Brewed overseas, rooted in India: The rise of diaspora alcohol brands

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Toronto: On a rainy afternoon in Dublin, Bhagyalakshmi Barrett stood in the liquor aisle of Dunnes Stores, scanning a shelf full of Irish gins and British imports. One bottle carried a name she had chosen herself: Maharani Gin.

Distilled in Ireland but infused with Kerala pepper, pomelo and cassia, it had just received a nationwide listing with one of Ireland’s largest supermarket chains. For Barrett, who co-founded the brand with her Irish husband Robert Barrett at Rebel City Distillery, the listing marked a shift from “interesting newcomer" to something closer to mainstream. “We weren’t sure how Irish consumers would respond to South Asian flavour profiles," she said.

“But they embraced it." Dai Bowes can attest to that. The bar manager at the Friary, a pub in Cork, Ireland, first became aware of Maharani Gin through local media coverage during the covid lockdown. Soon after, the Friary contacted the Barretts, tasted the gin, and decided to list it.

Bowes says Maharani is “one of the few gins that I would drink just on its own with a bit of ice," noting that it is very smooth compared to much of the gin market. He likes the “beautiful bottle," which “looks very good on a shelf," and says the Indian influence became clearer after he learned more about the botanicals and flavour profile. But, Bowes notes that drinkers who only prefer traditional brands such as Gordon’s or Bombay Sapphire may not gravitate toward Maharani Gin.

Like the Barretts, Indian-origin founders across North America and Europe are building alcohol brands inspired by Indian flavours and food cultures, but brewed or distilled outside India. These are not imports. They are locally made products, designed for