When it rains, it pours gin

The story of Cherrapunji, rainwater, rare native botanicals or the steel bottle and the taste make a differentiated and compelling story about the introduction of the Cherrapunji Eastern Craft Gin. And the credit for creation of this product goes to Mayukh Hazarika who established Raincheck Earth Co. to make gin ‘naturally’ popular.

The weather theatre in Cherrapunji and the northeast of India, in general, nurtures unique botanicals not to be found anywhere else. This is what prompted Mayukh Hazarika to establish Raincheck Earth Co., the makers of Cherrapunji Eastern Craft Gin. This is eastern India’s only craft gin made with purified rainwater and native botanicals. “Our approach to distilling, bottling and sourcing is rooted in our values of sustainability,” Mayukh states.

The brand’s USP is that it uses rainwater instead of groundwater. The company’s rainwater harvesting facility is based in the “rainiest place on earth”, which has an average annual rainfall of 11,872 millimetres. It features a subtropical highland climate with an extraordinarily rainy and long monsoon season (March to October) and a short dry season (November to February).

The facility comprises 100 kilolitre capacity of continuous harvesting through the year.The rainwater harvesting tanks are made of metallic coated sheet steel offering two to four times the corrosion resistance of galvanised steel.

It sources native botanicals close to the distillery and reduces energy consumption by 70 percent using the most advanced stills. The beverage is bottled in a reusable steel bottle instead of glass. “We are greening the crafts spirits industry by changing how the spirits are made,” Mayukh adds. Cherrapunji Eastern Craft Gin is sold in the markets of Northeast India and duty-free outlets and is also export to the European Union markets. The average selling point is USD 50-60 across these markets.

The essence of Cherrapunji Cherrapunji

Eastern Craft Gin is a designer gin with citrus-forward notes, a smooth juniper base and a hint of smoke.The brand uses GI-tagged duo of ‘soh sohra’ (mandarin) from Cherrapunji and Kaji Nemu (Assamese lemon) to give the gin those unmissable citrus notes.The base is layered with creamy juniper berries from the eastern Himalayas. A mix of black and green cardamoms and wild forest peppercorns from Sikkim and Meghalaya gives the gin its edge.

“Perhaps the wildest idea was to adore the gin with smoked tea from the Lushai hills to give the gin a third dimension of smoky aftertaste,” Mayukh says.

The company encourages its consumers to try the drink as a sipping gin or with a classic gin and tonic first to experience the diverse flavours before trying the cocktails. Classic cocktails are further enhanced with the complex notes of the gin. 

Milestones

• Water Preservation Achievement of the Year, 2024, Cannes, France.

• ESG Award, Global Drinks Intel, for harvesting rainwater and sustainable production practices.

• The innovative business model behind Cherrapunji Eastern Craft Gin has been included as a subject of case study by IIM Shillong. This recognition highlights the brand’s significance as a model of success and sustainability.

The Netherlands Connection

At the time when the company set out to make its own gin, Mayukh and his team decided to study the origins of gin, which led them to Netherlands. Gin itself has its roots in Holland. Jenever is the predecessor of the gin style that we now know as the London Dry Gin.Traditionally, jenever has a high percentage of malt wine (15 – 50 percent), resulting in a similar mouthfeel and malty notes to whiskey, and a blend of herbs and spices that matches the styles of gin.

Cherrapunji Eastern Craft Gin’s formula is the brainchild of the company’s master distiller and a Dutch counterpart. It is a fusion of 12 native botanicals from Northeast India. Notably, Mayukh spent a considerable time in Netherlands gathering knowledge of traditional jenever and understanding the cutting edge stills that the company uses. It is all this knowledge about the products and the craft that makes the brand unique. And given the excellent response, Raincheck Earth Co. now plans to launch more products.

Craft spirits are gaining popularity in India, and Mayukh is excited to be part of the evolution. “As people become more interested in premium, authentic products, we see a huge opportunity for gin to grow in India,” he says.