The launch of award-winning Indian single malt Longitude 77 in Kolkata highlights the accelerating premiumisation trend within India’s alcoholic beverages market. Introduced by Pernod Ricard India at an exclusive event at ITC Sonar, the move reflects growing confidence in eastern India’s appetite for high-end spirits. Longitude 77 enters the market with strong global validation, having secured Gold medals at the London Spirits Competition, The Global Spirit Masters by The Spirits Business and Monde Selection, along with a Bronze at The International Wine & Spirits Competition. Such accolades strengthen brand equity and pricing power in a segment where consumers increasingly equate international recognition with value.
Crafted by master whisky makers associated with global brands such as Chivas, Glenlivet and Jameson, the single malt leverages over 200 years of whisky-making heritage while remaining rooted in domestic production. Whisky critic Jim Murray has underlined the product’s balance and complexity, pointing to maturation in the Nashik foothills as a differentiator and a marker of India’s growing credibility in the global whisky economy.
Master Blender Mahesh Patil noted that locally sourced ingredients and a double maturation process in American bourbon barrels and wine casks, followed by ageing in Dindori, Nashik, create the whisky’s smooth, full-bodied profile with notes of caramel, vanilla and peat smoke. Named after the 77° East longitude, the brand is positioned as a premium domestic alternative to imported malts. Its availability across multiple Indian states, including West Bengal, and in Dubai and select duty-free outlets underscores Pernod Ricard India’s strategy to capitalise on rising disposable incomes and shifting consumer preferences toward premium, locally crafted spirits.
