Delhi New: Local Alcoholic Beverages

Vodka distilled from Himalayan basmati rice rather than grain or potato, made by the NV Group at Rajpura in Punjab. It goes through five-step distillation with charcoal filtration, and the rice base gives a nutty note. An aniseed variant sits alongside the classic. The brand launched in the United States in 2020.

Craft beer brand that reached Delhi in the late 2010s, originally brewed in Bhutan. The first release was an amber ale with caramel and toffee notes and a citrus finish, unusual among Indian wheat beers. The range has since added a turmeric and ginger wheat beer and a saffron lager. Sold on tap and in bottles.

Indian single malt from Peak Spirits, produced with Piccadily Distillery near Kurukshetra in Haryana and named after Mount Kamet in Uttarakhand. It is double-distilled from six-row Himalayan barley and matured in a mix of ex-bourbon, ex-French wine and sherry casks. Blended by Surrinder Kumar and Nancy Fraley.

Grain-to-glass Indian gin distilled at Behror in Rajasthan by the Swarup family, using a rice base spirit from a neighbouring family distillery. Eleven botanicals go in, including tulsi, lavender, fennel, rose and almond, giving a green and floral profile. The name refers to the marshy belt below the Himalayan foothills.