Franky Gracias
Goa Heritage Distillery, tucked inside the Dudhsagar Plantation near Mollem, employs the old methods used in preparing cashew feni.
Ajit Malkarnekar, who operates the distillery, says to produce good quality spirit, cashew apples are never plucked from the tree.
Malkarnekar, an experienced distiller, avers that the traditional and good-quality feni is prepared by using ripe cashew apples fallen on the ground.
The place within the Dudhsagar Plantation where the cashew brew is prepared.
Malkarnekar believes controlling fire the right way is an art and it has a bearing on the quality of the spirit produced.
And after all the hard work comes the jungle juice, Goa's signature drink based on urrak (the fruity first distillate). Feni is obtained by double distilling urrak.
This season, Ajit Malkarnekar, has unveiled Ouro, a remarkable spiced feni inspired by Goa's rich heritage.