STRIPED DELIGHT
Wild Tiger Rum, now a global brand from Thiruvillwamala village in the Thrissur district of Kerala, had a rough start. Superstar Distilleries & Foods Ltd (SDFL) was incorporated in April 1990 with an installed capacity of 7.5 million litres of potable alcohol per annum, utilising extracts from tapioca, coconut, palm trees, cashew etc. It was a first-of-its-kind distillery in the state and the founders set up their plant on the banks of the Bharathapuzha river in 14 acres of land at Pampady.
The plant was commissioned in 1996 and by 1998-99 was producing some 6.75 million litres. But after incurring heavy losses, SDFL was declared a sick unit by BIFR or the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction in 2000. In August 2002, SDFL changed its name to SDF Industries Ltd. But it was only in 2006, after 36-year-old Gautom Menon took over the family business, that the company changed its focus. Menon wanted to introduce an authentic ‘Made in India’ rum to the global market. While working as a marketing professional in Mumbai, he had closely monitored drinks events across the world and followed the rum community. He blended more than 500 rums in his laboratory before zeroing in on what would finally become Wild Tiger Rum—a smooth and exotic drink. He introduced the brand in duty free shops in 2016 and expanded exports to other destinations as well. Aged in American oak ex-bourbon casks, it’s an aromatic rum with notes of toffee, vanilla, almond and honey. Manufacturing a rum that deviated from the 100 per cent molasses route traditionally followed in India, blending it instead with cane-juice spirit and spices, soon made Wild Tiger a hot favourite of rum lovers globally.
While the extra neutral alcohol is sourced from Madhya Pradesh, flavours and colours are imported. Wild Tiger Special Reserve Rum is distilled and uses demineralised water, natural flavours and cane spirit which is 40 proof. The brand provides employment for many of the local women folk (of the 300 employees, 70 per cent are women) in the area. It currently sells about 6,000 cases annually, and exports to Europe, the US and UAE.