Rahul Mehra is Shaping What India Drinks Next
The Third Eye Distillery co-founder is rewriting the rules of Indian spirits.
Rahul Mehra, the CEO & co-founder of Third Eye Distillery, builds brands with the kind of confidence that comes from knowing exactly what he’s doing.
As the co-founder of Third Eye Distillery and the force behind Stranger & Sons gin, Mehra's journey from culinary graduate to spirits innovator reveals a man perpetually fascinated with the alchemy of flavour. Beginning with Gateway Brewing Co., he later disrupted the mixer market with Svami before setting his sights on gin. Now, his latest launch, Otherside whiskey, is defying Scotch-leaning conventions.
"I've been trying to change the way people drink for quite some time now," Mehra reflects, discussing a career that's earned him spots on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list.
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What separates him from countless other entrepreneurs is his unwavering commitment to authenticity—rejecting the colonial hangover that has long defined Indian spirits. When launching Stranger & Sons in 2018, he didn't create another London Dry copycat but instead crafted something defiantly Indian, showcasing local botanicals and agricultural abundance.
The approach worked. By 2020, Stranger & Sons had claimed its place among the world's best gins at the International Wine & Spirit Competition. Now, with his latest creation—Otherside whiskey—Mehra is challenging perhaps the most entrenched spirits category of all. "For too long, Scots have set rules for whiskey," he states. "It's about time India starts writing its own story."
In an exclusive conversation with Esquire, Mehra discusses his journey, the story behind Otherside, and what’s next in the craft liquor scene in India.
Excerpts from a conversation.
Stranger & Sons put Indian gin on the map. What made you decide to enter an industry that’s already crowded with so many gin brands and is highly competitive?
Rahul Mehra: It is competitive, but I think it all comes down to storytelling. Storytelling is a word that gets thrown around a lot these days, but five or six years ago, it wasn’t really a part of the conversation when it came to Indian spirit brands. My partners and I were deeply involved in building spirits—working on the liquid from the ground up. Back then, there wasn’t a contemporary brand telling India’s story in the gin category. That’s what we wanted to change with Stranger & Sons.
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Has it been easy? Not particularly. But I’d say it has been relatively easier because we were clear about our vision from the start. We wanted to highlight Indian botanicals and our country’s agricultural abundance through our spirit. More importantly, we never saw Stranger & Sons as a brand meant only for India and Indians. From day one, we wanted to take it beyond—to Indians abroad and to a global audience that appreciates quality craft spirits. That clarity in brand-building helped shape our journey.
Have you always been passionate about the alcohol industry? How did your journey into this space begin?
Rahul Mehra: In a way, I’ve been trying to change the way people drink for quite some time. I’ve always enjoyed experimenting with liquids—tinkering with recipes and developing new flavours. It started with homebrewing, which led to the launch of Gateway Brewing Company. That’s where the habit really took root—working with different styles of beer, refining the craft, and understanding the nuances of brewing. From there, I got involved with Svami, which specialises in mixers. We thought, "Well, we need a gin to go with this," which led to Stranger & Sons.
The idea has always been to help people drink better. The bigger challenge has been changing habits—getting India to embrace better drinking experiences rather than just drinking more. That philosophy has guided us from the start, and now, with our upcoming whiskey, it’s another step in the same direction. Why has Indian blended whiskey always relied on Scotch? Why not build something entirely homegrown—aged, processed, and crafted here? That’s where Otherside comes in.
You built Stranger & Sons with global ambitions from the start. What’s been the toughest part of taking a homegrown brand international?
Rahul Mehra: The first challenge was making people believe India could produce world-class spirits. For decades, India was recognised for quantity over quality, and changing that perception was tough.
Back home, the hurdle was different—Indians weren’t used to paying a premium for homegrown liquor. They’d splurge on Hendrick’s or Monkey 47 but hesitate with Stranger & Sons. Overcoming both challenges came down to storytelling—shifting perceptions and proving why India deserves a place in premium spirits.
When pitching to bars like The Savoy at the Connaught, the first test was taste. But beyond that, it was about showcasing what made us different and why we belonged among the best. In India, it meant repositioning the brand—tapping into how people perceive status at a bar. Winning key awards, securing placements, and collaborating with brands like Four Pillars and Bombay Canteen also helped reinforce our story.
We’ve evolved as a country in how we drink—especially in the last few years. How do you think that evolution has happened? And how far do you think we still have to go?
Rahul Mehra: This shift isn’t just in spirits—it’s across industries. There was a time when Indian consumers once dismissed the idea of high-quality, local whiskey or rum. Everything was commercial and mainstream.
But today, premium products are being made in India across so many categories. In 2017–18, premium simply meant imported. Buying local wasn’t a consideration But now, that mindset has changed. We’ve played a small role in that shift, but I can’t take all the credit. Every entrepreneur in this space has helped prove world-class products can come from India—we just chose spirits as our vehicle.
That change is visible in how Indian consumers now perceive quality. Stranger & Sons is priced on par with Monkey 47 or Hendrick’s, and it’s not just Indians abroad buying it—global consumers are responding. But at its core, what’s really changed is how Indian consumers approach quality. Brands no longer have to compete solely on price. The world of premium, high-quality products is expanding, and we’re shaping that evolution in spirits.
Indian whiskey is having a moment. How does Otherside fit into this renaissance?
Rahul Mehra: Indian single malts are having a moment, but no one’s really talking about Indian blended whiskies yet. Blending, in my opinion, is the real craft of whiskey-making.
As a whiskey drinker, I see single malts as an indulgence—people stick to a style they prefer. But we wanted to create an everyday Indian whiskey, something with its own identity, not just a bottle opened on special occasions. So when we started this conversation internally, we kept coming back to one question: What does an Indian whiskey with its own identity look like? Not just blended in India, but deeply rooted here, without relying on imported components.
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India’s geography, climate, and aging process create something distinct. Just like Stranger & Sons was never meant to be a London Dry gin, Otherside follows the same philosophy—it represents Indian whiskey-making. Indian whiskey ages differently, just like botanicals grow differently here. The coriander we use in Stranger & Sons, for example, is entirely different from the coriander grown in Europe. That distinctiveness matters. For the longest time, Indian whiskies were made to look, feel, taste, and walk like Scotch. And that frustrated us. That’s why we took a different path. It’s about authenticity. We know India best, so why wouldn’t we create something that reflects our terroir and traditions?
Blended whiskey is an art—bringing together spirits aged in different parts of a country into a single, cohesive expression. That’s exactly what we set out to do with Otherside. And honestly, I think we nailed it.
The FILTR collaboration with Subko was a total craze. How did that happen?
Rahul Mehra: So, I spoke to Rahul at Subko. He loved Stranger & Sons, I loved Subko—it just worked itself out. I wanted to let filter coffee shine. At home, I never used an espresso machine for espresso martinis; I always used filter coffee because it works better. I just wanted more people to experience that. And honestly, I know all of Italy would fight me on this, but it makes a better base.
The response was insane—it sold out in three days. The biggest challenge was the slow-drip process. We kept making batches, and now we’re on our fourth. But what really set it apart was how easy it made coffee cocktails at home. That signature froth is key, and with filter coffee, it’s built-in. It just made sense. And honestly, the story told itself after that.
So, you’ve just disrupted gin and whiskey. What’s next?
Rahul Mehra: Too soon to say! I’d like a small break at some point, but for now, it’s all about gin and whiskey. We have a whole encyclopedia of spirits we’d love to launch, but timing is key. Gin took off fast, and whiskey is its own beast—we need to manage it properly. Every spirits category has a story to tell, and if we don’t, someone else will. It’s not just about what’s next—it’s about the right idea at the right time. My distiller and I are always experimenting. When we’re not focused on sales, we’re in the lab creating. And when the moment is right, something new will come.