KCR Spring 2025 Magazine - Flipbook - Page 86
Why 2025 Is the Year for Indian Craft Drinks
“Our aim is to showcase the rich, varied 昀氀avour of India through
exceptional drinks”
says Ipe Jacob, one of the founders of Indian drinks emporium,
Maharaja Drinks, “There are so many world-class drinks from India that
are only just getting recognised in the west. Despite the country’s
remarkable advancements in beverage production, many still overlook
the diversity and quality of Indian drinks. Now is the time to make
Indian drinks accessible to everyone, and celebrate the stories behind
them. ”
Maharaja Drinks is a new Indian drinks retailer on a mission to rede昀椀ne
global perceptions of Indian beverages, by o昀昀ering a curated selection
of high-quality, ethically produced drinks from India. Not only do
they champion sustainable practices but they o昀昀er a deep connection
between consumers and the artisans behind the drinks. The journey
started in 2023 when father and son, Ipe and Adam Jacob embarked
on a journey across India to 昀椀nd the 昀椀nest craft drinks, and their goal
was clear: to partner with suppliers who share the company’s values and
philosophy.
For 8 weeks over two years, Ipe and Adam travelled across India to dive
into each supplier’s story and go back to the source, securing personal
meetings with the makers, tours of the facilities and plantations, and
in-person tasting sessions. Here, they discovered a whole world of craft
drinks from fruit wine vineyards in Maharashtra, beer brewed in Goa,
gin fermented in Rajasthan and whisky distilled in Bangalore. After
tasting these craft drinks, and listening to the tastemakers’ story, they
knew they had to bring these products back to the UK.
Maharaja Drinks launched shortly after in September 2024. The
company currently has over 20 wine o昀昀erings from rich reds, zingy
whites to sparkling choices. Over 25 Indian craft spirits that tap into
a wide spectrum of palates from fruity and spicy to sweet, rich and
complex across categories in rums, agave, whisky, vodka and gin. Top
notch and ready to drink canned cocktails with incredible 昀氀avours such
as Long Island Iced Tea to Moscow Mule. Beer choices from the Indian
craft brewery scene and non alcoholic options including Kombucha,
Iced Teas and the vintage masala cola, as well as teas and co昀昀ees.
So why is the company starting now? Premiumisation, steadily rising
quality standards, improvements in regulatory frameworks, and
reduced tax burdens on alcohol businesses in India means that the
global drinks market is starting to pay attention to the Indian drinks
market. These developments have spurred a wave of entrepreneurship
and innovation within the Indian domestic market, paving the way for a
new generation of dynamic Indian disruptors. This wave is now
reaching the UK, and this year we are likely to see a demand for
authentic, high-quality Indian drinks.
“There is some incredible talent coming out of India” says Adam Jacob
Co -Founder of Maharaja Drinks “Many of these people are incredibly
talented men and women who are progressive thinkers and pioneers in
Indian craft drinks from Goa to Darjeeling”
The story starts before the pour with Maharaja Drinks. “More and more
consumers are wanting trust and transparency, and there’s a global
desire for smaller, craft and more sustainable producers to succeed”
says Ipe Jacob “People want to understand a brand’s stories, its background and the curated process. That’s why we tell all our suppliers’
stories on our website - we want the consumer to understand what they
are buying into, going beyond the bottle.”
Most recently, Maharaja Drinks expanded its presence by introducing a
new sustainable, Indian crafted agave called “Ayam Agave” exclusively
to the UK market as a category 昀椀rst. The spirit is produced at Asia’s 昀椀rst
and only o昀케cial award-winning agave craft distillery, founded by
Desmond Nazareth, an innovator in Indian beverages for over 23 years.
The story goes that Desmond saw photos of the blue agave used in
Mexico to produce tequila and recognized the agave plants growing in
India during his cross-country travels from his childhood. From there,
he discovered that the Indian Deccan Plateau lies on the same range of
latitudes as the agave regions of Mexico, and both share a similar
terroir—the perfect environment for agave to thrive. Made from 100%
Agave americana and Indian raw materials, this sustainable drink is
crafted on India’s semi-arid Deccan Plateau and distilled in small batches, perfect for enjoying on the rocks or in a cocktail.
Whilst sustainability is a core value for Maharaja Drinks, they also
choose to champion the people who are central to its business. They do
this by using the “Rule of One”, a donation of 1% of all sales to charities
that bene昀椀t the workers involved with their producers and suppliers in
India. Additionally, they share 1% of their sales value equally among
their sta昀昀, acknowledging their contributions to their success.
So what’s next for the retailer? Right now, they are focusing on educating the UK market through di昀昀erent content platforms with a focus on
weddings, celebrations with friends, food pairings and the introduction
of new, 昀氀avoursome craft pours to the UK market.
For more information on Maharaja Drinks, please visit…
www.maharajadrinks.com
https://www.instagram.com/maharajadrinks/
