Vanaha Gin by Vaniitha Jaiin Features The Forest's Bounty In A Glass

In an increasingly crowded craft gin landscape, Vanaha invites you deeper into the woods. Created by Revelry Spirits and helmed by Vaniitha Jaiin, Founder at The Perfect Pour and Founder & Chief Evangelist of Revelry Distillery, this forest-born gin draws on the rich biodiversity of India, blending Deodar wood, Palash flowers, Assam lemons, and pine tips into a nuanced, terroir-driven spirit. As Vanaha makes its mark from Goa to the global stage, Jaiin sits down with ELLE Gourmet to talk rituals, innovation, and how this botanical spirit is reshaping the narrative of Indian gin.

ELLE Gourmet: Vanaha has been described as a “sipping gin” with a forest-born elegance. What inspired blending heritage botanicals like deodar wood and palash flowers?

Vaniitha Jaiin: We set out to capture the very essence of the forest - mystery, depth, soul. Deodar wood brings a warm, grounding cedar-like depth, while palash blooms add a subtle floral whisper - together, they evoke a walk through the canopy after a monsoon rain. Each of our 24 botanicals - from Assam lemons to pine tips and patchouli - is meticulously selected to tell a piece of the natural world’s biodiversity story.

ELLE Gourmet: Revelry is pioneering copper pot, vapour infusion, and cold vacuum distillation. What creative and commercial advantages does that give you?

VJ: Using all three methods—traditional copper pot stills for structure, vapour infusion for aromatic layers, and cold vacuum for fragile botanicals like cacao nibs and patchouli - allows us to extract each botanical’s character precisely. Cold vacuum also helps preserve the fresh, delicate aromatic layers that might otherwise be lost in high-heat distillation, resulting in a gin that feels vibrant and alive. It results in a gin with remarkable clarity, depth and complexity, impossible to replicate at scale for most distillers. Commercially, it positions Vanaha as a premium, craft-tech spirit, catering both to the connoisseur and the export market.

ELLE Gourmet: How do you see Vanaha shaping the global conversation around gin from this part of the world?

VJ: Vanaha is our answer to terroir-driven craft gin. It’s 100% natural, artificial-flavour free, and proudly rooted in our forests and heritage. Our goal is to have this region stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the world’s finest craft gins. As we expand from Goa to other Indian states and international markets, Vanaha is rewriting the narrative - we’re not just buyers of global spirits anymore, we’re creators of globally respected ones.

ELLE Gourmet: What’s your go-to gin ritual?

VJ: I like a relaxed sundowner that flows into dinner—Vanaha over a single large ice cube, lightly stirred, garnished with a twist of kaffir lime leaf or orange peel. It’s a ritual that evolves with the evening, where the flavours open up and conversations flow. It’s simple, intentional, and social - just like how the gin itself was conceived.

ELLE Gourmet: On World Gin Day, you host your dream gin-tasting soirée. Which three guests—dead or alive, real or fictional—are you inviting to sip Vanaha, and why?

VJ: Frida Kahlo, for her fearless artistry and intimate connection with the natural world, her presence would honour the emotional depth in our botanicals.

Nisa Godrej, because she embodies conscious leadership and quiet sophistication, values that echo Vanaha’s core. Her perspective on sustainability and legacy would add an elegant layer to the conversation.

Anthony Bourdain, because he had that rare ability to taste a culture through its cuisine and tell its story. I imagine he would take a sip, pause, and just say, ‘This… this is something else, it's special.’