NAO Spirits, makers of Greater Than and Hapusa Indian craft gin brands, launched its second limited-release gin, ‘No Sleep’, in collaboration with Sleepy Owl Coffee. In stores already in Goa, Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune, this coffee-infused gin will arrive in New Delhi by the end of January 2022.
No Sleep brings together two of India’s increasingly popular beverages, gin and Coffee, as well as two innovative brands. Like Greater Than, India’s first craft gin, Sleepy Owl made its mark by innovating India’s first cold brew coffee.
The distillers at Greater Than chose not to use any sugar, coffee extracts or artificial flavours. Instead, they partnered with Sleepy Owl to make a smooth, cold brew using 100% Arabica Coffee from Chikmagalur, Karnataka, to infuse in their Gin distillate. The result is an intersection of the coffee’s bold, fruity aromas, with the crispness of the classic Greater Than Gin. The No Sleep gin is best enjoyed with tonic water and an orange wedge and it is also an ideal spirit for cocktails like the Negroni or the Espresso Martini among others.
The tasting notes have red cherries at first, followed by salted caramel on the palate and a delicately spiced finish with hints of pink peppercorn. Anand Virmani, Co-founder and Distiller at Greater Than said “Experimentation is key when it comes to being a craft distiller and we’re constantly doing just that. It is what separates us from the mass-produced spirits prevalent in the industry. The coffee-infused started off in 2017 as a delicious cocktail experiment by my co-distiller, Jay Dhawan. We’ve since served it at many bars, occasions and events. It was his idea to put the cold brew straight into the bottle and it is this we are so pleased to be able to bring out to the world and keep his legacy alive.”
“Innovation has been one of the pillars of Sleepy Owl Coffee, right since its inception. Whether it be the concept Cold Brew Coffee or Hot Brew Bags, we’re proud to be the first ones to introduce these to the Indian audience” said Arman Sood, Co-founder, Sleepy Owl Coffee. “When the idea for India’s first coffee-infused gin came about, it was a no-brainer. Chikmagalur produces some of the finest coffee in the world, and we’re so excited to share this with customers through an ingenious drink that goes beyond a cup of coffee.”
Nao Spirits is a homegrown spirit company, which is a brainchild of Anand Virmani, Aparajita Ninan and Abhinav Rajput. With a distillery in Goa that produces India’s first London Dry Gin, and the world’s first Himalayan Dry Gin, its gins can be found in 9 states in India (5 more are in the works), and 16 countries across the world.
The inception of Sleepy Owl can be traced back to Arman Sood, Ashwajeet Singh and Ajai Thandi. Today, the five year old brand’s portfolio includes Cold Brew Packs, Hot Brew Bags, Ready-To-Drink Cold Brew Bottles, Ground Coffee, Brew Box and a range of merchandise.
