The 2024 leg of the Gin Explorers Club Retroverse Edition kicked off with a resounding response, with renowned brands like Beefeater, Chambal, Hoegaarden Gin, Jaisalmer, KI NO BI, Malfy, Monkey 47, Roku, Sipsmith, Tanqueray, Greater Than x Broken Bat, Malhar, Hendrick’s, Bulldog & X-rated, Cobalto 19 X Hayman’s and many more being part of the biggest gin celebration that took place on January 20 and 21 at JIO World Garden, Mumbai.

With two editions of Gin Explorers Club under their belt, Shuchir Suri and Anjali Batra have come a long way since their first year with a small dream and just four brand participations. The frenzy surrounding the event was phenomenal. Similar to earlier iterations, this edition was already in high gear.

Gin Explorers Club Retroverse Edition

The delighted audience had a plethora of options from 15 homegrown and international brands that offered gin cocktails, captivating music acts, extraordinary experiences, and enchanting vibes. The numbers said it all.

Live Performance | Food | Activities

The Gin Explorers Club’s epoch-making event, which spread its influence from Delhi to Mumbai and Bengaluru, now holds the distinction of being the world’s largest gin festival.

Apart from gin indulgence, revellers enjoyed complimentary tasting sessions, on-ground workshops, and entertainment featuring live acts and DJ sets by Carly Foxx, Tech Panda x Kenzani, OG Shez, Sickflip, and more.

Of course, enjoying gin alone is not enough. Artisan pop-up food stalls were set up for the crowd to indulge in decadence, with Mumbai’s unique homegrown brands offering everything from street fashion to snacks.

TheGlitz caught up with the charismatic founders, Anjali Batra and Shuchir Suri, over a brief fireside chat.

Fireside Chat with Anjali & Shuchir

Rajeev: Hello Anjali and Shuchir. January happens to be our yearly reunion. It’s been a year since we last spoke. Time passes quickly.

Shuchir: … Indeed, time flies. How are you doing?

Rajeev: I’m pretty good. Congratulations to you both on hosting the Gin Explorers Club Retroverse Edition in Mumbai. I can’t imagine how that feels.

Shuchir: Exciting to be back, and even more so to be growing bigger.

Anjali: Mumbai as a city has a vibe, and we love bringing GEC here — and the city— and the love it brings us.

Rajeev: You guys are now old pros at this. How do you stay innovative and maintain the festival’s iconic atmosphere in the face of a rapidly expanding audience?

Shuchir: Well, it’s very simple for us: Gin is a muse, and the festival is a canvas. So we stay inspired by all the incredible innovations and new gins that are coming about, and the one thing we try and do every year is get bigger as the demand for the category keeps getting bigger.

Rajeev: Circling back, how new and different is this edition of GEC from the previous ones?

Anjali: Well, for one, our theme, Retroverse, is all about throwing it back in time, bringing nostalgia to when the gin world first started back in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, and taking it forward to the future and present of where we are today. The retroverse is the juxtaposition of these things, and we love creating that environment.

Beyond the theme, we have an exciting new array of gin brands popping up for the very first time this edition—Sipsmith, Ki No Bi, Malhar, Broken Bat, and Hendricks Flora Dora—so lots of new flavours for people to come explore.

Rajeev: The World’s largest Gin festival title signifies…

Anjali: We are the world’s largest by virtue of footfall; we have over 15000 consumers come in over 2 days to experience a celebration of Gin—that’s big. Bigger than we had ever imagined.

“World’s largest Gin festival, I’m still digesting this tagline. What started as an experiment back in 2018 has now become instrumental in causing the Gin-surgence for India.”

Anjali Batra, Founder, Gin Explorers Club

Rajeev: Talking about growth, phenomenal numbers in terms of reach, both social and foot has a bearing. Elaborate.

Shuchir: Absolutely. When we started GEC, it was an idea, but the growth has been phenomenal. We are now in a 3-city format and have had over 1,00,000 people come in and savour cocktails. We have 15+ grin brands at each edition now, and slowly we have transformed from a Gin festival to one that’s celebrating the lifestyle of Gin, with music acts, food, shopping, and so much more. It’s really become a community.

Rajeev: Here’s what an avid Glitz Reader wishes to know: Are Anjali and Shuchir planning a Rum Explorers Club (REC) and Vodka Explorers Club (VEC) similar to the Gin Explorers Club (GEC)?

Anjali: Well, what we said about Gin five years ago, we are seeing with a lot of other spirits now. Rum, tequila, and even homegrown malts are huge now. And it’s a very exciting space to be in, so you never know. Maybe we have some tricks up our sleeve already.

Rajeev: 3 gins you haven’t tried, and want to give a go

In unison: Far too many that we haven’t tried yet; the journey has just begun.

Sip, experience and explore your way into a retroverse when the clock strikes #GinOClock!

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