Starting with a PJ is never a great way to begin a piece but this is how I am beating AI. What do stationery shops and alco-bev companies have in common? No, not Hemingway making the daiquiri a staple; but Pervez Bapuna’s industrialist grandfather who began Bapuna Alcobrew out of Nagpur and subsequently Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. Staple… like the stapler? Okay, never mind.
Bad jokes aside, these are several unlikely words strung together in a sentence.
Think gin, and the association is Goa. Pervez, COO, has been attempting to break that perception by bringing us a gin from the daunting wilderness of MP. It is why the alco-bev company launched Chambal, an Indian dry gin from a region infamous for dacoity, back in 2023. The original gin, with heavy notes of spice including cardamom and cinnamon, seems to have shined through its amber bottle.
Building on the success, the company has decided to release the second in its Banjara Trail series, The Banjara Trail: Traveller’s Edition, Western Ghats, a limited-edition gin bottled at 42.8 per cent ABV. This one is pink, making it inherently more drinkable.
Unlike the original spiced version, the Banjara trail gin derives its name from the eponymous Indian nomadic tribe and the bounties of the Western Ghat. It is light with floral and fruity notes from orange, hibiscus, and kokum, say the executives. Upon nosing and taking the first sip, the kokum in the glass comes through. Top it off with ice and tonic and then see a hint of orange making itself known in the drink. Because it is light, this Chambal gin behaves with poise in a cocktail, showcasing its malleability, a seminal reason for its preference across genders, reveal Pervez and his wife Shireen Sheriar Bapuna who heads brand strategy for the brand.
Pervez Bapuna, COO, Bapuna Alcobev
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Special Arrangament
“The reason why we have moved to the Western Ghats in this edition is because my family has roots in Nagpur. My grandfather, who always had sharp business acumen, participated in various ventures including owning a stationery shop. After entering many other fields including the wine industry, he began bottling beverages. The second generation (his father and uncles) after him began contesting for tenders in Madhya Pradesh to establish bottling units. Subsequently, we opened our own brand too,” says Pervez speaking to The Hindu.
With Shireen by his side, the brand evidently moved toward focussing on the hyper-local. The names of their gin brand and their rum, Daku, seem to have done more work than other spirit brands could hope for. Pervez describes people sending pictures of Chambal and Daku sitting side by side at their home bars — the kind of pairing that causes conversations to start because of its part-outlaw, part-Bollywood influence.
Chambal gin has gone through over 40 rounds of iteration to get the perfect blend. “We wanted to create a product that is good — one that I would want to consume, and that I’d want people to consume,” Pervez says. “The name can only take you so far. At some point, you need a good, quality product. The names here capture attention but it is the spirit that will keep people,” he says.
India is a whisky market with a steady proliferation of gins in the space. Are people still keen on drinking Indian gin or was it once a fad? “I don’t think gin will cease to exist. Indians love to switch — but if they like the product, they come back to it,” Pervez says.
At Bapuna Alcobev
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Special Arrangement
The brand is looking to build though, hedging the risks. They are soon launching a premium vodka, whiskey and an entry-level beer, Shireen adds.
Pervez says that one of the most exciting parts of making interesting spirits has been the reactions they have elicited. “People send me pictures from duty-free shops, saying they have stocked our bottles. It brings me such joy,” he says.
Chambal gin’s The Banjara Trail: Traveller’s Edition is now available in Goa, Rajasthan, Gurgaon, Maharashtra, Bengaluru and Madhya Pradesh with a bottle ranging between ₹1,700 and ₹2,900 based on the location.
Published – September 18, 2026 04:12 pm IST
