A no-brainer gift during the festive season is, of course, a good bottle of alcohol. A bottle of wine or a premium label is often the go-to, but if you’re looking to go beyond the usual suspects, there’s plenty happening in India’s homegrown alcobev space that deserves a spot on your gifting list.
As a beverage critic, I spend a good chunk of the year, tasting glass in hand, scouting special labels. With party season underway, now feels like the right time to dig out some of the standout homegrown spirits that I’d put in front of guests or carry as gifts. If you’re inclined to pick the bottle nobody has seen before, one that comes with a story, this list is one you’ll want to bookmark.
Quaffine liqueur
One of the most useful things to stock in a home bar is a solid coffee liqueur. Quaffine is now a staple in my bar. Sip it on ice, turn it into a no-fuss whisky highball or make it your go-to for all those espresso martinis.
Find it in: Maharashtra (₹2,850), Goa, Delhi, Haryana
Idaaya rum
This ‘Himalayan sipping rum’ has set the benchmark for Indian-made lush, complex, luxury rums, a bottle that even just from the look tells you you’re in for a treat. A great gift for someone who appreciates fine spirits.
Find it in: Haryana (approx ₹3,500), Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru
Desmondji Dakshina limited-edition 100% agave
This particular expression from India’s OG agave producer is a premium oak-aged agave spirit matured for over a year, which brings a nice rounding of flavours that all tequila lovers will appreciate. Just over 1,000 bottles were produced, so if you spot it, pick it up.
Find it in: Mumbai (₹4,500), Goa, and Bengaluru
Fratelli pinot noir
It’s hard to find a homegrown label of this notoriously difficult-to-grow red grape. Fratelli is one of the most bankable Indian wineries. Their pinot noir, which they launched a couple of years ago, is not only an elegant sip, it’s also great bang for your buck.
Find it in: Maharashtra (₹1,050)
Six Brothers mahura
Six Brothers marries the tradition of an indigenous Indian spirit made entirely of flowers with modern distillation and a contemporary palate. Floral, earthy, and elegant, this one is great to carry as a gift.
Find it in: Haryana (approx ₹3,500), Maharashtra, Bengaluru, Goa, and Chandigarh
Seqér pink guava gin
As far as flavoured gins go, Goa-based Seqér has managed to bottle nostalgia with this one. The best way to drink it—a chilli-and-salt rim, a generous pour of the pink guava gin, and soda and tonic to top up.
Find it in: Goa (approx ₹1,800)
Crazy Cock single malt – Madhuca III
This Indian single malt in finished in casks seasoned with mahura spirit (in addition to being ex-bourbon), a first in the world of whisky. A keen palate will tell the floral, slightly earthy influence of the mahura casks. It even bagged a gold medal for Indian single malts at IWSC 2026.
Find it in: Haryana (approx ₹4,500), Maharashtra, Bengaluru, Goa, Chandigarh, and Rajasthan
Chambal Gin’s Banjara Trail – Traveller’s Edition
The limited Western Ghats edition is pink-hued and more floral than the original, with hints of Nagpur orange, hibiscus, and kokum.
Find it in: Delhi and Madhya Pradesh, with distribution to cover seven other states. Check stockists for the Banjara edition
Pour’d cocktails
Lazy home bartenders, this one is for you: Old Fashioned, mojito, LIIT, and the most useful of the lot nowadays, picante, straight out the bottle. Stir on ice, top up with a spritz for a highball, and you’re done.
Find it in: Goa and Haryana
L74 cider
In my opinion the best bottled cider in the country, the Maharashtra-based L74 has a juicy and slightly tart Craft Apple, a zesty and refreshing Craft Citrus, and finally the Craft Coffee, which is the best of the lot by a whisker.
Find it in: Goa (₹140/pint) and Bengaluru
Earth Rustic Tropical Orange rum
After launching with a classic spiced rum, Earth’s Rustic Tropical Orange infuses orange peel, banana, Indian herbs, and botanicals to create a liquid that works both as a unique rum and as a delicious liqueur.
Find it in: Goa (₹1,320)
Davana Vermouth Indica
India’s first 100 per cent vermouth blends local herbs and spices with Nashik wine. The Rosso with its sweet spice notes is impressive just on ice or a low-abv highball. Use the more floral Bianco for a not-so-dry martini.
Find it in: Mumbai (₹1,650) and Goa
Paapi coffee absinthe
If anise and fennel are your kind of flavours, Paapi delivers it with an added kick of Arabica coffee from Chikmagalur. Bottled at 49 per cent abv, sip it over ice or use it to give an espresso martini a little edge.
Find it in: Goa (approx ₹2,950)
Otherside whisky
From the makers of Stranger & Sons gin, this whisky using 100 per cent Indian malt is matured across India’s tropical belt of the Deccan Plateau and Sahyadri range using the Solera method and finished in charred ex-bourbon barrels. A cool and trendy whisky to grace that bar shelf, it even won gold at the World Whisky Masters 2025.
Find it in: Goa, Maharashtra (₹ 3,250), and Bengaluru
Mikiamo Limoncello
Made with lemons sourced from the Italy’s southern coast, this bottled-in-Goa Limoncello may not be 100 per cent homegrown but for its lovely balance—zesty and bittersweet—it makes it onto the list. Mikiamo even has a Meloncello that uses Sicilian cantaloupe.
Find it in: Goa (approx ₹2,110), Delhi, Haryana, and Karnataka
