Stilldistilling Spirits expands from the shores of Goa

Mumbai – September 4, 2021 (GPN) – Maka Zai, India’s first premium craft rum, is now available in Maharashtra across 70 retail outlets and the Living Liquidz app. Launched in January of this year, Maka Zai is a product of Stilldistilling Spirits – a small, homegrown, and independent company that serves up ‘micro-marvels’ of rum, that help elevate your drinking experience.

Maka Zai translates to ‘I Want’, in Konkani, and has both a White Rum – the Bartender’s Edition, and India’s first Gold Rum – the Tribute Edition. Both variants are made from locally sourced sugarcane from various parts of the country, blended on Indian soil and nourished by the sweet waters of Goa.

“Maka Zai was born out of my passion for spirits and my curiosity to experiment with different flavours. I decided to curate a collection of premium rums that would meet the needs of consumers in India who were looking for a new and fine-tasting rum,” said Kasturi Banerjee, Founder and Director of Stilldistilling Spirits. “We are so excited to launch our product in Mumbai, a city that is close to my heart and hope to spread our Drink Well philosophy, through our made-in-India rum,” she added.

Each edition of Maka Zai has unique characteristics, right from the process to the flavour profiles:

• Bartender’s Edition: A homage to the often unsung efforts and talents of bartenders, this edition is a crystal-clear, medium-bodied white rum with creamy and elegant aromas. The floral, sweet, spicy and herbaceous nature of the rum gives it a unique tropical note. This arises from the sugarcane grown in the rich, red soil around the Panchaganga river in Maharashtra that is used to make the rum.
• Tribute Edition: The high-quality, two and a half years old matured gold rum has a silky character that gives one the feeling of a late, sunny afternoon. The spirit is aged in oak barrels in Punjab and blended on the shores of Goa. It makes for a perfect sipping rum with hints of praline, dry dates, figs, caramel, cinnamon and honey along with a well-rounded vanilla accent.

Through the brand’s philosophy, ‘Drink Well’, Maka Zai strives to elevate consumers’ drinking experience, by providing a high-quality craft rum. Stilldistilling Spirits is proud to be a sustainable, home-grown, ‘Make in India’ company. Right from the raw materials sourced to the significance of Maka Zai’s logo featuring the native Olive Ridley turtle, everything is a tribute to the country.

The brand’s tagline is Cheers To The Chase. Life is not a race, as cliché as it sounds. But, everyone has something they are chasing – that is personal to you. So, as you undertake that journey, we hope you celebrate both the big and small moments with a new age rum that represents your chase.

Images: https://we.tl/t-0JUVdvONH8

Management Profile:

Kasturi Banerjee, Founder & Director, Stilldistilling Spirits–

What started out as an internship, born out
of passion, has now led to a new career path
for Kasturi Banerjee. With a keen interest in
wine and spirits, she pursued a bartending
course in 2019 to better understand the art
of mixology. Through this experience and
her genuine curiosity, Kasturi started to
understand the history of the alco-bev
industry in India. She then started to
experiment with blends, do more research
to further understand the emerging trends
in the sector, changing consumer
preferences, etc. This led to identifying a
market opportunity in the premium rum
category.
Post several certifications and trainings over
2 years, and a niche segment carved out for
herself, Kasturi started her entrepreneurial
journey. With a vision to elevate drinking
experiences, she set up Stilldistilling Spiritsin
2020, a homegrown manufacturing and
blending company that produces Maka Zai –
a premium craft rum out of Goa. Maka Zai
has two variants – White & Gold, and is available across 140+ retail stores and 40+ bars,
restaurants and five star hotels in Goa.
Previously known as a banker, Kasturi worked in the financial services industry for over 16
years across various departments, in India and Singapore. Known to be gregarious you can
find Kasturi out and about meeting new people or trying out new blends and mixes in her
downtime.
Certifications & Tastings
• Certified Bartender from NSDC (National Skills Development Corporation)
• Certified WSET Level2 in wines, with merit
• Certified Whisky Ambassador with merit, UK’s BIIAB accredited
• Conducted Whisky Tasting sessions with Islay and Indian Single Malts
• Conducted sessions on production and distillation of spirits at the Bar Chefs Table,
S3, Kolkata
• Participated as a Mixologist in the Flair & Mixology Competition by Drinq Barmen
Academy

About Stilldistilling Spirits

Stilldistilling Spirits is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Established in 2020, the company launched its first product, a premium rum brand, Maka Zai in January 2021. The two editions of Maka Zai, the white and gold rum are currently available in Goa and Maharashtra. Stilldistilling Spirits is a pioneer in the Indian spirits industry with a first of its kind premium, craft rum brand in the country.