- Name: Mugdha Gupta
- Instagram: @snugglethemuggle, @tgccindia
- Favourite Drink: Whiskey highball. On days off, whiskey with a clean block of ice
- Favourite Non-Alcoholic Drink: Kombucha
Mugdha Gupta, the Senior Manager – Innovations at DIAGEO India’s The Good Craft Co, explains how the power of community and collaboration can inspire innovation. By creating a living, evolving ecosystem through direct consumer education experientials, The Good Craft Co aims at bringing everyone together in the Indian craft community.
Noticing a shift in consumers who didn’t just want a drink, but they wanted to know where their drinks are from, what flavour profiles are incorporated into it, how is the journey from grain to glass, who is making it and what’s the story behind it – The Flavour Lab was born in September 2024. Through workshops conducted by industry veterans, master classes in craft making and pop-ups, the flavour lab provides an immersive, educational and sensorial journey in the world of craft spirits.
Mugdha also emphasizes how they’ve embraced seasoned veteran Vikram Damodaran’s (DIAGEO India’s Chief Innovation Officer) philosophy by keeping innovation at the heart of everything they do and constantly working towards putting Indian craft spirits on the global map. Whether it’s launching the Flavour Lab, curating weekly immersive walk-throughs and pop-ups — all these carefully created experiences speak to Damodaran’s commitment to building awareness around Indian craft spirits and community.
Spotlight on Indigenous Spirits
One of the most interesting elements that has captured the essence of The Good Craft Co’s collaborative and community-driven efforts is its spotlight on local Indian indigenous spirits. By hosting masterclasses in the craft of making indigenous spirits, DIAGEO India aims to highlight the rich diversity, cultural relevance and history of indigenous spirits — be it Feni, Mahua, Toddy or Kesar Kasturi.
“Our mission at The Good Craft Co is turning the potential of Indian indigenous spirits into presence through education, innovation and collaboration,” states Mugdha, “We are creating a platform that helps these spirits evolve from niche to necessary, supported by storytelling, higher cocktail design, and a deep respect for where they come from.”
She believes that Indian craft spirits will take centre stage this year, not just in our country, but also on a global scale. “There’s clearly an appetite for genuine, authentic origin-driven spirits,” she forecasts.
Looking to the future
Besides embracing our Indian roots with open arms, what does the future of Indian craft spirits and fermentation hold? “Bars are not spaces that just serve drinks, but where people can tell stories, be creative, new ideas are born and culture is shaped,” says Mugdha. Urging bartenders, bar owners, storytellers and brands to indulge in The Good Craft Co’s Flavour Lab, workshops, pop-ups and masterclasses, Mugdha ends the conversation with a final message — “We do want you to be at the heart of it, whether it’s co-creating with us, whether [it’s] just coming to listen to us sharing your knowledge, this place is as much going to be yours as a community than it ever is going to be ours.”
– Written by Nemisha Sharma
