Maka Zai – an Introduction.

Maka Zai is Konkani for ‘I want’, and “it represents what we at Stilldistilling Spirits want–for you to enjoy delicious, quality rum that’s worth your time and money.”, says founder Kasturi Banerjee.

In early 2020, she embarked on an endeavour to create what she calls “micro marvels”, “spirits that elevate your drinking experience”.

The first spirit that she chose to launch was rum, as she felt that was a category that was underserved for the Indian consumer.

The Rum

Maka Zai is a completely homegrown rum, that comes to fruition in Goa, where it’s blended and bottled. It comes in two editions, the Bartender Edition, a white rum, and the Tribute Edition, a Gold rum.

The Bartender edition is named so, as to “pay homage to the unsung passion and talent of bartenders who have enough stories for a lifetime”. It’s made from sugarcane grown around Maharashtra’s Panchganga river, with the fermentation and distillation of the rum taking place in the area where the sugarcane is grown. The rum picks up the influence of the red soil, making it “floral, sweet, spicy and herbaceous”.

The Gold rum, is a blend of aged molasses spirit and unaged molasses spirit. It’s a luscious rum, that is meant to be sipped, or in a rum Manhattan.

The Bottle

 Right from our glass bottles, labels, and caps – they are locally sourced and 100% Made in India. This also includes all the ingredients used to make our craft-rum.

Our Drink Well philosophy

This philosophy starts with the rum, runs through the signature drinks and also covers how they are served. Right from our ingredients that are locally sourced, to the flavor and bottling they believe that everything needs to be local, home-grown, and eco-friendly to help elevate the customer’s drinking experience, with a conscious mind.

Our Logo

The Olive Ridley turtle sits proudly on the label of both bottles, ready to take flight. One of Goa’s oldest inhabitants, it undertakes a long journey to select Goan beaches to lay it’s eggs before plunging back into the ocean. Maka Zai’s slogan #cheerstothechase also pays tribute to these wonderful creatures.

How to Drink it

 The Bartender’s Edition (White Rum) is best enjoyed with some Ginger Ale (and a squeeze of fresh lime) or a classic Cocktail like the Daiquiri.

The Tribute Edition (Gold Rum) is best enjoyed neat, with a cube of ice, or else in a classic cocktail like the Manhattan.

Pricing

INR 1000 for the Bartender Edition and INR 1300 for the Tribute Edition. In Goa.