Moksh Sani

The owner of India’s first experiential liquor store, Mansionz by Living Liquids, changed the way Mumbai buys its alcohol. Now, he’s trying to transform the way India drinks

- SHRADDHA UCHIL

Wine is a living thing. It has to be allowed to breathe, and to evolve. And if you treat it badly, it perishes.”

His appreciation for wine and its ever-changing personality is what led Mumbai-based entrepreneur Moksh Sani to name his alcohol retail business Living Liquidz. Today, the business spans 60 outlets across Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, and Bhubaneswar.

However, that is not how it began. My father started out with a standalone store in Sion in the 1970s. Back then, there was a lot of taboo surrounding alcohol. It wasn’t seen as glamorous, and women didn’t want to be caught dead buying booze at these shops,” he shares.

When Sani and his brother took over the family business in the early 2000s, their first order of business was to change the experience of buying alcohol. A whole rebranding campaign ensued and, in 2005, they launched the first Living Liquidz outlet at Hypercity, Malad.

“| wasn’t envisioning a simple liquor store. wanted a space that was hygienic and welcoming, and staffed with certified professionals to educate customers. And wanted it to be a place where instead of simply buying what they need and leaving, people came to learn, and appreciate what they are drinking.”

The rebranding was a roaring success, and Living Liquidz has now become the most popular alcohol delivery platform across Mumbai and beyond.

Sani’s wild ideas which are often ahead of their time and his ability to go through with them can be seen in the way he operates at work. One such example is of him introducing a mobile app that would allow people to let loose without stepping out of the door.