Be on the road, to begin a trend

The Vault – India’s largest Craft Gin Collection

 

Like from any other lifestyle industry, part of my job as the curator of The Vault collection of fine spirits involves a constant study of the global trends in the fine spirits industry. No amount of reading reports, speaking to experts, or study of international research data has given me the actual pulse of what’s to come. It is by visiting the bars in my travels, hanging out and having conversations with the barteams, the owners, visiting local liquor shops, travelling to festivals, that has given me insights into the category of spirits that are creating the buzz in that season, or are likely to do so a few years ahead. In other words, nothing has substituted being on the road.

 

In 2016, we (my wife and I) went on a work trip to Spain. We visited tucked away hole in the wall bars, gained entry into the speak-easy ones, and everything in- between, across Barcelona and Madrid. There was an undercurrent of Gins everywhere. This category was slowly but surely making its way back in, but this time not as a medicine, nor as ‘mother’s ruin’, a sign of the social issue that it had become due to mass gin drinking establishments across England in the 16th -17th century. It carried none of that old baggage. Instead, independent gin distillers or ginpreneurs, were distilling gins using the finest of ingredients, the finest of customized stills and pots, combined with high quality packaging. The young and the old appeared mesmerized and curious, asking plenty of questions about gins at the bar, and ready to try them in different ways.

 

Exclusive gin bars, exclusive gin menus, exclusive gin shops, exclusive gin mixologists had sprung up. Bar after bar, conversation after conversation, we knew that gin was soon heading to the top of the charts in the fine spirits industry. India, then had just Bombay Sapphire, mixed in cocktails. Hardly any sipping gins.

 

So, The Vault Collection took the risk, and imported our first batch of craft Gins in 2016. Though our gin labels moved slowly in the market, those who were keeping their ears to the ground had heard of the incredible gins now available in the overseas market, had become curious, purchased our gins, and ordered repeats. India was just beginning to catch the trend, like we had at The Vault.

 

In the last three years, premium craft gins which has been the fastest growing category in the global spirits industry, has grown in India at a whopping 40-50%, year on year.

 

Today, The Vault Collection has the country’s largest and one of the finest collection of Craft Gins, each carefully handpicked to offer the variety and quality that a Craft Gin Explorer is seeking – be it to sip neat, or as G&Ts, or to mix in cocktails. In fact The International Gin Guild of London, impressed by The Vault’s contribution to the Craft Gins industry, honoured us with the Life Time induction (Keshav), into the Gin Guild in 2018.

 

Never know, how far such roads can take us.

I see this more as an acknowledgement of all of us who love high quality craft gins, whether made in India, or on the shores abroad.

 

Yes, I do miss being on the road right now.

But the ones I took in the last few years, serve the choices we continue to make in picking and adding incredible Gins to our collection. I invite you to pick yours from it.

 

If you wish for any gin guidance, please call or email me, and I would be most happy to help you.

 

Keshav Prakash

Member, International Gin Guild, London

 

 

LIST OF LOCAL RETAIL PARTNERS IN MUMBAI:

 

WORLD OF WINES- Nariman Point

Bhavesh: 7710075100

 

LONDON WINES- Parel

Gul Ajit: 90046 00755

 

PARRY WINES- Bandra

Sunil Chawala: 9867238611

 

TOP MOST WINES- Khar

Maruti: 99300 54321

 

SILVER COIN- Living Liquidz- Khar

Jatin: 91670 32916

 

JUBEN WINES- Juhu

JP: 96996 53077,  Satyam : 98671 10001

 

ARADHANA WINES- Andheri

Deepak: 9588082101

 

THE WINE CELLAR- Marol

Nikhil: 98207 04500

You can always email us on concierge@vaultfinespirits.com

or What’s App on 9819006966 for further assistance.