Founded by Sahil Adwalpalkar, Goa is all set to receive its homegrown gin brand
Satiwa, the latest home-grown hemp craft gin distilled in Goa is all set to hit the markets. It is a fun new twist on the mundane gin; inspired by the vibrant, chill and bold hippie culture. Its divine aroma beautifully complements its distinct earthy flavour which makes it a perfect round-the-clock elixir to suit any occasion or mood.
Crafted with 100% pure organic hemp along with carefully selected botanicals, Satiwa is distilled artfully to evoke the ever blissful sensation of being ‘happy high’. The botanicals include juniper, hemp seeds, coriander, orange, cardamon, fennel, cinnamon, black pepper, rose, lemongrass and angelica roots, sourced from a selected list of farms from across India.
Cannabis sativa or hemp plant is a cultivation of the marijuana strain, and is long believed to have medicinal benefits. It is finding some favour in India through products like protein powder, flour, and clothing. In India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) classifies hemp seed, hemp seed oil, and hemp seed flour as food.
Satiwa is founded by Goan entrepreneur Sahil Adwalpalkar with an aim to bring a hemp-based gin to the Indian market, create awareness about the multiple benefits of hemp and reduce the stigma around it. With a background in running Goa’s leading hospitality and nightlife brands for almost a decade, it was a smooth transition when he decided to get into the alco-bev industry with Satiwa. “The company was eager to get into the alco-bev sector, but we were waiting for the right product. We came up with the idea of launching a hemp based gin, which the market doesn’t have much of now. We took about 6-8 months to develop the product. It was a fun experience to create a product after numerous tasting sessions. The rest was left to the master brewer to come up with the perfect taste that we had in mind,” says Sahil. 
Having worked in the nightlife industry for long, it helped Sahil in identifying the audience and understanding the likings of the crowd. “The alco-bev industry has always fascinated me with different local gins and other products getting accepted, I thought it would be the right time to enter the market,” he says.
“We wanted to have that one unique ingredient in our gin and decided on hemp. It is still an unfamiliar ingredient to many and it does add a spicy, nutty flavour to the gin,” says Rohan Barbosa, Mixologist and Brand Ambassador for Satiwa.
The company sources organic hemp from Uttarakhand. The other ingredients – coriander seeds, black pepper, rose petals, orange peels, Angelica root, cardamom and cinnamon – come from across India.
Satiwa is created at Naveen Distilleries in Margao, having teamed up with a Russian distiller to fine tune the recipe. The process took three months and involved as many as eight iterations! Barbosa and Sahil worked closely to finalise the recipe; with the former currently curating a list of cocktails for the launch. He recommends drinking it with rosemary, grapefruit, or a slice of orange. “It works well with plain soda or regular tonic. It doesn’t need much to enhance it,” Sahil adds. 
The gin comes in a bottle decorated with colourful leaves, with the marijuana plant prominently displayed. When it comes to the tasting notes, the gin itself is light, fruity and floral on the nose, with a faint sweetness that gets mellowed with the addition of water.
It will be launched by end of June and will be available at Goa’s top bars and stores. “As part of this, we will also launch Satiwa lounges at restaurants, bars, pubs and nightclubs across the state, like SinQ Nightclub, Soro, Soho, Sake and more. Slowly we will look at launching in different cities in India, too. Satiwa is India’s finest hemp based Gin. The market doesn’t have many hemp-based Gins, so it gives us a edge and a unique factor. The botanicals have really blended well to make a nice tasting gin which the audience will really enjoy,” concludes Sahil.”
