“If these glasses could speak, the history of Goa could be told,” explains by the founder of Goa’s- and perhaps India’s Nandan Kudchadkar the first museum dedicated to alcohol.
The museum spread across 13,000sqft in Goa’s Candolim. It is all about the glasses that date back to the 15th and 16th century as well as ancient manufacturing and distilling equipment sourced from across India and the world.
INDIA’S FIRST ALCOHOL MUSEUM
“I’ve done many alcohol tours and trails across the globe, but as far as I have seen, these are only run by brands- so if you go to Scotland, you can learn about a specific single malt’s journey, but it’s very hard to get an understanding of the history of the spirit in a cohesive manner,” says Kudchadkar.
All about Alcohol has been devised to represent the multiple aspects of the alcohol production and consumption process.
Divided into five rooms, this museum take visitors to the journey from manufacturing and distilling to fumigation. An old style Goan tavern has been created with bottles and glasses from Portugal as well as feni cellar, more than thousand bottles of coconut and cashew feni that dates back to 1986. Visitor can sample some of this feni-khudchadkar’s private family. Kudchadkar explains “Feni is such a uniquely Goan spirit and it has such an interesting story that is linked to the history and culture of the state as a whole.”
You’ll spot ancient garrafaos and mud pots that were used to store and rest feni, an antique alcohol shot dispenser, a sugarcane crusher for corkscrew juicers, mixer, jiggers and innumerable other alcohol paraphernalia. Visitors will be able to navigate the museum with the help of in- house guides who will explain the stories behind some of these unique pieces.
Kudchadkar is also an avid collector and history buff. The entire museum is filled with artefacts from his personal collection, built over roughly 30 years.
Kudchadkar says, “About 25 years ago, many locals began to sell their land and with that, antique bar curios, cutlery and all kinds of paraphernalia were sold at dirt cheap rates. No one knew what they were worth back then and I picked them up, solely out of interest—I’m thrilled that I can finally share these gems with the public. "
Here's what you can see inside: