A new brand of gin is melding the Irish and Kerala roots of the couple who created it, while celebrating the ‘rebellious’ spirit of two places. Robert and Bhagya Barrett, the couple behind Rebel City Distillery in Cork, Ireland, launched their first product – Maharani – in June, an ode to their hometowns.
From the sourcing of the aromatics used to distil the gin to the location of the distillery, the name and design of the bottle, each part of Maharani holds a connection to the couple and their shared, and individual, backgrounds. Robert, a biochemist from Cork whose expertise lies in craft distilling, and Bhagya, an IT professional from Kollam, have been working towards setting up Rebel City for about two years.
“We wanted the product to be a reflection of both our cultural elements,” Bhagya told TNM.
They decided to start with gin as they would be able to get the product to the market much faster, as opposed to a spirit like whiskey, which requires a longer ageing period. Maharani is now distilled, bottled and handcrafted in an old heritage site in the southwestern Irish city, Bhagya said.
The ‘rebel’ theme holds meaning for both Bhagya and Robert, she said. The history of Cork – known as the ‘rebel city’ – is steeped in the Irish war of independence, including the Burning of Cork, in which the city was looted and set ablaze by British forces in 1920. For Kerala as well, that idea of rebellion comes from “figures of female empowerment” and the women who help make the gin.
To create the gin, Rebel City uses botanicals, such as pomelo fruit, cassia and nutmeg mace, sourced from a women’s organic farming co-operative in Wayanad called Vanamoolika. The couple travelled to the cooperative last year and decided to partner with them for the ingredients to make Maharani. For Robert and Bhagya, that connection to Kerala, as well as celebrating the ‘rebellious’ spirit of women, was of great importance.
“Women coming together, trying to make a living for themselves, I think that’s very rebellious,” Bhagya said, adding, “I love celebrating strong women. Our whole brand’s story revolves around it.”
The design of the bottle, which took around 18 months to conceptualise, also continues that same idea. The sword on the label is a depiction of the legend of Nangeli, an early 19th century woman in Kerala who cut off her breasts to protest the state’s breast tax. Below the symbol are the words “Viplava spirit” (revolutionary spirit) written in Malayalam, and on the back of the bottle is another message to drinkers: “A tribute to Keralan women, known for their strength and importance in society, Maharani symbolises revolutionary Keralan rebel spirits and figures of female empowerment.”
“Drinks are not just drinks. You need to know the roots, you need to know the source. So having a foreign language (on the label) generates curiosity,” Bhagya said.
Maharani’s first batch of bottles is almost complete, and the distillery is getting ready to start on their next batch. The gin is available across Europe as well as online in Canada and Australia. While Rebel City has received widespread coverage in India recently for Maharani’s connection to Kerala, it will still be a while before it will be available in the country.
“The Indian market is very complicated,” Bhagya said. “Right now, we’re handcrafted. And that takes a lot of time. If we want to get into India and keep it affordable, we need to work on a way we can generate more products at one time.”