While the perennial party people are gearing up to eat, drink, and be merry, we raise a glass to the founder of the brand based out of Goa that won’t let you stop at one… Aani Ek!
Finding feni is no challenge for anyone who visits Goa. After all, the intoxicating spirit is an intrinsic part of the Sunshine State’s heritage. You may love it or hate it, but there’s no way you can ignore it. And if the founder of Aani Ek has his way, there will be many more lovers than haters.
Clement DeSylva is an architect by profession and a serial entrepreneur by nature — having set up a homestay, campsite, and mannequin manufacture business along with being a sailor, author, and biker, who designs and executes restaurants, homes, and offices. His latest venture is a dream-come-true — thanks to the pandemic — when he found himself locked down in Goa with spare time to experiment with infusing unusual flavours into his favourite tipple.
Feni, infusions, and the balance of the universe…
Infused feni is an age-old tradition in Goa, and the locals swear it is an instant remedy (with the addition of jeera, ajwain/anise, ginger, garlic, pepper, etc. depending on the ailment) for a fever, stomach-ache, headache, or earache. It goes without saying that it’s also their go-to for coughs and colds. When given to kids, the alcohol would usually be flambéed off so that they didn’t’ get intoxicated. “Everyone’s Avo [grandmother] had a bottle of feni in her kitchen cabinet. To this she would add cinnamon, cardamom, and other secret spices that hold medicinal value. It tasted great,” exclaims DeSylva, who has obviously been at the receiving end of such ‘medical’ care.
Early experimentations yielded what he called ‘fenicello’, a drink he created with a feni base following his trip to Italy in 2010, when he discovered limoncello and wanted to replicate it with a Goan twist. Friends and family instantly and enthusiastically gave vigorous nods of approval, encouraging DeSylva to begin experimenting with coffee, spices, and fruit. “Feni is a wonderfully accepting drink and lends itself beautifully to infusions,” he states. “I learnt that infusion is a two-way street. Something’s given, something’s taken. It maintains the balance of the universe.”
Think local with Aani Ek
We did a tasting of Aani Ek with DeSylva earlier this year and witnessed his enthusiasm first-hand. “For the Limon, we just use the zest of the lemons, and that gives this wonderful clarity,” he says, holding up each bottle in the sunlight. “With the honey, we get the natural colour of the honey while the cinnamon gives us this beautiful ruby colour. As my daughter said, this Honey-Cinnamon really is apple pie in a glass. On a cold winter’s night, sipping this drink really, really warms you up. And, of course, for the Chilli, we use Pernem chilies.”
Aani Ek is about being local — the feni is local and so are most of the ingredients. Each bottle comes with a little recipe book to help you experiment.
We learnt that, by and large, Aani Ek is about being local — the feni is local and so are most of the ingredients. Each bottle comes with a little recipe book to help you experiment. “These infusions lend themselves very well to cocktails, but even a straight pour is wonderful,” he adds, signing off with his signature tongue-in-cheek recommendation, “In our family, my wife, and daughters… All three of them had Covid. But thanks to my regular consumption of feni, I have not been hit with it as yet!”
There’s always time for ‘one more’ with Aani Ek!
Whether you are a feni aficionado or just sampling the drink, once you get a taste of these concoctions (the strong odour that many find offensive is one of the things that are ‘taken’), it would be difficult to stop at one. Aani Ek — “one more” in Konkani — is a clever name for this brand that launched with Honey-Cinnamon, Limon, and Chilli. Their new flavours will include Kokum, Ambade (hog plum), Coffee, and Curry leaf (patta).
One look at their product and you can tell that the architect has a hand in it. The clean lines seen in his architectural works are evident in the design elements of the tall, slim bottle and the sleek fonts and layout used for the labels. Of course, it’s all done in conjunction with his partners, maintains DeSylva.
Credit for the name — Aani Ek — goes to co-founder Jill D’Souza, who was inspired by hearing these words being shouted out in local taverns for an encore of the beloved local cashew drink. While she handles the social media and digital marketing, her co-founder husband Karlyle Gomes is in charge of sales, and investor-partner Pritesh Desai is the head of distribution. The closely-knit team of four is bound by their passion for promoting Goa’s magic potion, and their infusion and bottling plant at Pernem in North Goa is the focus of attention.
Cheers to Goa’s magic potion in a bottle…
Formerly a garage that housed vintage cars, it has been transformed into the Aani Ek infusion centre by the multi-hyphenated founder. The sparkling machinery stands out against the white walls, while seven tanks (each with a capacity of 2,000 litres) sit next to each other connected with pipes and pumps for the infused liquid to flow through into bottles.
A neighbouring room serves as the office, while another is used to store and prepare the ingredients. The backyard is visualized as an experience centre for Aani Ek tasting and food pairing, including space for a small feni distillery (bhatti) where visitors can learn about the heritage drink of Goa and how it is produced. We did say that DeSylva is a serial entrepreneur by nature, remember?
The feni industry itself has been supportive of this venture that does not distil, but uses the cashew feni that is locally made and popular in North Goa (as opposed to coconut feni that South Goa prefers). While the government licensing was a challenge, the team seems to have tackled it well. They launched the brand in October 2021 and are all set for new launches in the New Year. As they continue to try out a variety of ingredients for their infusions (not essences), there will be scheduled releases of Aani Ek as the year progresses. Meanwhile, they will introduce gift packs of 180 ml bottles of their three existing infusions for this festive season.
What’s the goal for the brand apart from expanding their repertoire, we wonder. Well, imagine a vacationer on a Mexican beach being offered a tequila by the waitress… But turning it down in favour of Aani Ek! Now, that’s the ultimate fantasy of this incorrigible serial dreamer. Salut!
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