Stranger & Sons

“In a strange situation, no one is a stranger”

Introducing to Aotearoa New Zealand…

Stranger & Sons is an ode to contemporary India and its cultural diversity – the colours, the customs, the chaos, and the peaceful co-existence of it all. The ‘Stranger’ in their name is a nod to this wonderful Indian strangeness that is the invisible essence in the bottles. The ‘& Sons’ in the name is the common suffix of traditional Indian family-owned businesses that are inherited by each new generation. Stranger & Sons is a tribute to these inherited businesses and Indians’ entrepreneurial spirit. It was time to create a truly Indian gin for local and global audiences.

They chose inherently Indian botanicals that they believe represent their country’s diversity, to create a spirit that celebrates India’s agricultural history in a way no other spirit can.

An Inherently Indian Gin

A three-dimensional spirit distilled from nine botanicals. Owing to this unique makeup, Stranger & Sons gin highlights each botanical in the gin, revealing new layers on the nose and palate with each sip.

Picked from a quintessential Indian spice box but appropriated in a way that’s most strange and unexpected, to render a rounded spirit that makes a great bedfellow for Indian-spirited cocktails.

Tasting Notes

Heady on the nose:
As you take a sip of this inherently Indian gin, you’re greeted by a beautiful freshness from Indian citrus peels.

Mid-palate:
Black pepper, coriander and mace follow to give this gin a strong spiced middle.

Back palate:
Angelica root, cassia bark, liquorice and nutmeg make the finishing flourish warm and sweet.

“A brilliantly conceived and executed gin that heroes its predominantly Indian botanicals and origin without masking traditional juniper and angelica gin botanicals. Best summarised as being traditional London dry in style but with dialed up Indian spice and citrus notes.”

Difford’s Guide

The Spirits Business Asian Spirits Masters 2021
Master Medal

“Bold and delicious…The palate is wonderful – smooth and silky mouthfeel with no sharp edges or volatile alcohol”, said one of the judges, Bryan Rodriguez, wine, and spirits buyer for Harvey Nichols in London.

International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2020
Gold-Outstanding

One of the only 8 gins in the world to receive this award out of 800 brands that participated that year – and the first Indian gin.

Gin Masters Competition 2021
Gold Medal – Contemporary Category

The judges were enamoured with the gin’s aromas of “earthy juniper” and flavours of “dried citrus peel” and “bold, vibrant” character on the palate. It was agreed the expression would “stand up well mixed in a gin and tonic” and that it offered something “unique” to the gin world.

The Drinks Business Spring Tasting 2021
Gold Medal

Berlin International Spirits Competition 2020
Gold Medal

London Spirits Competition 2021
Silver Medal

Cocktails

The Strange Gibson

  • 50ml Stranger & Sons
  • 10ml Dry Vermouth
  • 15ml Pickled Onion Brine

Represented by the moon insignia on the bottle, Gibsons are savoury, layered and aromatic—perfectly enjoyed post-sunset.  

A variation of the Martini, a classic Gibson is made with gin, vermouth, brine and garnished with a pickled onion. They can be straight up, on the rocks, or in a highball.

A Gibson celebrates the Indian pickling heritage, a culinary custom passed down from ancestors that’s now being brought to the bar.

Curry Leaf Gimlet

  • 60ml Stranger & Sons
  • 20ml Curry Leaf Cordial
  • 7.5ml Citric Acid

Represented by the sun insignia on the bottle, Gimlets are fresh, light, and flavourful—making them ideal for daytime enjoyment. They can be straight up, on the rocks, or in a highball.

A classic Gimlet is a cocktail made with four parts gin, and one part lime cordial, but there’s always room for a Stranger & Sons twist…

Strange G&T

  • 45ml Stranger & Sons
  • 120ml Tonic Water
  • Slice of fresh ginger

The ubiquitous Gin & Tonic had its origins in India as a more palatable way for Victorian colonialists to down the bitter malaria-warding quinine. Exotic Indian botanicals are used for many international gins as a point of difference with this in mind.

Stranger & Sons took the G&T and turned it on its head with a strange flourish, a slice of ginger that adds flavour and freshness to a G&T unlike you have experienced (and to keep things strange, of course).

Peruwalla

  • 60ml Stranger & Sons
  • 20ml Lime Juice
  • 18ml Peru Saccharum (or sugar syrup)
  • Salt-Chilli-Sugar rim

Peruwalla is an Indian-inspired cocktail that opens a gateway to appreciating the cultural and agricultural diversity of India.

With it’s pleasantly spicy rim resulting in a lasting aftertaste, the flavours of this delightfully complex cocktail, take on a nostalgic quality, reminiscent of a street-side serving of salted fruits such as guava.

Managing Water Waste

Most distilleries use a constant flow of cold water, which is drained out. To reduce and preserve the amount used for the 16-hour distillation run, Stranger & Sons invested in a tank that recycles the water. With this chiller and tank, they are able to save 10,000 litres of water per run and the drained water is directed to their botanical garden.

Goa's Local Fruit Whisperers

For the citrus peels that perfume Stranger & Sons gin, women from a local self-help group visit the distillery on the day they make a new batch. Once the peels are utilised, the remains of the fruit are returned to the women, which they use to make pickles and cordials (for use in hero cocktails later on!) They are typically housewives keen on learning different vocations, which give them additional income and help them manage their homes better. They also help nurture the Stranger & Sons botanical garden — their traditional knowledge about farming spices helping them understand which botanical and fruits will flourish on the land.

““We like to compare our distilling process to an Indian musical Jugalbandhi where each ingredient is skilfully combined to create a three-dimensional gin with robust & generous flavours.”

Stranger & Son