Indian Hapusa gin wins gold at the International Wines & Spirits Competition 2021

The Himalayan dry gin from Nao Spirits, starring wild Juniper berries, is distilled in Goa

Hapusa, the Himalayan dry gin from Nao Spirits, recently bagged a gold medal at the International Wines & Spirits Competition (IWSC) 2021. In three years since its launch, Hapusa (the Sanskrit name for juniper) is found in over 15 countries. Anand Viramani, co-founder, CEO and distiller at Nao Spirits, is delighted. “This award puts the Indian craft spirits flag across the globe,” he says, adding that with over 250 judges drawn from around the world to evaluate thousands of wines and spirits across 1,500 different categories and renowned brands participating, the competition was intense. “This has come as a very welcome surprise! We have been swimming against the current right from the time we discovered Himalayan juniper, which required us to keep our heads down and keep plugging away, says Anand. “A Gold at the IWSC is an affirmation of our focus on quality. As its makers, we were always proud of Hapusa, now that as many as 250 experts have given their opinion on it, it makes us even more confident of the choice we made in picking Himalayan Juniper.”