“The Sun and the sand and a drink in my hand”
Goa, the land of sun, sand, and beaches, is often called the Ibiza of India. Known for its overwhelming beaches, stunning nightlife, and scrumptious seafood, Goa is an Indian state located in the western region of the country.
Goa is the smallest state in India that is blessed with an incredible coastline of 100kms across the Arabian Sea. Goa’s pleasant weather, beautiful churches, and happening nightlife have made it a tourist paradise. Good weather, good mood, and good food are never complete without a good drink, and when it’s Goa, you will never want to miss one!
Apart from the lovely seafood, Goa’s pubs and bars serve a variety of drinks and cocktails to their guests. Starting from the English whiskies and Vodkas to the locally produced Feni, Goa is a mood for all drink lovers.
But to everyone’s surprise, this beautiful destination is here with their first-ever craft gin and they call it the “Black Jewel”. Black Jewel was first manufactured at the end of the year 2018 and became one of the first craft gins to be produced in Goa.
Let’s be Gin !!
Goa’s first Craft Gin – Black Jewel
Did you hear “beach and beer” when I said Goa? I guess Yes.
But for Cedric Vaz, the director of Global Spirits and Foods, Goa seemed the best place to manufacture a craft gin. The prime ingredients of gin are juniper berries, herbs, and botanicals. And all of them are blended well to form a palatable and flavorsome spirit called the Gin.
To make this high-quality craft gin, Mac Vaz chose hand-picked juniper berries from the highland of Italy. Along with the best berries, Vaz selected a handful of fragrant botanicals like cilantro, Carum carvi, wild celery, etc to make the spirit tasty. These premium ingredients are then infused into the spirit by the use of a double copper pot distillation method.
Choosing Goa to manufacture a craft gin had many reasons behind it. Vaz mentioned that Goa’s water quality is perfect for the production of alcohol.
“Coming under the Dharwad supergroup, largely dominated by the laterite rock as its soil which is highly porous and permeable, the quality of groundwater is clean and sweet. This, with the heavy rains of nearly 330cm, makes Goa a region with a good amount of potable water. We believe the water of Goa has its own brand equity.”
Said Cedric Vaz of Global Spirits and Foods
Black Jewel has been priced at Rs.675 for a 750ml bottle and has a distinct and remarkable zesty and citrusy flavor. The gin is proved to be 40% ABV and is sold on many online stores and local markets of Goa.
Global Spirits and Foods- the creators of Goa’s first Craft Gin
The journey of black Jewel started when the director of Global Spirits, Mr. Cedric Vaz saw gin getting popular among Europeans when he visited Europe in the years 2010 and 2012.
“I could see it coming to India very soon which motivated me to work on creating a brand of premium yet value for money, which will appease those customers who really have a craving for a good Gin and are ready to pay a reasonable price for it. After a lot of work, research, and sleepless nights, we zeroed down on the concept and creation of our gin brand which we named ‘Black Jewel’. Our first batch was manufactured on December 18, 2018. Our gin was first amongst the gins produced in Goa as well as first amongst crafted Gins.”
Said Cedric Vaz of Global Spirits and Foods
Global Spirits and foods first started in the year 2001 as a liquor bottle dealer and manufacturer but as this beautiful Indian brand developed excellent relationships with its customers they wanted to give them something unique and patent to India. This is how India got its first craft gin!
The best drinks to have in Goa
- A Gin and Tonic – Black jewel gin served with Tonic and a small Goan chili.
- Port wine- a sweet, fortified glass of pure happiness.
- Desmond Ji’s Agave Gold- A 51% oak-finished drink
- Rasa Shiraz by Sula wine- a complex yet delicate red wine, served chilled.
- Feni- A strong drink made with cashew and coconut palm sap.
- Sol de Orange: A feni-based cocktail made with orange juice, lemonade, and feni.