In a world where spirits brands often follow predictable recipes and well-trodden paths, Crazy Gin stands apart—not just for its flavour, but for its story and its soul.
At the heart of this trailblazing brand is Paramjit Nagra, a British Punjabi woman whose life story is anything but conventional.
Picture credit: Pukaar News
From growing up in West Bromwich as the daughter of a single mother, to launching the world’s first clear Lassi gin, Paramjit’s journey has been defined by challenge, reinvention, and a refusal to stay in any box society tried to place her in.
“People thought we were mad,” she laughs when asked about her decision to start Crazy Gin. “They told us to stick to our day jobs. They said, ‘You’ve been to university, you’re in your mid-thirties, it’s time to settle down—not start a business.’”
But Paramjit and her husband Bruce didn’t listen. Instead, they sold their London home and set about making their crazy dream come true…
Inspired by a late-night Indian takeaway that didn’t resemble anything they grew up eating, the couple began reminiscing about the food of their childhood. From there, a single question sparked a revolution: “If Indian food can be reimagined, why can’t drinks?”
The idea was wild—fusing the creamy tang of traditional Punjabi lassi with the precision of premium gin-making. But within a year, the duo launched Crazy Gin, becoming the first in the world to distill yogurt and turmeric using vacuum distillation.
“We weren’t just making a drink,” Nagra says. “We were telling a story—our story, and we didn’t want any regrets.
“I don’t want to look back years from now and think ‘you know what, I had that idea once… I wonder ‘what if’…”
Their first stockist wasn’t the local off-license skeptics predicted, but Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge. Since then, the brand has expanded with bold new flavours, including a Punjabi Chai gin inspired by Paramjit’s grandmother’s recipe, and it has featured in Michelin-starred restaurants, Google, Meta, and even fashion launches.
Picture credit: Paramjit Nagra
“When people open a bottle and say, ‘This smells like my house in the morning,’ that’s everything. That’s why we do it,” she tells Pukaar.
Paramjit’s path wasn’t just about business. Her resilience was shaped by the strength of her mother, who fled an abusive arranged marriage shortly after arriving in the UK.
“She’s a fighter,” she says proudly. “People told her to leave me with my dad, start over. But she stood her ground and raised me alone. She’s the reason I walk a little taller – my biggest champion and my biggest inspiration.”
Growing up as an only child in a society that often shamed single mothers—especially within the South Asian community—left its mark.
“I never really felt like I fit in,” says Paramjit. “But that outsider status made me question everything. Who gets to decide what’s respectable? Who gets to decide what belongs?”
That same questioning spirit led her to study psychology, pivot careers in her thirties, and later confront postpartum depression after the birth of her son. “You don’t leave yourself at the door when you start something new,” she reflects. “There are so many layers to who we are.”
While Crazy Gin’s flavours are winning fans, Paramjit is clear about the deeper battle she’s been fighting: representation.
“When brown people make something with Indian flavours, it’s ‘niche.’ When someone else does, it’s ‘innovative.’ I’ve even had people suggest we hire a white person to open doors for us,” she reveals.
In the white, male-dominated spirits industry, she’s faced ignorance and outright sexism—even from members of her own community. “I’ve had men talk over me or assume Bruce is the decision-maker just because he’s male. But I’ve found my voice, and I’m using it.”
Crazy Gin isn’t just a product—it’s a vehicle for cultural pride, memory, and storytelling. Paramjit calls herself a storyteller, with gin as her medium.
“Other people do it through food or music or art. For me, it’s alcohol. And the more I share my journey, the more I realise—people need these stories,” she says.
Her dream now? To see Crazy Gin served in India—a tribute to the people and places that inspired it. “We’re not trying to represent all of India. We’re just sharing our home, our flavour, our memories. And we’re doing it with pride, in premium places, saying: We belong here too.”
In 2023, Crazy Gin secured the Prestigious Brand of the Year 2023 Award from Be Inclusive Hospitality.
But for Paramjit Nagra, success isn’t just measured in sales, stockists or even awards. It’s in every person who feels seen when they taste her gin. It’s in every door she opens for others like her. And it’s in her refusal to accept that anyone should live life with regret.
