Is India neglecting its indigenous spirits? ft Aniruddha Mookerjee and Hansel Vaz

The Sandip Roy Show

While whiskey, wine, and gin have witnessed a kind of renaissance in India over the past few years, the same hasn't been true for indigenous liquors like Mahua, Feni, and rice beer. Although some of these liquors are now being recognized as 'heritage liquors'—with some even receiving GI tags—their growth has been relatively slow. To understand what’s preventing these traditional liquors from gaining broader acceptance, host Sandip Roy speaks with Aniruddha Mookerjee and Hansel Vaz.
Mookerjee, an expert in Mahua liquor, has spent over 20 years researching indigenous Indian alcohols. As an advisor for Heritage Liquor to the Government of Madhya Pradesh, he has helped shape the state’s heritage liquor policy, and established model distilleries with women’s self-help groups to produce India’s first commercial tribal Mahua brands, Mond and Mohulo.
Vaz, a geologist by training, is a self-taught “Feni polymath” and founded the internationally recognized brand Cazulo Premium Feni.
Produced by Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar