Brews & Spirits

Let’s talk about Maharashtra’s selective love affair with wine…. For nearly 15 years, the state has generously offered a VAT rebate to wineries. This support has been a lifeline for the industry, helping big players grow into market giants. But here’s where the problem lies: the government is still extending this support today, selectively to a fruit only inspite of officially including other fruit wines and meads in the wine category 7 years ago. The state of Maharashtra after giving birth to two sectors with immense potential has left them out in the cold. No rebates, no meaningful support, pushing them into a deep death valley & just an opportunity to diversify and strengthen the wine industry that is still living on the the crutches of the government rebates. By continuing to pour resources into established grape wineries while ignoring the innovative producers crafting wines from fruits like mango, jamun, and berries, or even exploring the ancient art of Mead-making; it’s clear that we need more voices. More support to be heard if we weren’t seen enough by the audiences. Let’s look at the bigger picture. India, despite its best efforts, remains a small player on the global grape wine stage. We’re nowhere near the production or reputation of France, Italy, or Spain. Even within Asia, Indian grape wines struggle to make a significant impact. But here’s the thing: India is the fruit bowl of the world. We grow more fruits than grapes by a long shot. Imagine if Maharashtra with its immaculate fruit strength, extended the same level of support to Fruit wines and Mead. India could carve out a unique position on the global stage, leading in innovative, fruit-based wines and Mead. We could showcase the incredible variety of fruits our country produces, creating a wine industry that’s uniquely Indian. This isn’t just about wine; it’s about leveraging our agricultural strength to open new markets and opportunities. So why is the government still propping up grape wineries ? It’s not just about tradition; it’s about a lack of vision. Instead of fostering competition and innovation, these policies are stifling the growth of a more diverse and dynamic wine industry in India. If Maharashtra truly wants to be the wine capital of India, it needs to rethink its strategy. Supporting grape wineries was crucial at one point, but now it’s time to shift focus. We need policies that encourage innovation and diversity, not ones that keep us stuck in the past. 🍷 Let’s open the conversation. What do you think? Should Maharashtra extend its VAT rebate to fruit wines and Mead? Is it time for the government to stop holding back the industry’s potential? Actually let’s poll whether we should file a Public Interest Litigation against the state and get an answer from them. Drop your thoughts in the comments! #WineIndustry #Maharashtra #FruitWines #Mead #Innovation #VAT #PolicyChange #IndiaWine #Agriculture #FruitBowl

Cheers to All Who Made Brews & Spirits Expo 2024 Unforgettable! As the curtains fall on Brews & Spirits Expo 2024, we raise our glasses to every exhibitor, visitor, and delegate who joined us on this incredible journey. Your passion, innovation, and energy turned this event into more than just an expo—it became a celebration of the thriving spirit of the alcobev industry. We didn't just showcase; we connected. We didn't just taste; we discovered. And together, we’ve set a new benchmark for what’s possible in our vibrant community. Here's to the collaborations, conversations, and new beginnings forged at Brews & Spirits Expo 2024. We look forward to continuing this journey with you all—until the next pour! PDA Ventures Pvt Ltd | Brews & Spirits | Nazeeba Zarin | Praveen Nair | Infant Vikas | Khushboo Bafna | Deepu Abel | Raghav Tare | Akash D. | Kevin Thomas | Sanjay M #BrewsAndSpiritsExpo #brews #spirits #BrewsAndSpiritsExpo2024

Boozy fragrances 🍸 What describes both liquor and scents? Cognac, Whiskey, Bourbon, Rum, Absinthe, Gin (Juniper or Juniper Berries) and sometimes Champagne accords are found recently in fine fragrances with subtle nuances of the drink itself. Fragrances infused with spirits, creating a sense of relaxation and coziness and aromas of Bold. Woody. Sweet. Fruity. Boozy. Smoky. Smooth. “Both wine and scent come from the earth and are perfected with the labour of love.” -Krishore Iengar I happen to enjoy the smokiness in a whiskey, sweet caramel in a bourbon, spicy hints of juniper berries in a gin. Most perfumes make it more pleasant to wear and have intense accords that cue aromas coming from liquor or familiar drinks tat resonate with the persona or ambience. A lot comes from experience like a blazing disco party mood to serene sunny outdoors, smell of damp wood and cozy winters or even kitchen ingredient infused aromas. It can bring back nostalgia of some fiction novels, fairytales or lonely castles. Some do smell of the single ingredient or a combination like malt, citrus, dried fruits, spice, flowers, dried wood or leaves. You will see combination with red fruits, citrus, tea, chocolate for zesty or indulgent cues that bring novelty. There’s a lot of history to the genesis of different cultural drinks and invention of perfumery where blends and concoctions have taken place because of tradition and trade. These were done to get the hit or charm when they dab this on them. Some are inspired from savory or sweets to add in more facets for liking and acceptance. Many orientals and aromatic accords have been experimented using some interesting ways to bring in innovation where perfume and liquor were used in the past as medicines to heal and now more of an obsession to own a signature scent, feel good and impress. This brings in more richness and sophistication, premiumness and class. All of the associations that come to mind are quite banal: a chalet in the mountains where one has everything for a hedonistic kind of leisure time, but still a place where nothing is excessive. It is a place where one can isolate oneself from the rest of the world without sacrificing any of life's comforts. A glass of cognac, warmed by the hands, a slice of lemon, some tea peppered with spices. There is likely a rocking chair on an open deck overlooking the wooded mountains. It's a place that takes you into its sleepy embrace, where you are lulled into sleep by the caress of a plush throw. How can a perfume or drink transport you to places and which products have excited you in this game of complete surprise? #happyfriday #cheers #boozyscents #inspiration #trending #crosscategory

Blending star power with spirits expertise. Our new business venture with Ranveer Singh is set to redefine luxury alcohol beverages. https://bit.ly/3ZcpuQ7 #ABD #Partnership #RanveerSingh #LuxurySpirits #Premium #CheersABD

Join us at the Brews & Spirits Expo, the must-attend event for all beer, wine, and spirits enthusiasts. From September 4th to 6th, 2024, at the KTPO Convention Centre in Whitefield, Bengaluru, dive into a world of flavour and innovation. Explore a vibrant trade fair, engage in insightful conferences, hands-on workshops, and exciting masterclasses. Meet industry experts, discover the latest trends, and connect with top brands. 🍻 Why attend Brews & Spirits Expo 2024? ✅ Connect with like-minded peers.  ✅ Learn about the latest trends and innovations.  ✅ Spark fresh ideas for your business.  ✅ Collaborate with diverse expertise to tackle industry challenges.  ✅ Celebrate our shared passion for the craft! ✅ And don’t forget—Tulleeho is proud to be a Conference Partner! 🎉 Don't miss out on this unique opportunity! Join us from September 4th to 6th at KTPO, Bengaluru, and let's craft something amazing together! 🥳 #BrewsAndSpiritsExpo #IndustryInsights #Networking #Innovation #CraftCulture Ajay Nayyar Vikram Achanta Ashuli Saini Krity Malhotra Brews & Spirits Expo

This is a two-part long form on what’s ailing the non-grape wine industry (fruit and mead wine) in India and what, I believe, is needed to fix it! (All views are personal) Part 1 - What’s broken in the non-grape wine industry? Our brand, Moonshine was the result of a thoughtfully crafted state policy around fermentation of honey wine (a first in the country if I may add), by the Maharashtra state government in 2017. What further followed in 2019, was a reform in the right direction where Excise Duty of these new wine category were slashed to just ₹1 per litre; bringing them closer to the support grapes wines have enjoying for almost 20 years. The logic was simple. More mead wineries in Maharashtra would automatically trigger a surge in honey consumption in the state, leading to jump starting bee keeping inside the state in a big way, which would have a direct impact on agricultural yield. 6 years hence, the state can only boast of a total of 5 meadery licenses, off which, one has already shut down early this year. The reason was a string of abrupt policy decisions starting in 2021 when the state decided to integrate all wine excise duty structures under a single policy and tax everyone equally. This essentially cut down the excise holiday on non-grape wines by 3 years, while normalising the duty for the more established category, the grape wines. The but the real impact happened when the second policy change was implemented in Feb’24. Here the state offered sales tax rebate benefits only to the grape wines, and thus violating the entire spirit of the integrated wine policy to begin with. This undue advantages to only grape wines allowed these wineries to position their products more aggressively in the market, snuffing out almost all the growth opportunity for the non-grape variety of wines. Funnily enough, the non-grape categories of wine have the potential to plug an actual white space on the global alco-bev industry. In fact, no category screams out sustainability louder that honey wines, since promoting honey adds to the food chain; supporting bee keeping improves yield, quality of yield and also aids better bio diversity. States like UP have already seen the potential to promote these categories of wines with unconfirmed reports suggesting over 90 new wineries have expressed their interest to set up processing facility there. In fact, wineries are being recommended to set up shop near fruit and honey processing facility to help, all with the objective of reducing fruit wastage and promoting honey consumption. Karnataka state also looks at all wines as equal and extends its support with lower taxes and an 100% abolition of sales tax on all types of wines. But unfortunately, the state which actually helped establish honey and fruit wines in the country, seems to have missed the memo completely. #wine #india #alcobev #startup