FIRST JOURNEYS - A RACE AROUND THE WORLD 2020 - PIN 09 of 23
HAPUSA GIN, Goa, India
AROUND THE WORLD, ONE BOTTLE AT A TIME.
PHILEAS FOGG WOULD SURELY APPROVE
Day 5... stop 2
The next local gin has absolutely knocked my socks off..... that’s if I was actually wearing any! Of course, my toes are curled up in the warm beach sand (I wish!!) so no need for shoes here!
Hapusa is the Sanskrit name for juniper, and this gin is distilled with Himalayan juniper and botanicals sourced from all around India, making it uniquely Indian. Two of the key botanicals are turmeric and mango, but with botanicals from pine forests and spice farms too, this is a bold, earthy gin with a delicately smoky flavour.
Although perfect as a sipping gin and brilliant in cocktails such as a Negroni, I’m not doing anything fancy with this one. Honestly, I’ve not had a gin this good pass my lips in a long time, so I’ve served it as a very dry Martini — I literally kissed the glass with the vermouth bottle and rubbed lemon rind over the top.
It needs nothing more than that. It’s everything they say it is and more.
Nao Spirits make both Greater Than and Hapusa. Whilst Greater Than pays tribute to the history of gin and is a classic, juniper-forward gin, Hapusa is all about India — the country and the people — and it screams premium and class.
Great care has gone into the creation of both brands. They came from the realisation that, at the time, despite there being plenty of Indian-themed gins around the world, there were very few actually being produced in India.
I really don’t think you can have one without the other in your collection. I highly recommend getting both — not just because they are excellent gins, but because of what they stand for.
For me, knowing how and why a gin came about is hugely important. It gives me a connection and understanding about what I’m tasting, and there is clear passion in these bottles, along with an appreciation and pride in what they stand for.
Now, I’m heading off to the next stop on my whirlwind virtual gin tour — join me tomorrow and see where I land!
"Beach Martini"
Atlas note:
Nao Spirits was acquired by Diageo India in 2025.
"Show me a bottle
and I'll tell you a story."