Diageo India’s maiden initiative to build a community of craft spirit entrepreneurs and distillers took off at its Good Craft Company in Bengaluru this September with the opening of its Flavour Lab – a bootcamp of sorts for startups across the Indian spirits industry.
It aims to bring together Indian craft stories, ideas and the craft community to incubate and nurture fresh innovations for the beverage alcohol ecosystem under one roof, encapsulating the essence of the company’s ‘Grain to Glass’ philosophy.
The Flavour Lab is an experience centre, engagement zone for ideas, learning and testing space that will promote craft spirits and its makers, according to Vikram Damodaran, Chief Innovation Officer at Diageo India.
Another aspect of this unique endeavour is education, advocacy, empowerment and appreciation of the community of craft spirits and its makers among consumers.
“We are proud to launch this as the harbinger of the community that embodies ‘Made in India, for the World’, with a commitment to transparency, community, and sustainable practices. We are happy to welcome every enthusiast to step in and experience craft like never before,” Vikram added.
Established in 2022, The Good Craft Co. was started with a vision to take Indian exceptionalism and craft in the spirit-making process to the global stage. The Flavour Lab is the experience home where the science, art and creativity behind spirits intersect.
“People – consumers and innovators alike – can immerse themselves in the art of spirit-making and experience for themselves, hands-on, the length and breadth of the Indian craft spirits world, and be a part of the innovation, research and progress of the art,” Vikram summed up.
A sneak peek into Diageo India’s R&D spaces, such as the separation lab, the incubation lab, and the molecular lab.
Fool proof
In 2017, Diageo India revived its Ponda distillery (Goa), positioning the site as a hub for craft and innovation. It now houses a 6 kilo-litre-per-day distillery with about 25,000 casks in maturation.
Diageo India has launched a series of craft spirits over the last 3 years. Epitome Reserve whiskey is a limited-batch, collector’s edition that brought two very different expressions out for consumers to experience.
Godawan, the artisanal single malt from Rajasthan, has won more than 65 awards including the ‘Best Single Malt in the World’ at the London Spirits Competition and the ‘Whisky Masters at the Spirits Business UK’ for Godawan 100.
As a part of its efforts to promote the Indian alco-bev startup ecosystem, Diageo Ventures in India has invested in four brands: Nao Spirits (makers of Greater Than and Hapusa Indian gins); Maya Pistola Agavepura (makers of Indian-born agave spirit, Pistola); zero-alcohol spirit distiller V9 Beverages; and cold-brew coffee liqueur producers, Indie Brew and Spirits.
These investments have given the brands access to Diageo’s lab facilities to help innovation, research and development.
What is ‘craft’
According to Vikram, the ethos of #craftedforgood is built on six core pillars. Craft is a responsibility that goes beyond sustainability; it involves ‘doing good’ for the community. And while craft is small batches and special editions, it is also about being open and inclusive.
And even as the process – “making it your way, with skill and creativity” – is at the heart of craft beverages, it is also about being mindful of the ingredients and materials used, and about sustainability.
Vikram believes craft is also about connecting with communities – distillers and consumers alike. Consumers across the world must be privy to the diversity and richness of Indian spirits, gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of Indian craft spirits, and open themselves up to its rich sensorial world.
The Good Craft Co’s Experience Home and Flavour Market at the Ponda distillery, opening in December this year, will offer a deep dive into the essence of Indian craft spirits, a distillery tour, a microbrewery experience, artisanal processes, collaborations with hyperlocal suppliers, and unique tasting experiences to inspire visitors.
In The Fermentary, you are told that each ferment can change the flavour of the spirit with the addition of just a drop!
Engagement zones
Referred to as a “playroom for craft spirits”, The Flavour Lab in Whitefield (Bengaluru) is essentially a research and development utility with four engagement zones, giving consumers a ring-side view of the creation process, complete with guided tasting sessions, all focused-on research, development and innovation outcomes.
Zone 1 is an entry experience, where visitors can enjoy a welcome drink that prepares the palate for the three hours ahead. In the second zone, The Academy, attendees are offered a chance to learn about the story of Indian craft spirits.
Here, visitors get to breathe the ‘Grain To Glass’ philosophy by discovering the essential ingredients that shape spirits, and the intricate complexities of the processes and distilling equipment.
The Walkthrough serves as a window into the soul of craft. It has several exciting pitstops along the way, each step bringing the visitor closer to understanding the micro-processes that shape each bottle of spirit, from liquid to label.
There is also a sneak peek into Diageo India’s R&D spaces, such as the separation lab, the incubation lab, and the molecular lab – it’s all about feeling, hearing, smelling, tasting and watching true craft spirits come to life.
Tasting room
Step into The Fermentary, a space that brings out the alchemist in you. Something new is fermenting every month: orange and pea vinegar, pickled vegetables and roots to lacto-ferments – each ferment can change the flavour of the spirit with just a drop!
At the end of the 3-hour tour, visitors also get to test their palates with infinite flavours at The Bar, a living library of flavoured libations. There are never-before-seen or released samples of the rarest of rums, whiskies and other aged, dark spirits housed in The Flavour Lab’s vault.
The mixologists here – it was Neil Alexander who made us some flavourful cocktails – will present visitors with three technique-driven cocktails that narrate the excellence of Indian ingredients and the best of home-grown flavours.
As visitors delve into the final saga in their evening of connoisseurship, they can even craft their own whiskey with calculated blends of micro-quantities of malt and grain distillates!
These guided tasting sessions, master classes, and other curated skill-based programmes take place every Saturday, starting at 4 pm. When are you headed there?
At The Bar, mixologists present visitors with three technique-driven cocktails that narrate the excellence of Indian ingredients and the best of home-grown flavours.
