Whisky Merchandise

The club is proud to make professional and affordable whisky glassware for all. In addition, it also offers a selection of merchandise like mini casks, lapel pins, decanters, etc.

Tasting Sessions

Casual or formal sessions, with close attention to detail given to glassware, paired food, tasting notes and whiskies served.

Masterclasses

Basic to advanced classes. Engaging sessions on the history, production, and maturation process of whisky.

Corporate Engagements

Customised master classes and tasting sessions for reputed corporate and business houses, especially for leadership teams or client engagement. SMAC does not represent any brand and provides an agnostic view of premium whisky.

Single Malt Amateur Club

Giving rise to a new culture of whisky in India

SMAC was founded in 2011 as a platform for amateurs, professionals and connoisseurs to share experiences and their passion for whisky. It is SMAC’s firm belief that whisky can be enjoyed & appreciated by everyone, hence the ‘amateur’ tag to indicate that learning about the water of life is an ongoing endeavour.

Most of the information found on whisky is tuned to Western taste buds and expressions which makes learning challenging in the subcontinent. SMAC aims to add a touch of India, using tasting notes and reviews that are relatable to the Indian palate. The club curates' whisky tours, tasting sessions and master classes. In India, the club has been able to get the barrel rolling with organised appreciation and personalised whisky releases from Single malt whisky producers who have been the trailblazers in the country. True to its inclusive spirit, SMAC offers free membership to whisky lovers across the world.

SMAC has partnered with established names in the whisky space such as Paul John, Amrut, Piccadily Agro, VBev, Diageo India, Beam Suntory India, and Glen Grant to bring to life whisky experiences that are unparalleled. As the whisky culture in India continues to evolve, the club is at the heart and centre of the change. Being the pioneer in the space, the club has been able to play a catalyst role with initiatives such as being the first to introduce quality whisky appreciation Glassware from Glencairn & Elixir distillers, whisky trails in India and overseas, club exclusive bottling and many more due to which the club remains the only one in India to be featured in the renowned Whisky Advocate magazine.

Services

Whisky Trails – The club specially curates unique trails, guided tours, and whisky journeys to different distilleries in India and across the world.

Singapore Sling – Singapore is home to the best Whisky Bars on this side of the Indian Ocean. SMAC gave 15 lucky members the experience of a lifetime over four days in the Lion City. Including tastings, masterclasses, and events all centred around Whisky and the member’s love for it.

Whisky Wanderlust – Scotland is home to a multitude of authentic distilleries. SMAC took 15 members to experience 15+ distilleries over the course of 9 days. This included distillery tastings and members had a chance to witness the whisky-making process firsthand.

Exclusive Bottles – The only club in India that collaborates with prominent distilleries to release club-exclusive whiskies

Paul John ‘Alter’ – In partnership with John Distilleries, ‘Alter’, the first of the duet was released in October 2022. It consists of a rich, amber-peated sherry whisky, matured for 6 years and complemented with a finish in an Ex Madeira cask.

Amrut Amaze Trilogy – Through a collaboration by Amrut and SMAC the Amaze Trilogy was born that was released in 2018, with sequels in 2020 and 2021. The single malt has notes of orange, other fruits and spices and was matured in a multi-cask format.

Paul John Single Cask Whisky – Exclusively produced in partnership with Paul John, SMAC was proud to release this limited edition. Released in 2019, matured in “Cask #6028”, the Single Cask had notes of vanilla, orange marmalade and honey, wonderfully rounded out by a peated profile.

Children of a Lesser God – Along with Amrut Distilleries, SMAC launched ‘Children of a Lesser God’ in December 2023. This limited-release single malt whisky, aged in Ex Rye & Single Cask, offers a potent 50% ABV without added colour and is non-chill filtered. It delivers a nose of sweet forest scents akin to Ooty's wet meadows, a palate exploding with medicinal herbal notes and intense spice, and a medium finish reminiscent of biting into fresh bitters, an uncommon 'heavy' experience devoid of peat/sherry influence.

Case Study

We began working with 30BestBarsIndia when the platform was in its third year, though it lacked widespread recognition. Our primary goal was to ensure that every story and conversation about the top bars featured their 30BestBarsIndia ranking. Over the past three years, the platform has grown to a celebration of the rising standards of Indian bars and beverages – both nationally and internationally.

Approach

Our strategy focused on positioning 30BestBarsIndia as the most prestigious bar ranking platform while building recognition and advocacy for Vikram Achanta as a leading expert in the bar and beverage industry. This was achieved through a communications plan that hinged on the following:

Industry Insights and Thought Leadership:

Hosted annual knowledge-sharing sessions covering key trends in India's bar landscape—sustainability, bar takeovers, ice programs, glassware innovations, and more.

Supplemented these with insight notes and expert quotes, positioning Vikram Achanta as an authoritative voice in the industry.

Experiential and On-Ground Engagement:

Organized bar crawls in key cities, engaging journalists and alco-bev advocates beyond conversations—immersing them in India’s best bar experiences.

Hosted media at the finale weekend, featuring an exclusive bar crawl in the host city, culminating in the awards night.

Regional Amplification:

Highlighted city-wise rankings and trends through tailored media outreach, ensuring local relevance and engagement.

Awards-Specific Amplification:

Created focused communication around the lists (Top 100, Top 50, and Top 30) as well as new categories, driving visibility across trade and lifestyle media.