“Indian Spirits can’t match up to global spirits”, this was the norm of most people in the early 2000’s where India was only known to be a mass producer of dark spirits and Indian spirits were considered substandard; Until India started producing spirits that not only matched up to the global spirits but also outshined them. As India emerges as the 5th largest economy in the world, the Indian spirits industry too, does not lag behind, producing premium spirits that are at par with global standards and equally appreciated, making homegrown spirits the more sought after choices among the Indian audience.
One such new-age Indian spirit brand to have quickly climbed up the ladder is Short Story. In 2022, Third Eye Distillery, the parent company that is also the maker of the globally acclaimed Stranger & Sons Gin, decided to expand its portfolio of spirits and they launched Short Story – a portfolio comprising three white spirits – Grain Vodka, White Rum and Dry Gin.
Third Eye Distillery was set up with the overarching idea of placing quality spirits from India on the global map and elevating the cocktail culture in the country. They identified that there was a gap in the market when it came to a reliable, top-quality range of homegrown spirits; with Short Story they aimed to fill this gap and create a benchmark for approachable quality spirits from India which are accessible.
Within just a little over a year of its launch, Short Story has managed to create waves not just across India but also on the global platform as its spirits have managed to bag some of the most prestigious awards alongside the top spirits of the world.
Adding yet another milestone accolade to their name, Short Story Dry Gin has bagged a Gold Medal and has also been declared as the ‘Country Winner’ for being the best London Dry Gin from India, at the World Gin Awards 2024 organized The World Drinks Awards – the global awards selecting the very best in all internationally recognised styles of drink and presented by TheDrinksReport.com.
A classic London Dry Gin with a solid juniper backbone and pronounced notes of grapefruit, cubeb berries and lemon peel…. What more? As the makers say, the spirit will tell you! Short Story Dry Gin is one that is made on singular belief – made the way it should be made! The brand’s ethos is that it steers away from giving too much information on the making and ingredients and lets the spirit speak for itself.
“Earlier, there was a prevailing notion that premium liquor equated to imported spirits. Our goal was to shift that perception and create a homegrown spirit that not only resonated with Indians but also instilled a sense of pride in consumption. It is immensely gratifying to see our spirits being appreciated globally and equally reassuring that we are on the right path towards our goal to take Indian spirits worldwide!” said Pankaj Balachandran – Brand Director, Short Story. Speaking further about the spirit he also added “Post the pandemic we noticed that the Indian consumer is no longer just looking for a quick, cheap drink. They’re seeking out newness as well as quality. Much buzz and hype had been generated about the ingredients and the technique that goes into the creation of some of our homegrown brands, but we wanted to keep things simple and let the spirits speak for themselves to consumers. Hence the name, Short Story!”
The brand has already got over 15 international awards in its name! Last year, Short Story’s spirits managed to bag multiple international awards in just their first year. DBSB, awarded Short Story White Rum a Gold medal in their Summer Tasting 2023 in the UK, all the 3 spirits – Grain Vodka, Dry Gin and White Rum, won a Gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and at the Asian Spirits Masters 2023 Short Story Grain Vodka was awarded the highest honor – Master Medal, only 10 master medals were awarded amongst spirits competitions from over 59 countries; the White Rum was awarded a Gold Medal at Asian Spirits Masters 2023. All 3 spirits of the Short Story portfolio also swept Gold Medals at the Singapore World Spirits Competition 2023.
Short Story is already available in 9 domestic markets like Maharashtra, Goa, Delhi, Karnataka, Haryana, Rajasthan and more along with travel retail presence at Mumbai Duty Free and will be expanding its presence to more domestic and international markets too in the coming months. Short Story is also available at most of the top bars in the cities that it is available in like The Bombay Canteen, Americano, Masque, Copitas, Hideaway, Sidecar, Klap, Izumi, PCO and more.