Irish gin salutes rebel spirit of Kerala women

A gin recently launched by a distillery in Cork, Ireland, has a Kerala connection.The drink, Maharani Gin, was launched by a new distillery founded by Corkman Robert Barrett and his Indian wife Bhagya in 2020. The new gin is a ‘fusion of Cork and Keralan cultures.’

The premium gin, launched by Rebel City Distillers, is zested with pomelo fruit, and spiced with cassia and nutmeg-mace, all sourced from a women’s organic farming co-operative in Bhagya’s home state of Kerala.

The label on the bottle salutes the revolutionary women of Kerala, known for their strength and importance in society. It further says that Maharani symbolises revolutionary Keralan rebel spirits and figures of female empowerment.

“Our plans for a launch event in our new distillery and an initial roll-out in bars around the country had to be significantly adjusted over the last few months in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Robert Barrett, head distiller and co-founder, Rebel City Distillery.

“However, we are thrilled that our product is now available to buy online and in select off-trade outlets and retailers around the country so that consumers can finally get to enjoy this new product, which we are immensely proud of,” he told Checkout in an interview.

The premium gin is zested with pomelo fruit, and spiced with cassia and nutmeg-mace, and is available from select retailers nationwide at a cost of €49.

Unfortunately, the gin is not available outside Ireland.

Kerala has the highest per capita consumption of alcohol in India. The sale of legal liquor has continued on an upward spiral despite the prohibitive tax on branded alcohol products and an arguably disproportionate number of dry days.