THE FENISSANCE

A new breed of feni enthusiasts are giving the age-old tipple a makeover in Goa: ageing it underwater, infusing it with ingredients ranging from jeera to chorizo, and using it as a base in a variety of excellent cocktails. Arun Janardhan traces the evolution of this humble spirit from the bhatti to the bottle

- Arun Janardhan

On a balmy late March afternoon, Clement DeSylva speeds down the narrow, winding roads of north Goa towards Pernem on his Royal Enfield, accelerating and braking at rapid intervals as the road evens out and curves with frequency. It’s a journey he makes often from where he lives in Assagao, a distance of about 20km, because in a house in Pernem, his passion project is about to start bubbling.

The architect from Mumbai, who got locked down in Goa last year, is on the cusp of launching his brand of infused feni, Aani Ek (Konkani for one more), depending on how soon a slew of licences and permissions fall into place. Aani Ek is the result of DeSylva’s hobby – of experimenting with feni in his home kitchen – getting honed last year to such an extent that his friends suggested he take it a step further by commercialising it.

Jill D’souza, a fellow feni enthusiast, came up with the name Aani Ek, while her husband Karlyle Gomes jumped in as the marketing man. A meeting with Pritesh Desai for bottle corks turned on its head when he joined in as head of distribution and provided this facility.

This house in Pernem, a former garage that housed vintage cars, has been refurbished into the Aani Ek distillery, with freshly painted white walls and shiny gadgets. Four plastic tanks, each with a capacity of 2,000 litres, sit next to each other connected with pipes and pumps. In another room a few steps away, three similar tanks wait for the liquid to flow through into bottles. A neighbouring space is being visualised as the office while another will hold the ingredients for infusions. A backyard, currently filled with scrap, is being dreamt of as space for a tasting room, a lounge, a cafe... The possibilities for DeSylva are endless.