English
For an IITian to leave behind a successful software venture in the US to return to India and take the plunge as an entrepreneur in the alcobev sector is unusual. Goa-based Desmond Nazareth, 56, chose to do just that. Desmond Nazareth is a craft distiller who is bringing sacred Adivasi cocktail “Mahua” to the liquor markets of Goa. Mahua is a sacred drink for adivasis, and one of the world’s best when distilled properly.
Mahua is a common tree in deciduous forests of India, quite prominent in states of Andhra Pardesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh., Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Mahua flowers are in dense fascicles near end of the branches having 1.5 cm long fleshy cream coloured corolla tube and are scented. The flowering period of Mahua is from the month of March to May. Mahua flowers are rich in sugar (68-72%), in addition to a number of minerals and one of the most important raw materials for alcohol fermentation.
The liquor produced from the flowers is largely colourless, with a whitish tinge and not very strong. The taste is reminiscent of sake with a distinctive smell of mahua flowers. It is inexpensive and the production is largely done in home stills.
Nazareth recalls, “My first mahua encounter dates back to 2001, Gujarat,”, adding that the intrigue and chase of obtaining a bent-out-of-shape, dirty plastic bottle full of cloudy mahua, that smelt of musky cooked rice, only supplemented its allure. In fact, it made it to the very top of his ‘to make’ list when he launched DesmondJi in 2011, but soon decided to shelve it until the time was right.
In 2013, Nazareth acquired his first batch of unhygienic-handled mahua flowers from Latur, Maharashtra and began kitchen-scale experiments.
Nazareth further says, “if France has Champagne and Mexico has Tequila, then why should India stop short at Darjeeling tea? Mahua too is just as deserving of GI (Geographical Indication) protection.”
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