The start of the school year has a lot of festivals in India, therefore many days off.  This year, one such date coincided with a Monday, so we had a three-day weekend.  My friend Lynn and I headed to Goa, focusing on the northern capital city of Panjim.

The history of Goa is fascinating, having received independence from Portugal only in 1961 and joining as an Indian state in 1987.  Therefore, Portuguese influence is very strong in this state, a lovely blend of the two cultures.  In the Latin Quarter of Panjim (also known as Panaji), it is the architecture that is most obvious.  The colorful houses were initially inhabited by workmen (with the nobles and other rich people living up on the hill) who built the ships used in Portuguese trade among other industries.  The houses used to be white but since the Reformation felt that only churches should be white, residents were forced to paint their houses colors.  Since the houses were joined together, different colors indicate different families.  As one tour guide told us, ‘this means we hear everything happening in our neighbor’s houses, while there is no privacy,  there is a lot of entertainment!’

Portuguese pottery is big here, with the dyes and clay being imported from Portugal to ensure authentic colors, while the molding and painting is done locally.  Naming homes is a very popular thing to do.

We arrived Friday evening and headed to our hotel, Panjim Inn, located in the heart of the Latin Quarter.  This wonderful hotel is decorated with antiques and as you can see, the decor in my room helped me feel history – especially the old, hard mattress!

Saturday morning was a quiet morning where we walked around the old town getting our bearings.  The streets, crowded with tourists taking selfies in front of the colorful homes, didn’t distract from the ambiance.  We made it to the Church of the Immaculate Conception only to be told it was closed for renovation (we later learned western tourists can enter from the side, but it was too late, and when Lynn tried another day it was closed for lunch…oh well, another reason to return!).

I know many people might be bothered by all the sleeping on the streets of India, but I personally love how anyone can take a nap when they need it. I wish I could nap like that!

Lunch was at Fisherman’s Wharf, a chain with excellent sea food (which Goa is known for).  I had the traditional crab dish with garlic and butter.  You knew it was fresh since they brought out the poor creature for me to approve.  Needless to say, the food (and service) was exceptional.

The big tour of the day was a trip to the artisanal distillery that creates my favorite rum (Nomad) and gin (Doja).  Last American Thanksgiving Lynn and I went to a rum tasting where we were introduced to this delicious rum.  Here I learned that good gin (details to follow) is delicious.  The ride was an hour away which afforded some nice views.  The ride back was pouring rain…nice that the only big rain this weekend was when we were in a car!

As many of you know, gin was the solution to malaria as it could be drunk with tonic (quinine).  The creation of gin occurred in Britain when King William the Orange banned imported brandy (the favored alcohol back then) due to war with France.  

Doja gin is a made with a blend of Indian and Japanese botanicals.  There are two ways to make gin: adding botanicals to the liquid or the vapor.  Doja is made the Japanese way, with the flavor added to the vapor.   All the alcohol is made in this small distillery, which can produce around 300 bottles a day.  The cone shape on top is to allow the liquid to return to the steamer, while the metal tube brings the vapor for infusion.  The process for both the gin and the rum takes about 5-6 hours.

Like fine wine, we were introduced to the initial aroma (lemony) and then after swirling the cedar smell dominates.  Adding ice or water allowed the third botanical to be smelled (peppermint, which smelled a bit like lavender).  The botanicals in Dojo Gin are shown below and are imported or local.   To quote one of their promotional posters, “each sip honors a legacy of two cultures, embracing tradition and modernity in equal fashion”.  From Japan we have Yuzu lemon, juniper, sansho pepper, cedar lead and Hinoki chips.  From India fennel, peppermint, coriander and cardamom.

The most prominent botanical is juniper.  The berries are picked after 18 months of growing and then dried.  The second prominent is coriander.  Then comes Yuzu lemons and green cardamom (the most expensive spice in the world by weight).  The woodchips come from the Japanese Hinoki Cyprus tree, which is a high-quality wood used for temples and palaces in Japan.  The peppermint, which originated in Greece, comes next.  The sansho pepper, is native to Japan and Korea, with the female berries turning into the peppercorns which are used.  Dried Hinoki leaves are also used.

To be honest, until I tasted this gin, I didn’t like gin.  Now I understand that fine gin is to be drunk like wine, fine rum or whiskey (on it own) and tastes delicious.   They also produce ‘traditional’ gin called Portal, which is better for making cocktails.

The Nomad rum is a blend of aged rum, Japanese Hinoki and finished in Jamaican Oak barrels.

Our host is the company’s chemist as the master distiller Victor de  Benito is on home leave in Spain.  We learned that Shaji used to work for pharmaceuticals but his passion for fine drinks brought him here.  Lynn, a lover of whiskey, was pleased to learn that he has created the formula for a Scotch style whiskey and is waiting for approval for production to begin.

Dinner was at a restaurant called Outpost. As expected, the service and food – as well as the decor – was wonderful. Unfortunately I forgot to ask about the spice level of my dish…of course the shrimp was WAY to spicy and I couldn’t eat it. The parmesan truffle fries made up for it, as did the cocktail and mousse for dessert. The walk back to the hotel showed that the houses were equally lovely at night.