Maharaja Drinks, the Indian drinks retailer renowned for introducing craft Indian beverages to the UK, has announced the launch of its new Indian Heritage Spirits category. The launch features three Feni expressions and a Mahua spirit—each making its UK debut. Both Feni and Mahua are indigenous Indian spirits, with centuries of distilling heritage rooted in the country.
The heritage drinks launch includes:
- Cashew Feni and Coconut Feni from Goenchi Feni
- OURO De Goa, a spiced Feni from Goa Heritage Distillery
- Desmondji Mahua Spirit from DesmondJi (producer of Indian agave spirit, Ayam)
“India is home to an extraordinary range of heritage spirits, each rooted in centuries of craftsmanship and storytelling,” said Maharaja Drinks CEO Annabel Jamieson.
“Today, there’s a growing appetite among consumers and bartenders to explore these authentic native flavours. That’s why the time feels right to introduce four exceptional expressions to the UK for the first time. Feni remains a rare and distinctive presence here, and Mahua is an exciting new discovery, a vibrant, characterful spirit just beginning to make its mark”
Goenchi Feni, a sustainable, family run brand from Goa, was founded by entrepreneurial siblings Yash and Tulika Sawardekar. Their Coconut Feni and Cashew Feni are double-distilled in small batches using traditional 100% copper pot stills, following a closely guarded family recipe that uses a single natural ingredient: either cashew apple or coconut palm sap.
Goa Heritage Distillery, a third-generation family business run by Ashok Malkarnekar, is located on a biodiverse farm in Goa, rich with ginger, turmeric, tulsi, cardamom, cashew, and coconut trees. The distillery produces OURO De Goa, a premium spiced cashew Feni ideal for the festive season. Sun-ripened cashew fruits are carefully selected for quality, with seeds removed before the apples are crushed to extract the juice. The juice undergoes natural wild fermentation with ambient yeasts, giving the spirit its distinctive aroma. Each batch is hand distilled in traditional copper pot stills and matured for at least six months before bottling.
DesmondJi Mahua is a tribute to India’s heartland. Rooted in centuries of tribal lore and tradition, the Mahua tree is sacred to India’s original tribes and is often referred to as the “tree of life.” Produced at India’s only agave distillery in Andhra Pradesh, this once banned spirit is crafted by collecting the naturally sweet flowers of the Mahua tree, then drying, fermenting, and distilling them in artisanal pot stills.
This new chapter for Maharaja Drinks coincides with the expansion of its Exotica range, adding India’s first homegrown vermouth, Davana Vermouth, with two expressions, Davana Rosso—a red vermouth with enticing aromas of wormwood and rich red berries—and Davana Blanco, a carefully crafted vermouth made with 21 botanicals.
Alongside this is Ouro, India’s first homegrown liqueur, made with a carefully curated blend of 36 indigenous ingredients, including florals, spices, botanicals and fruits.
All drinks are exclusive to Maharaja Drinks in the UK.