Earlier in 2015, Anand Virmani and Vaibhav Singh had set up their Goa-based Nao Spirits & Beverages. Two years later, their company launched Greater Than, one of India’s first gin brands to spearhead the gin-revolution. The two gin lovers ran a cocktail bar in New Delhi – Delhi’s Perch Wine & Coffee Bar – and were always on the lookout for better gins. The scarcity of local brand led them to step out from behind the bar, they got themselves a copper pot still and experimented with every spice, herb and fruits they could find out. They found a lot, they distilled a lot, they tasted a lot and they fell down a lot. Then, Greater Than was born. Their gin is made from a wheat-based spirit, infused with botanicals with juniper berries from Macedonia, citrus from Spain, angelica root from Germany and more. As for Indian flavours, there is coriander, fennel seeds, chamomile, ginger and lemongrass.
“We wanted to create a better drinking experience … our gin is greater than any other gin experience in India,” says Virmani.
Besides in India, Greater Than is available in Italy, Spain, Germany, Hungary, Singapore and the UK. Preferred cocktail concoction: Classic gin and tonic with a garnish of rosemary or lemon.
Nao Spirits
Nao Spirits was founded in 2015. When the new gin craze, or the “Gin-aissance” was going on, two bar owners in Delhi were patiently waiting for all the India produced gin, but it never came. Even though the Gin & Tonic was invented in India, and popular botanicals are standard spices in India, the India-produced gin was missing. So, they started to make gin themselves with one copper pot still. After a lot of experimenting with the taste and distilling process, they came up with two amazing recipes for gin that is now successful internationally. Their “Greater Than” or “>” spirit is the only London Dry Gin made in India, it is also India’s first craft gin.
