Maharaja Drinks is celebrating International Women's Day by acknowledging six incredibly talented Indian women in the wine, spirits, and non-alcoholic drinks industry who are paving the way for Indian craft drinks in the UK drinks market.
The spirits and wine industry has traditionally been male-dominated. However, in recent years there has been a flurry of women-led drinks businesses and enterprises pioneering new, emerging global female talent. Maharaja Drinks would like to introduce six of these fearless women.
Sophia Longhi, Maharaja Drinks Wine Guru said, "The wine industry has had something of a refresh lately, with more and more women breathing new energy into all areas of the sector, including winemaking and wine communication.
"The majority of wine sold in the UK is bought by women, so it's only going to be good for business to have more women making wine, selling wine and talking about wine.
"At Maharaja Drinks, we work with some amazing female-led wine suppliers, who bring their expert viewpoint to our table. As well as championing women in wine, I also get to champion an emerging wine region, India, which makes my work here doubly exciting. If one thing's for sure, wine is an industry that never stands still - which is why I love it."
Vidita Mungi from Rhythm Winery
Vidita Mungi is one of the few women in the largely male-dominated world of wine production.
Rhythm Winery is a fruit wine business owned and run by Vidita, who is bold and brave when it comes to challenging the traditionalists. The winery capitalises on the diverse climate and soil conditions in India to source fruits from various regions.
From the lush orchards of Maharashtra to the vibrant fields of Karnataka and the sun-kissed plantations of Gujarat, each fruit is carefully procured, ensuring exceptional quality and distinct flavours.
Kiran Patil from Reveilo
Kiran Patil and her husband transformed their 100-year-old ancestral farm in Nashik into the vineyard of Reveilo Wines.
With state-of-the-art technology from Italy and grapes grown in India since the early 2000s, Reveilo blends art and science to craft wines that are 100% vegan – they are the first winery in India to produce a barrel-fermented Chardonnay. Kiran places a huge focus on building and growing the brand geographically with consistency and persistence.
Kasturi Banerjee from Maka Zai Rum
From banker to bartender, Kasturi Banerjee is the founder of Stilldistilling Spirits, the company that produces Maka Zai rum. Banerjee was a banker for almost 18 years before taking a bartending course and starting Stilldistilling Spirits in 2020.
Maka Zai is a homegrown white rum made with sugarcane harvested from the banks of the Panchganga River in Maharashtra, and a gold rum with cane spirit from Punjab.
Varna Bhat from Rahasya Vodka
They describe themselves as 'India in a bottle' and are one of the few female-founded spirits brands in the country. Founder Varna Bhat made it her mission to create a truly pan-Indian spirit, offering drinkers a distinctly desi taste without leaning on the typical association with masalas.
What she and the team have landed on with Rahasya is an Indian vodka, made using local ingredients (such as corn and wheat grains from Punjab) and infused with the mysteries of India to deliver world-class flavour.
Husna-Tara from Glenburn Teas
Looked after by Husna-Tara of the Prakash family (who have been involved for four generations), the tea bushes at Glenburn are embraced by the majestic peaks of Mount Kanchenjunga.
Their focus on local employment means that 350 women from 8 local villages are in charge of plucking fresh leaves each day, which are turned into Darjeeling teas that are fragrant and fulfilling.
Muskan Khanna from Tea N Teas
Brought to life by a team of female tea experts spanning three continents, Tea N Teas is based in Coonoor, nestled in the Nilgiri Mountain range. Muskan Khanna is at the helm of this innovative concept.
The all-female enterprise uses real innovation in small-batch production, employing modern Chinese machinery and Muskan’s enterprising nature to create distinctive teas.
Maharaja Drinks offers over 20 high-quality wines, a range of fruity or malty Indian beers and over 25 Indian crafted spirits and non-alcoholic drinks.
The specialist retailer encourages organic certification, sustainable production methods and environmentally aware manufacturing, packaging and transport from its suppliers. All drinks are shipped throughout the UK mainland.
“When we started the Maharaja Drinks journey, we knew from the beginning we wanted to work with suppliers that not only represent our values but are also progressive thinkers and pioneers in Indian craft drinks, so many of these people are women.” said Ipe Jacob, co- founder of Maharaja Drinks.
“The alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks industry has been dominated by men for some time but this is all changing. We believe now is the time for a new wave of global female talent and we are proud to champion these six amazing brands in the UK drinks market”
