India’s first craft gin brand, Greater Than London Dry Gin, has been launched in the UK by Nao Spirits. Founded by Anand Virmani and Vaibhav Singh, Greater Than gin is distilled in copper pots in Goa and infused with pure botanicals sourced from India and around the world. The award-winning gin has clean juniper and fresh lemon peel on the nose, with a zing of ginger on the finish.
Launched in India in September 2017, its unique tasting notes and slick branding have fast made Greater Than one of India’s leading brands in a competitive gin market. Staying clear of stereotypes, the brand is focussing on making an excellent gin that just happens to come from the botanical capital of the world. It’s fresh citrus notes make it ideal for a number of traditional cocktails including the Negroni, Clover Club and the classic Gin and Tonic, as well as for creating quality bespoke tipples.
The story of Greater Than (or ‘>’) gin began in 2015, when two young bar owners and entrepreneurs – Anand Virmani and Vaibhav Singh – noticed that while the world was going through a ‘Gin-aissance’, India was left high and dry. The country where the G&T was invented and where exotic gin botanicals are found in most home kitchens was still in the dark ages of gin. If they wanted gin, they were going to have to make it themselves.
They stepped out from behind the bar, got themselves a copper pot and experimented with every spice, herb and fruit they could find. With a little bit of luck and a lot of help and effort, they found a recipe they loved enough to not just want to serve at their own bar, but to take to the rest of the country and the world.
The pair travelled to Goa for a three-year masterclass in gin-making, before recruiting Anne Brock, a board member of the Gin Guild, to work with them in setting up and refining their own distillation process.
Anand Virmani, CEO Nao Spirits says: “India and the UK are forever tied together in the history of Gin. If not for the English, we would not have had our first sip of Gin and if not for India, the English would never have discovered the Gin & Tonic. The ties between the two countries of course have become tighter over time and it seemed only natural to us to produce an authentic Indian Gin.”
Initial response to Greater Than in the UK has been positive, from both consumers and the trade, with stock selling out at each of the gin shows its participated in, including the recent Junipalooza.