the world. With origins in Southern Italy, The Netherlands, and Flanders, gin originated as a medicinal alcohol before gaining status as a party drink. The name “gin” is derived from the Old English word “genever,” which is in turn, an altered version of the Latin word for juniper, the main ingredient in most gins. Gin has been part of popular culture since the mid-17th century and has gone on to become one of the most popular beverages on the planet, gaining cult status in the last few decades.
The best part about gin is that you can introduce mystic flavors to your cocktails, which isn’t generally the case with whisky, vodka, and wine. In case you are on the lookout for a nice gin to treat yourself or your loved ones, we have curated a list of the best gin brands available in India – including international and Indian brands. But before that…
What is Gin?
As discussed, gin is an alcoholic drink that has its origins in Italy, The Netherlands, and Flanders around the mid 17th century. Since then, it has traveled across the globe and is loved by millions of alcohol lovers. However, it gained mainstream status when it arrived in England. Contrary to whisky, gin has no standard composition or formulation because of the sheer quantity of ingredients used. Instead, you can see gin being made from juniper berries along with several other herbs, including angelica root, licorice, cinnamon, anise, almond, and more from different brands. Usually, brands will try to introduce locally available herbs to customize gins from different countries. The EU has prescribed a 37.5% minimum alcohol by volume to be categorized as gin, while the US puts it at 40%.
How to Drink Gin?
You can drink gin in a number of ways; the most popular ones are mixing with tonic water, with ginger ale, and with other soft drinks. Usually, gin is also used in several popular cocktails such as Gin and Tonic, Tom Collins, and French 75. There is no real purist way to drink gin, and you can enjoy it in a number of ways.
What if I don’t drink gin?
If you are a teetotaller, we have something exciting for you. There are several great 100% non-alcoholic drink brands to choose from. They offer a robust flavor and give you a chance to enjoy yourself with your friends without feeling left out.
How Do We Pick the Best Gin Brands In India?
Gin is usually clear alcohol but quite complex because of its variety of ingredients. Apart from its ingredients, there are other factors like smoothness, price, and taste profile that you need to take into consideration. We have curated a list of the best gin brands that cater to almost every kind of drinker out there. Here you can also check the best beer brands & list of top vodka brands in India.
List of Top 16 Indian Gin Brands in India
1. Greater Than
Greater Than is one of the pioneers in India’s massive gin movement. One of the first few London dry gin brands made in India, Greater Than is owned by NAO Spirits and was brought to the market back in 2015. The distillery is located in New Delhi.
Notable Features
- Greater Than is the pioneer of Made in India London dry gins.
- The brand has won several awards including World Spirits Competition, London Spirits Competition, IWSC, and more.
- An average of more than 900 bottles of Greater Than are sold per day.
Country of origin: India
Latest Price (in New Delhi): 750ml at Rs 980
2. Stranger & Sons
One of the most unique gin brands to come out of Goa is Stranger & Sons. The brand has regularly partnered with brands like Bombay Canteen and Four Pillars to launch exciting, limited-edition gin bottles for the Indian youth.
Notable Features
- The brand was founded in 2018 by Rahul Mehra, Sakshi Saigal, and Vidur Gupta.
- Apart from India, Stranger & Sons gin is also sold in Singapore, Thailand, and London.
- It is made from a fusion of nine herbs and spices, including citrus peel and juniper berries.
Country of origin: India
Latest Price (in New Delhi): 750ml at Rs 1,700
3. Hapusa
Hapusa is yet another gin brand owned by NAO Spirits, the company behind Greater Than gin. The brand is the first to produce a gin using Himalayan juniper berries, grown in India and then distilled in India.
Notable Features
- Juniper is known as “Hapusa” in Sanskrit, which gives the gin brand its name.
- The botanicals in this gin come from all across India, giving it a unique flavor profile.
- Stranger & Sons sell a Perry Road Peru gin-based beverage that contains a pink guava flavor.
Country of origin: India
Latest Price (in New Delhi): 750ml at N/A
4. Pumori
Pumori is another new-age gin brand from Goa. The USP of this brand is that it creates gin in small batches, allowing for experimentation with botanicals and flavorings. The brand is owned by Fullarton Distilleries.
Notable Features
- The gin is named after Mount Pumori, one of the most iconic mountains in the Himalayas also called Daughter of Everest.
- Each batch is only 200 liters, created in a small handloom made by the brand’s founder.
- A total of 12 botanicals are used from across terrains in India and neighboring countries.
Country of origin: India
Latest Price (in New Delhi): 750ml at N/A
5. Amrut
Amrut is a major Indian liquor brand known largely for its whisky and rum. Its gin brand, Nilgiris, is a relatively new player in the market but has already created a brand name for itself due to its robust and unique flavor.
Notable Features
- Amrut Nilgiris Gin comes with 10 botanicals, including paan and tea notes.
- The idea of the Nilgiris gin came from an Ooty botanical estate that had medicinal plants.
- The gin currently has limited availability in Karnataka and Goa only.
Country of origin: India
Latest Price (in New Delhi): 750ml at N/A
6. Terai
Globus Spirits, one of India’s largest alcohol manufacturers, recently launched the Terai gin brand aimed at the Indian millennial audience. The brand is known for sourcing its botanical from Asia’s largest spice market, Khadi Baoli, in New Delhi.
Notable Features
- Globus Spirits combines its experience of agriculture and distillation to bring the unique Terai gin to the masses.
- You get 11 botanicals, including unique ones like rose petals, coriander, and lavender.
- This is one of the rare few India dry gins in the market.
Country of origin: India
Latest Price (in New Delhi): 750ml at Rs 1,200
Also, we have created a blog where we have mentioned some of the best whisky brands in India. This is the only list that you need for all of your parties and meetups. Do have a look
7. Samsara
Samsara is an Indian craft gin brand that is known for its experimental variants. Founded by Aditya Aggarwal, Riddhi Aggarwal, and Jai Prakash Chopra, Samsara essentially creates London dry gins but with an Indian touch.
Notable Features
- Samsara gin is created using 11 botanicals, including green cardamom, rose petals, vetiver grass, and more.
- The brand focuses on creating sustainable bottles and its distillation process is also focused on the same.
- Samsara celebrates the Pink City with its new pink gin that contains wild roses.
Country of origin: India
Latest Price (in New Delhi): 750ml at N/A
8. Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer gin is one of India’s most popular luxury gins made by alcohol manufacturer Radico Khaitan. Everything from the bottle design to the ingredients of this gin brand screams luxury and royalty, as evident from its name.
Notable Features
- The Jaisalmer gin uses Darjeeling green tea, lemongrass, and vetiver among its 11 unique botanicals.
- The gin is triple distilled and offers peppery, citrusy, and floral tasting notes for a beautifully complex experience.
- The logo of the brand is a black buck, which is reminiscent of the Jaisalmer Royal Flag.
Country of origin: India
Latest Price (in New Delhi): 750ml at Rs 3,500
9. GinGin
India’s first gin brand to produce a hemp-based gin, GinGin, is a craft gin manufacturer that is run by a one-man army. Priced affordably, GinGin is one of the most recent yet most unique gins in the Indian market.
Notable Features
- This is the first, and currently only, gin in India that has hemp as one of its ingredients (apart from botanicals).
- It is also one of the only few single-shot vapor-infused spirits in India. This is a custom process of creating gins.
- It comes with 9 botanicals, including Himalayan juniper, cinnamon, rosemary, and more.
Country of origin: India
Latest Price (in New Delhi): 750ml at N/A
10. Tickle
Tickle was launched in 2020 after 11 years of research done by Solomon Diniz, who is said to have been inspired by Greater Than’s success. Tickle gin is owned and operated by Goa-based Adinco Distilleries.
Notable Features
- Tickle gin has its naming origins in the fact that gin is considered a female-first drink. It is, therefore, a girlish name suited for the gender.
- The gin has a unique local raw mango note that provides a “picklish” flavor and nose profile.
- Tickle gin availability is currently limited to Goa, Pune, and Mumbai.
Country of origin: India
Latest Price (in New Delhi): 750ml at N/A
11. Jin Jiji
Jin Jiji is a gin brand focused on India’s rich Ayurveda culture. From the bottle design to the ingredients sourced for this gin, the Jin Jiji is all about connecting to India’s roots with elements like tulsi and cashew nuts.
Notable Features
- Jin Jiji gin’s botanicals include the Indian herb Tulsi, which is known for its fragrance and medicinal properties.
- The brand uses cashew nuts in the distilling process to provide a unique texture and taste profile to the gin.
- The gin comes in regular, Darjeeling, and high-proof variants.
Country of origin: India
Latest Price (in New Delhi): 750ml at N/A
List of Best International Gin Brands Available in India
12. Bombay Sapphire
Bombay Sapphire is probably the most popular gin brand across the globe. This is evident in the 5 million+ cases sold last year, giving it the second spot on the world’s bestselling gin brands list.
Notable Features
- Bombay Sapphire is distilled by the Bombay Spirits Company, owned by Bacardi, in the UK.
- You get 10 botanicals including almond, lemon peel, liquorice, and coriander, among others.
- While the bottle is sold around the 40% alcohol mark in local markets, a 47% standard variant is reserved for duty-free stores.
Country of origin: UK
Latest Price (in New Delhi): 750ml at Rs 2,060
13. Beefeater
Alongside Bombay Sapphire, Beefeater is yet another ultra-popular London dry gin. Owned by Pernod Ricard, Beefeater has 3 million+ annual case sales making it one of the biggest gin brands across the world.
Notable Features
- Beefeater is sold in 47% or 44% alcohol variants in the US, while the rest of the world gets 40% variants.
- The name is derived from the Yeomen of the Guard, a bodyguard segment of the current British monarch.
- It has nine botanicals, including coriander, almonds, Seville oranges, lemon peel, and more.
Country of origin: UK
Latest Price (in New Delhi): 750ml at Rs 1,450
14. Tanqueray
Running since 1830, the Tanqueray London Dry Gin has been the topmost choice for gin lovers across the world for almost two centuries now. The brand was invented by Charles Tanqueray, after whom it is named.
Notable Features
- The gin is distilled with grapefruits, oranges, limes, and chamomile flowers to give you a refreshing flavour.
- This is reportedly the only gin in the Hall of Fame at the San Francisco Spirits Awards.
- According to the brand, this gin is best enjoyed with ice, tonic water, and a wedge of pink grapefruit.
Country of origin: UK
Latest Price (in New Delhi): 750ml at Rs 1,460
15. Sipsmith
Sipsmith is one of the relatively new craft gin brands from the UK. Started in 2007, the brand is known to have altered an ages-old UK law that barred craft gin brands from producing in small batches.
Notable Features
- Sipsmith creates batches in a much smaller 300-liter still that allows for experimental variants.
- The Sipping Society comes up with several recipes based on the Sipsmith London dry gin for gin enthusiasts.
- Sipsmith is the first official gin partner for the Wimbledon championship.
Country of origin: UK
Latest Price (in New Delhi): 750ml at N/A
16. Monkey 47
A rare gin from Black Forest, Germany, the Monkey 47 has swiftly gained mainstream status because of its unique nose and taste profile. Credit also goes to the 47 (!) botanicals that go into making this superb blend.
Notable Features
- The 47 botanicals in this gin include acacia flowers, lingonberries, bramble leaves, and spruce shoots among others.
- It combines the base dry gin of the UK, herbs from India, and the uniqueness of Black Forest, Germany to offer a solid blend.
- Thanks to its ingredient list, it has a complex palate and a heavy finish for the gin lover in you.
Country of origin: Germany
Latest Price (in New Delhi): 750ml at N/A
Best Gin Brands in India With Price List
| Best Gin Brands | Price 750ml* (Delhi) |
|---|---|
| Greater Than | Starting at Rs 980 |
| Stranger & Sons | Starting at Rs 1,700 |
| Hapusa | N/A |
| Pumori | N/A |
| Amrut | N/A |
| Terai | Starting at Rs 1,200 |
| Samsara | N/A |
| Jaisalmer | Starting at Rs 3,500 |
| GinGin | N/A |
| Tickle | N/A |
| Jin Jiji | N/A |
| Bombay Sapphire | Starting at Rs 2,060 |
| Beefeater | Starting at Rs 1,450 |
| Tanqueray | Starting at Rs 1,460 |
| Sipsmith | N/A |
| Monkey 47 | N/A |
*Prices are subject to change
Final Word
Gins are some of the most enjoyed spirits in the world, especially at parties and clubs. With several ingredients and botanicals that go into the making, we have curated a list of the absolute best gin brands in India. While Bombay Sapphire, Amrut, and Monkey 47 are our absolute party favorites because of their robust flavor profile and right pricing, you can go through the list and take your pick depending on the budget, botanicals, and notes mentioned.
FAQs
How can you tell good quality gin?
Good quality gin is smooth. The gold standard to tell if a particular alcohol is good or not is the level of smoothness it offers when drunk neat or with water/soda. Apart from that, gin should not be too overpowering as to spoil your cocktails. It should just have the right balance of flavor.
Which brand of gin is best?
Bombay Sapphire, Greater Than, and Beefeater are some of the bestselling gin brands in India.
What is the most popular gin?
Beefeater, Samsara, Hapusa, Greater Than, and Gordon’s are some of the most popular gins in India.
What is the healthiest gin brand?
There is no such thing as the healthiest gin brand. Gin, like any other alcohol, is best consumed in moderation. Overconsumption of gin is injurious to health.
What is the oldest gin brand?
Boodles gin is the oldest gin brand in the world, having been established back in 1847. Gordon’s is another major gin brand established almost 250 years back.
What country makes the best gin?
While gin originated in The Netherlands, Italy, and Flanders, it gained mass status in the UK. London dry gin is considered to be the gold standard of gins across the world.
What is the most expensive gin?
The most expensive gin in the world right now is the Morus LXIV created by Jam Jar Gin. It is priced over GBP 4000 in the UK, mostly because it is made using dried leaves from a single 100-year-old mulberry tree.
