Restaurant India News: India’s First Craft Gin ‘Greater Than’ Expands to 17 Indian Cities and 12 Global Markets

India’s craft spirits story is still young, but few brands have shaped it as decisively as Nao Spirits & Beverages. The Goa-based distillery has now expanded the footprint of ‘Greater Than London Dry Gin’ India’s first craft London Dry Gin across 17 cities in the country and 12 international markets, including the United Kingdom, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Thailand, underscoring its steady global ascent.

When Greater Than debuted in 2017, the idea of an Indian craft gin was still unfamiliar. Rather than leaning into novelty, the brand focused on fundamentals: a clean, juniper-forward profile designed for versatility and balance. Crafted with botanicals such as coriander seed, fennel, lemongrass and ginger, it was built to perform as confidently in a classic G&T as in a contemporary cocktail programme earning the trust of bartenders and consumers alike.

Crucially, Greater Than has not remained static. Its core recipe has served as a springboard for innovation. Juniper Bomb emerged from an experimental batch and has since secured a permanent place in the portfolio. No Sleep introduced India’s first coffee-infused gin, while Broken Bat explored ageing with toasted Kashmir willow cricket bats an unmistakable nod to Indian identity. In 2024, Punk Gin added a fruit-forward dimension, crafted with strawberries sourced from Mahabaleshwar.

Founded in 2016 by Anand Virmani and Aparajita Ninan, later joined by Vaibhav Singh and Abhinav Rajput, Nao Spirits set out to create spirits that were distinctly Indian yet globally competitive. Alongside Greater Than, the company also produces Hapusa, positioned as the world’s first Himalayan Dry Gin. With a distillery in Goa and a presence spanning more than 24 countries, Nao Spirits continues to redefine how Indian craft can be perceived.

“When we launched Greater Than in 2017, it came from a gap we noticed: there was no Indian craft gin that bartenders could work with. Today, seeing it across markets in India and internationally shows how far Indian gin has come, whether that’s in a neighbourhood bar in Goa, a cocktail bar in Singapore, army canteens across India, or on a backbar in the United Kingdom,” says Anand Virmani, Co-founder, Nao Spirits.