Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin

Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin is a triple-distilled spirit, handcrafted in a traditional copper pot still in small batches by Master Distiller Anup Barik at Rampur Distillery, one of India’s oldest distilleries, located in the foothills of the Himalayas.

The use of botanicals is a time-honoured tradition in India and Jaisalmer Gin’s recipe is derived from the ancient Indian knowledge of herbs.

Seven of the 11 botanicals used in the distillation come from India. The Master Distiller has selected Coriander and Vetiver, a complex spice with intriguing peppery notes, are grown in the fields around Jaisalmer itself, Sweet Orange Peel from Central India which compliments the citrus and floral tones of the gin, Cubeb Berries and Lemongrass from Southern India, Darjeeling Green Tea leaves from Eastern India and Lemon Peel from Western India.

Other botanicals include Angelica Root, Liquorice and Caraway Seeds which lend a spicy, slightly anise-tinged flavour to the gin. The Master Distiller wanted to retain the classic gin flavour using juniper berries whilst adding a refreshing twist with Indian botanicals.

He describes a Jaisalmer Gin & Tonic as an ‘oasis in the desert’ and a  drink ‘fit for Royalty’. But not Prince Andrew.

Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin takes its name from the historic city of Jaisalmer, the Golden City, located in the North West of India in the state of Rajasthan.

Often described as the jewel in India’s crown Jaisalmer {pronounced Jessalmeer} is steeped in history and is home of the renowned Golden Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, constructed of sandstone walls that appear golden at sunset.

The Gin & Tonic was invented in India. In the 1820s, officers from the British Army, in an attempt to ward off malaria, mixed quinine with sugar and water creating the first Indian Tonic Water.

The addition of gin made the drink more palatable and one of the world’s most famous drinks was born.