A flower-distilled spirit returns: India’s forgotten Mahura tree finds new life in a luxury bottle

In a bid to revive India’s rich but often overlooked legacy of native spirits, South Seas Distilleries has launched Six Brothers Mahura, a premium liquor crafted entirely from the flowers of the elusive Mahura tree, also known as Madhuca Longifolia.

This launch marks a historic return for Mahura, a once-venerated spirit rooted deeply in tribal tradition and ritual, now reborn in a form that melds artisanal legacy with a more premium branding.

From Forest Lore to Fine Bars

Sourced from the coastal town of Dahanu, Maharashtra, famed for chikoo orchards and mango groves, the Mahura tree blooms just once a year. Its flowers are collected, dried, soaked, and naturally fermented before undergoing double distillation and platinum filtration. The result is a clean, aromatic spirit, floral on the nose with hints of fig and apricot, and a flavour profile that starts sweet, deepens into grassy notes, and finishes with a mild peppery bite.

“Mahura is the only spirit in the world made entirely from flowers,” the company claims, underlining its uniqueness.

Craft, Character, and Culture

The story is as much about craftsmanship as it is about cultural reclamation. The roots of Six Brothers Mahura go back to 1922, when six brothers in the Dahanu region began distilling indigenous ingredients into small-batch spirits that found favour among royal courts. This legacy culminated in the founding of South Seas Distilleries over 40 years ago, now home to India’s largest copper pot stills and a prized collection of aged single malts.

Even the bottle has a narrative. Its ribbed glass design in off-white and deep blue tones evokes traditional Indian aesthetics. Etched onto its base are twelve eyes symbolising the six founding brothers alongside tiger claw marks and a fierce single eye on the stopper. These details reflect the brand’s vision to guard and promote India’s forest-born heritage.

Positioning India on the Global Spirits Map

In a world where Scotch, Tequila, and Sake have long-standing geographic identities, Mahura is being positioned as India’s answer to that league. By targeting global bars and connoisseurs, the brand hopes to challenge long-standing biases that once labelled Mahura and other native Indian liquors as lesser “country spirits.”

South Seas is clear about its ambitions: “We’re not just reviving Mahura, we’re redefining what Indian spirits can be on the world stage.”