Engine Vol. 2 - Remembering Summer

ENGINE

Page 11

Experience summer nostalgia with Samruddha Amonkar

ENGINE

Made by us.

Credits

Founder | Vince Costa

hello@getcreativegoa.com

Editor | Melissa Fernandes hello@getcreativegoa.com

Senior Designer and Illustrator | Divya Desai

Photography | Ethan Maskie, Samruddha Amonkar

Videography | Chayne Lobo, Ian de Noronha and Saiesh Amonkar

Video Editors | Chris Varela, Chayne Lobo and Ian de Noronha

Social Media Manager | Chris Varela

Writer | Kiyara May Da Costa

Cover Photo | Samruddha Amonkar

Advertise in Engine

If you would like to get your brand the visibility it deserves, contact us We would love to hear from you!

You can write to us at hello@getcreativegoa.com

Office: Panjim, Goa

Phone number: +91 73879 13379

Website: www.getcreativegoa.com

Social Media: @getcreativegoa /getcreativegoa

Views expressed in the stories are personal opinions of the interviewees and don’t necessarily reflect those of the founder or editor.

Copyright is reserved with Get Creative Goa, reproduction in whole or part is prohibited

-

-

-

Editor's Note

Sunny Side Up with Siesta o'clock

Pottery: One Giant Experiment with Nimmy Joshi

What-a-bottle

Take Your Pick-le with Yachika Chopra

Plating Perfect Stories with White Plate by Chef Jason

Things you will 'Louvre'

A Refreshing Coincidence with Borécha

The Feni Change Maker with Hansel Vaz

Blurred Brews with Shohail Furtado

I Do It Solo

A Sport for All with Jonathan Dias

No Stranger to Music with Jaden Maskie

Editor’s Note When

nothing goes as planned!

Recently, some of us at Get Creative Goa, arranged a shoot early morning on the beach. With a plan, we reached the location and started setting up.

We had to secure a table on the seashore. But as the tide rose, we had to keep moving the table away to avoid any losses. Additionally, we faced technical problems and had to improvise, which we did together. The shoot was a success; we enjoyed it and spent way too much time in the sun!

In this summer edition of Engine, we feature stories of self-taught artists, solo entrepreneurs, pandemic-struck businesses and so much more.

Each one’s story reveals how they steered through the unexpected with grit, creativity and humour, and churned plans at the last minute, owing to changing circumstances.

Yachika Chopra, the founder of Circa, witnessed the terrible loss of her job and her beloved mum but found a business idea hidden in her grandmother and mother’s diaries.

Siblings Ishan and Anish Varshnei, founders of Borécha, came to India from the U.S. with a plan to brew craft beer but along the way, they branched out into kombucha, which was not part of their plan.

Follow us on: 001.

Overcoming difficult times certainly takes grit but requires self-awareness and recognising when to pause and reset. While most of them reset their plans, they were also lucky enough to have the support of their loved ones.

Words rarely describe what a support system can mean to an individual, a group or even a company.

Support is something we all need and are often fortunate to find it in our loved ones and even more fortunate to find it in a community. Like Nimmy Joshi who found support in a community of strangers who share a passion for pottery.

Support does wonders — it shapes outcomes and gives one the much-needed boost to pursue their goals while the lack of it may do otherwise.

And in times of innovation or when new concepts are introduced to a market, support is needed most. Like Hansel Vaz, the founder of Cazulo who is fervently spreading the knowledge of local spirits like feni and dukhshiri. Read his story on pages 034 - 036.

So, if you know someone who needs that support, be there. Because when nothing goes as planned, support is what will sail us through!

Write to me:

hello@getcreativegoa.com

Melissa Fernandes

Hailing from writing backgrounds, entrepreneurship was a far-fetched concept to Rene and Vaibhav who founded Siesta o’Clock in 2019. Described as the antithesis of The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, the brand is all about blue skies and summer days!

Here's an excerpt from the interview with Vaibhav.

Click to check out Siesta o’Clock’s summery prints!

Follow us on: 003.

tINTERVIEWER

PHOTOS BY

MELISSA FERNANDES SIESTA O’CLOCK

SUMMER / FASHION / SIESTA O’CLOCK

How did you stumble upon the idea of launching a clothing brand?

I was far removed from the world of fashion and the only thing I knew and loved was my collection of all-black heavy-metal tees and blue jeans. After moving to Goa, I saw a gradual shift in my wardrobe as I added one shirt after another with cheerful prints and fresh colours. I wholeheartedly embraced this new love of shirts. Rene was working at LBB and met a whole bunch of talented business owners who shared their stories about life, food, travel, and of course, business.

At some point, we realised we wanted to start something of our own and what better than to combine some learnings from Rene’s experience with home-grown brands and my love of quirky shirts? We went and sourced some prints on a whim and decided to create an Instagram page that would showcase our first collection of prints.

Why Siesta o’Clock?

Siesta o’Clock is that feeling of being utterly content and in harmony with the universe. The sun’s shining down, you walk with a spring in your step, and puppies love you. The only thing on your schedule for the rest of the day is a sunset stroll on the beach, followed by a gig at a pub, and perhaps, a quick stop at your favourite on the walk back home. All’s well with the world, as it should be.

We started Siesta in 2019 with the idea to marry our love for Goa with breezy cottons and prints. It was to create clothing that could tell stories about Goa; that could try translating the vibrant hues and happy, calm energy of the sunshine state to a comfy, soft, cotton shirt you could wear to a date, to coffee, to a party — heck, anywhere! We believe it’s always summer somewhere and everything we design echoes our love for the tropics. Give us a sunny beach or the quiet and lush green of the monsoon over snow-capped hills, any day!

Our first collection was a bunch of 10-12 designs and nothing about it qualified it as a collection. We picked out prints that spoke to us (they didn’t follow a set theme, just some motley prints that we loved) and clicked them on our family and friends on our small balcony and put them out. We were drawn to marine-inspired prints and surprisingly, they turned out to be a crowd favourite, too.

What has been the biggest hurdle you faced as a brand?

Our inexperience as business owners! But I suppose we’re all newbies at some point! It’s got to be treading that thin line between over and under production; ambitions and a desire to take it; we’re still trying to get that balance right. We’re a super small batch maker and struggle to price our products in a way that keeps them in the affordable range. Unfortunately, small batch production also means we have no economies of scale to bring down costs. 005. Follow us on:

Tell us about the designs of the clothing. Who is behind them?

We’re all about timeless cuts rendered in bright, funky prints. A lot of our designs are a collaborative effort with artists who marry their creative vision with our lived experience of Goa. Whether it’s capturing the gorgeous windows seen in traditional homes, having a print dedicated to the garrafão or one that’s an ode to the countryside — featuring cashew apples, bulbuls and abolim flowers — we try to bring to the stories that we discover about the sunshine state. Our idea is to create a line of clothing that’s easy-breezy, laid-back and told through anti-fit silhouettes. Our focus has been and will probably always be on prints.

What do you do to stay sustainable?

Our clothes are made in a small workshop in Goa, and we’ve also just added a range of eco-friendly organic cotton shirts and dresses. We try to upcycle as many fabric scraps as we can in the form of buntings, and gift wraps and are now even working on a range of bags that’ll marry our printed fabric scraps with bamboo weaves. We also try with small steps and efforts — we’re trying to run a paperless office, and keeping our packaging as minimal as possible.

Where do you look for creative inspiration?

Creative inspiration often strikes when you’re not actively looking for it and for us, Goa is a gift that keeps giving. The poder in the mornings, the cats in balmy balcãos, the trees laden with mangoes, the aroma of cakes at friends’ homes around Christmas, windows from run-down (yet, still very graceful) houses, the sea, the blue skies — it all serves as an impetus to create unique patterns. We’re also lucky to have worked with some really talented artists who’ve taken some of these stories and created exclusive prints that bring them to light.

How do you stay innovative?

We’re not driven as much by innovation as we are by consistency. We try to better what we do every single day, whether it’s in terms of developing better processes or better designs. We believe our storytelling is unique to us and the only way forward is to expand and evolve from doing just clothes and exploring a realm of accessories and decor. And we do all this while enjoying the journey. We’re abiding our way through a world of colour, just letting inspiration strike! 006.

“I was looking for things to do with my hands,” says Nimmy Joshi, an architect turned ceramic artist and clay sculptor who risked it all in pursuit of happiness.

PHOTOGRAPHY

INTERVIEWER

VIDEOGRAPHY

VIDEO EDITOR ETHAN MASKIE

MELISSA FERNANDES CHAYNE LOBO

CHRIS VARELA

PHOTO CREDIT: APE CHRONICLE MEDIA

Unable to find her calling in architecture, Nimmy set out in search of a fulfilling path and found it in pottery. “One day, when on-site, I was applying putty between bricks and didn’t realise when the time passed,” she recalls her deciding moment that coerced her to take up a pottery workshop in Bangalore. That’s when it started. She learned the art of pottery for a few years before deciding to take it up full-time and 8 years ago, moved to Goa to do her apprenticeship.

She continued learning pottery and met many potters who helped her out every step of the way. “The other potters in Goa have been so warm and welcoming; they have shared studios, material, supplies and so much,” she says.

Describing the pottery community, Nimmy adds, “Working with other potters laid a strong foundation for me as I was able to pick up tricks and tips from them. Each one has a different way of working and that taught me a lot.”

Nimmy is grateful to have landed amid artists and people who played a huge role in

Nimmy Joshi

the beginning. She humbly adds, “I know that even now I can reach out to potters and ask them for help if I am stuck somewhere, they’d probably do whatever they can. Goa is a close-knit community of artists and even non-artists; they support and watch out for you. I was surprised how in a year or two, I got to know so many people and forge deeper connections because I got to be around them in settings that allow that.”

After a year of working with her teacher, Nimmy started on her own under the brand Nimmiatures. “When I started learning, I made miniatures because I didn’t have the money to buy my own ...

008. Follow us on:

kiln and I had limited resources. So, I would fire my sculpted art in the gaps of other people’s kilns. I didn’t think people would like buying miniatures, but somehow, my miniatures became popular.”

It’s now been 3 years since Nimmy has her own studio and workspace in Ucassaim which she shares with her partner, Clayton who is also a sculptor. Together, they conduct pottery workshops and spread their love and knowledge of the subject.

Nimmy gets inspired by everything around her. She says, “You can’t avoid inspiration here; it just hits you in the face. Clayton and I spend a lot of time outdoors and I think it’s the topography of Goa that keeps you inspired!”

After all the effort she has put in, Nimmy now has a consistent base of clients. She conducts regular workshops for those who want to learn basics and advanced. She has displayed her work in Bangalore and Shimla. “The response to my shows is overwhelming. I didn’t know that such pieces would connect with people, I make them for me but I have noticed that each one just finds relevance with my pieces, it resonates with them. It’s a different story for me and an entirely different story for them and that’s what makes it special.”

Nimmy’s work translates her nature-driven thoughts and her ability to reach out to many; however, she still feels that she has a long way to go. “Even now I feel that I am arriving somewhere and I don’t think I have made it, it’s an ongoing process,” she adds.

When it comes to challenges, Nimmy brings it to our notice that pottery is mainly a big experiment and a lot of samples are tested before the final product is made. “It’s a lot of ‘doing’ and you can’t pinpoint what was the reason why the item didn’t come out the way you wanted it to out of the kiln. Even if you ask a potter who’s been doing this for years, they wouldn’t be able to tell you the exact reason. Before you open the kiln, everyone is terrified because we can’t tell what would have happened to the piece inside.”

Click to view Nimmy’s amazing creations

The hot weather can have a direct impact on our health. When it’s hotter, our body sweats and breathes more. This can lead to muscle fatigue and headaches. Therefore, you should ensure that your body stays hydrated.

There are plenty of ways to stay hydrated through the summer.

Water, obviously.

You can also add lemon to your water or infuse it with other citrus fruits like oranges, sweet limes, berries, and mint too!

As much as we all love a good sangria, alcohol and carbonated beverages tend to dehydrate your body faster and do not quench your thirst. Instead, opt for lemonade, kombucha or even a yummy smoothie!

ARTICLE BY KIYARA MAY DA COSTA

Have plenty of fruits and vegetables like watermelons, tangerines, cucumber, pineapple, grapes, tomatoes, broccoli, bell pepper and celery.

Fruits and veggies are a great way to keep your body happy by feeding it the required fiber and nutrients it needs and not to mention, you’ll feel much more energized.

Workouts are a great way to keep your body cool and keep lethargy away but make it a point not to exert yourself. You’ll be feeling a lot healthier and happier physically, mentally and emotionally.

Curd, buttermilk, lassi and fruit yoghurt are a great way to keep your body cool! They also help with indigestion.

Dehydration can make you crave food, especially sugar.

As a photographer, Samruddha seeks to tell stories, which is fairly evident in his style. In our summer edition, he encapsulated the nostalgia of summer and hopes we relive these memories through his lens.

Samruddha Amonkar

INTERVIEWER

MELISSA FERNANDES

VIDEOGRAPHY & VIDEO EDITING

CHAYNE LOBO

SAMRUDDHA AMONKAR

tPHOTOGRAPHY

“Bursting cotton pods on trees, which look like snow falling,” he describes a summer memory. He is in awe of the stories his father, who grew up in Amona, shared about his summer vacations, which were spent plucking mangoes from trees, fishing, riding tyres with sticks, hanging from trees, and whatnot. “His stories were picturesque and I wanted to experience such a summer, but we live in a city so it isn’t always possible.”

Samruddha recreated his father’s stories in a summer photo essay, shot exclusively for Engine. He invested a great deal of time picking the right location, time and even getting an enthusiastic bunch of kids to do what they do best — play and have fun! “When we were at the beach, the kids told me what they do at beaches — cartwheels — and just kept on doing them. They were fearless and having fun! It’s something they do every day.”

Before putting this photo essay together, Samruddha spent time finding the right mango tree, tall enough for the right composition. He even scouted the area to find the right spring. “The mango tree had to be 15 to 20 years old and if it was too big, we wouldn’t be able to see the mangoes. I had a composition in mind and wanted a specific one. I contacted many people who have farms to find the right tree and even made them send me pictures so I was sure before going there,” he chuckles.

Here’s

the result of his effort. Hope you enjoy his summer rendition as much as we did.

TakE Your piCk-lE

Yachika Chopra’s journey started from a tattered diary and is now a thriving business of pickles, made just by her under the brand Circa. She churns out delicious pickles in her kitchen, keeping her family tradition alive.

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, Yachika was one of the victims of job loss and had to return to Goa from Dubai where she worked for 9 years at Emirates Airlines. While unpacking and setting up, she stumbled upon some tattered diaries that belonged to her late mother and grandmother. “I had time on my hands so I was opening all the boxes. I saw many recipes and one of them was pickles. My mother used to make a lot of pickles, which I remember eating while growing up.”

Yachika tried making one of them and unexpectedly got an overwhelming response from her family. Her brother coaxed her into making their mom’s famous carrot and cauliflower pickle, which she made and sent it out to him and her uncle, who called with tears in his eyes, saying I feel that Poonam [her mom] made it herself and can’t believe it’s from you.

Soon, she made an appearance at a small pop-up at Jardim Garcia de Orta in Panjim in February 2021. “My cousin asked me if I wanted to sell my pickles at her stall. I was hesitant because I didn’t know if people would like them or not, but I did it. I had 17 jars of two flavours — sweet & sour green chilli and carrot & cauliflower. In a few hours, I had sold out all my jars. I was overwhelmed. It convinced me to pursue this as deep down, I felt my mother was guiding me. I have always wanted to do something in Goa and this was it.”

From here, Yachika steered through. She got her food and drug license and increased

the production of her pickles. Right now, she ships across India and her products are at a few stores around Goa like Magsons and Delfinos. She even got some international orders. “I do enjoy cooking and used to cook but not when it comes to 20 kgs of pickle,” she laughs.

She single-handedly makes these pickles, sticking to her mother’s and grandmother’s recipes. She currently has 8 vegetarian and 4 non-vegetarian pickles on stand. “My grandfather was in the army so he and my grandmom travelled a lot. She picked up the local cuisine of the state she lived in and that’s why my pickles are different. No two flavours are the same.”

Yachika hopes to increase brand awareness and reach out to more cities. She also wants to increase kitchen space and production. While she makes all the pickles herself, she is looking to expand once she can trust someone as she is particular about quality and taste. “I grew up in a big house where during the summer season, beds of raw mangoes — salted with a little turmeric — were sun-dried and

I would keep picking out of them. It’s going to be the case at my apartment as well soon,” she chuckles.

3 cups grated raw mango / finely chopped

1 cup broken jaggery (melted)

1 tablespoon turmeric powder

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

2 tablespoon kashmiri chilli powder (adjust as per desired spice levels)

1 tablespoon salt

Best eaten with:

clean. Ensure no moisture is on them.

• Peel and grate / finely chop the mangoes.

• Mix the mangoes, melted jaggery turmeric powder & salt.

• Mix it all very well and keep it in a glass / ceramic or steel vessel.

• Cover with a muslin cloth / sieve and keep in the sun for 10 days.

• Mix well each day

Alternatively, You can cook the mixture till you get a thick consistency and then add the cumin seeds and chilli powder too.

At the end of 10 days:

• Roast cumin seeds, cool them down and roughly grind them

• Add coarsely ground cumin seeds and chilli powder to the grated mango mix.

Get your hands on Circa’s tangy selections by clicking here

Mix it all well and your Sweet Mango Pickle is ready to eat.

Plain Paratha Toast Khichdi

Jason DeSouza

“I never work a day in my life. I have converted an ardent hobby into a career,” says Chef Jason DeSouza. Innovative, fierce and witty, he deciphers the science behind cooking and implores us to think about why food should be exploited and explored.

023. Follow us on:

Jason DeSouza always knew he would either be a chef or a lawyer. As luck would have it, he gave both entrance exams and got into culinary school before he knew he was also accepted into law school. “At IHM, since day one, I knew I wanted to be a chef. I was very clear on it,” he says.

Chef Jason believes that innovation and perfection have made him who he is. He has always excelled at what he does since the inception of his career. “What really inspires me is being perfect — it’s a dying art. If you can consistently be perfect, you have nothing to be worried about. My greatest motivation is my constant strife for perfection. I have channelled my OCD in the right direction,” he chuckles.

And rightfully so he became the youngest executive chef in the country at age 25 while working at the Royal Orchid Hotels in Bengaluru. He pursued his culinary education with a prestigious school in London and worked under Chef Gordon Ramsay as Sous Chef and Chef Alain Ducasse as Chef de Cuisine. “Working with Chef Gordon and Chef Alain was like fire and ice,” he subtly adds.

During the pandemic, Chef Jason took to YouTube and featured delectable recipes, making gourmet cooking easy. These recipes were simply meant for

homes to create stunning dishes using simple ingredients, food hacks and the right flavours.

“A chef is essentially an artist. He is supposed to create because food is so versatile it allows you to implore, exploit and stretch the limits. A basic ingredient can be exploited and explored in many ways. These two words mean so much because one ingredient can allow you to do so much,” he explains.

With a thirst for innovation, grit, ambition and the ability to revolutionise food, Chef Jason launched White Plate in December 2022. His main focus is to redefine molecular fine dining experiences in Goa. His thought process emphasises on constantly creating something new. “Some great maestro might have invented the classic dal makhani and now it is simply copied. Why? We should look to evolve. And that’s exactly what we’re doing — we do not copy, we create dishes. Our dishes are something new, which you will never find somewhere else. I hope my infusions today are going to be classics tomorrow where people start copying them. That’s how I describe my food.”

Click to see how White Plate explores food

Each food item on his menu is created by him with a careful infusion of flavours and science. “Our watermelon salad stands out because we’ve taken a basic salad and added science to it. People don’t realise that watermelon is 80% water. So, you can infuse it with carbon dioxide gas so that each of the chunks of watermelon gets carbonation right from within. So it’s a fuzzy ball of goodness. It is a simple watermelon salad that is styled to a whole new level.”

He has even added a twist to a basic mushroom soup – Forestier Grub – a three-way soup — solid, liquid and air. He has used the three states of matter to create this exhilarating brew. The trapped frozen air has to be consumed within 14 seconds. “Otherwise it will fall flat,” he warns.

“You should start with air, move to liquid and then finish with solid.”

His restaurant stands tall and his kitchen is open. In Chef Jason’s words, “I am a fan of an open kitchen because it’s easy for me to berate or throw pans but toning down that aggression is important to me. I have guests all around.”

Just a few months into business and his restaurant has already won awards

Best Newcomer Restaurant, Ultimate Luxury Dining Experience in the Western Region, and The Times

Noteworthy Newcomer Award

Chef Jason has also won the Chef of the Year 2023 award. “This is what gives me the satisfaction that I’m on the right track as my eccentricities and my need for perfection are resulting in such victories. I’m also blessed with a team that has worked with me over the last few years and understands me. And in order to stay perfect, my staff has to be disciplined. I have devised a metric system for them that rates my tolerance for their errors. We need to consistently be on our A-game. If you’re not, then you’re messing with someone’s dining experience. We are rated 4.9 on Google because we’re consistently perfect.”

Chef Jason is clearly not a creature of habit. He describes himself as a mad scientist with a graphic memory. “Our plating is art personified. If a customer tells me that the plate looks so good that they can’t eat it, that’s it. I’m ready to go home. It’s a day well done.”

Adhering to his need to evolve, he is currently working on a new menu for White Plate. “We will be changing our menu twice a year,” he beams.

In the summer spirit, Chef Jason exclusively created a Mango Thai curry for Get Creative Goa. The dish is a spin on the typical Thai curry. Watch and learn how to make this mouth-watering dish at your home.

Click

Things you will ‘Louvre’

Goan products and services we think should be treasured and stored

Smol Block

Price: ₹ 800 - ₹ 2,000/-

01.

Adorable minimalist wooden toys that help build essential early learning skills in toddlers and young kids. Thoughtfully designed to encourage open-ended play to foster problem-solving, creativity and collaboration, and make learning through play an absolute joy! They’re made out of eco-friendly beechwood finished with all-natural beeswax. Tested to US and European toy safety standards for a safe play experience. The perfect gift for a smol child to get started on their learning journey!

Hope & Faith

Brownie Cake

Price range: ₹ 200 - ₹ 1,700/-

02.

‘Hope & Faith’ founded by Amanda Fernandes is a home-run artisanal patisserie in Mapusa. The name stems from the family’s belief system which is also the middle names of her sister and she. Their best-sellers include fudge brownies, glazed donuts, mini pizzas and brownie cakes.

Mudskippers

03.

Awaken your inner artist at a pottery-making workshop for all with Nimmy Joshi and Clayton at the Mudskippers Studio.

Clay is a dirty four letter word. Pottery Courses for all

Mudskippers Studio, Ucassaim, North Goa DM for details or WhatsApp 9819623315

Price range: As per request 027. Follow us on:

Plantisserie

Price: ₹ 150 onwards

A home-run nursery that specialises in succulent gift arrangements, takeaway plants, and customised plant hampers. If you’re a fan of plants and looking for a sweet treat for yourself or a friend, their succulent gift arrangements and custom plant hampers are the perfect choice. Each plant is hand-picked and expertly arranged, making them the perfect addition to any space. If you’re on-the-go, their succulent takeaway option lets you take a slice of nature with you wherever you go. Satisfy your sweet tooth for greenery.

Rickstore

Price range: As per request

Rickstore offers handcrafted wooden decor items to add warmth and character to your space. From rustic wall art to personalised gifts, elevate your home with their unique and custom designs. Every wooden decor item is handcrafted to your exact specifications, ensuring a truly unique and personalised addition to your home. They are ready to bring your vision to life, creating pieces that reflect your individual style and taste. Experience the beauty of bespoke woodworking.

The Magic Wand

Price range: ₹ 25 - ₹ 2,500/-

04. 05. 06.

Located in Altinho, Panjim, The Magic Wand is a 25+ years company that caters to all kinds of party décor and props. They curate bespoke decor, invites, party favours, customised gifting options and balloon bouquets. They also offer décor for any kind of party be it birthdays, baby showers, bachelor / bachelorette, etc

Find them here:

Ramachandra Naik Rd, Behind Santosh Bldg, Altinho, Panaji, Goa 403001. Call on +91 89999 28155

To list your products / services in our upcoming issues, send an email to hello@getcreativegoa.com

Include a short description, high-res image, price and other details you might want to share.

028. Follow us on:

Extra! Extra! Hear all about...

The awesome tunes your favourite Goan creators love to hear.

Here's your chance to listen at ...

INTERVIEWER

MELISSA FERNANDES

COVER PHOTO

CHAYNE LOBO

PHOTOGRAPHY

ETHAN MASKIE

Being exposed to craft beers in the U.S., Ishan Varshnei returned along with his brother Anish to set up a brewery in India. However, kombucha spontaneously made its way and they launched Borécha, India’s first non-alcoholic functional beverages brand.

Ishan proudly calls himself a craft beer enthusiast who, when in the U.S., even tried brewing his own beer in his apartment for fun. “I was getting sick of my job. I wanted to wake up in the morning and sort of go to work and not be dreading it,” he says.

Without wasting any time, Ishan started studying the craft beer market in India. “I saw a huge gap in the whole creative space of beer making. New brands were coming up but no one was really experimenting and taking risks in the industry — no one was trying to create styles that people haven’t tried before. No one was being edgy with their branding. Everyone was going by the book and I get it because, in this industry,

risks can backfire but I wanted to do something creative.”

He and Anish came back from the U.S. and began the setup of a beer factory, Maka, in Goa. “Setting up and getting licences is a tedious process so while we were waiting for it to happen, kombucha came into the picture. It was never the plan,” recalls Ishan who at that time was a regular kombucha drinker.

The only kombucha available in the market was homemade ones that were bottled with ordinary labels on them. “I didn’t trust that. I’ve read a lot about kombucha and I know quality control is the most important thing. Sanitation is key in making high-quality kombucha. I tried a few but it didn’t work for me so I had all the time in the world and started making my own.”

Ishan’s kombucha recipe was further improved by Anish who is also a chef. “He liked what I made and said that he can make it better so he took over the project. What

Ishan The Borécha Nano Anish

he made was delicious,” adds Ishan.

Just behind the Maka brewery, the duo took up a small space and started making kombucha in small batches. They sent samples across to restaurants.

“This was in late 2019 when we manufactured 100 bottles a week, but no one was willing to buy it — it was a new product. So we gave it for free and asked them to try it out.”

The positive response that came soon after, was hampered by COVID, but that didn’t stop them. They acquired a delivery licence from the government and advertised on digital platforms.

“That’s when Borécha blew up.” They got 300 orders in the first week. While they could not deliver to other states, they fulfilled orders in Goa travelling in a Nano with their branding.

As soon as the effect of COVID became less severe, the brothers wanted to ship to other states in India but didn’t want to package their product in glass bottles which would prove inefficient so they innovated. “Kombucha is a cold chain product. We had to figure out a way to keep it all intact and transport it efficiently. Anish got his own equipment designed and started making cans. After about 6 months of lab testing, we got FDA clearances and now we’re the only kombucha brand available in cans in India,” says Ishan.

To ensure that their kombucha is of high quality, the SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast) which starts the fermentation process for kombucha, is bioengineered by their researchers in their lab. “We broke down the SCOBY into every possible microbe that exists in it and individually fermented each one to see what impact it has on the kombucha. We identified three bacteria, isolated them and picked those that make good kombucha without the foul smell or without compromising on the taste and quality. We have a proprietary SCOBY, which has been designed by us.”

They slowly transitioned from being a kombucha brand into becoming a functional beverage brand by launching green tea cocktail mixers, Tiki-T, sparkling iced teas and zero-sugar kombucha seltzers. “We’re working on expanding this

segment further and finding the perfect products for different markets and different price segments.”

Being one of the big players in the non-alcoholic space, Ishan takes pride in being a healthy beverage that is accessible to the masses. “There aren’t many zero-sugar or healthy beverage options in the market. Most of them are artificially-sweetened drinks. Even natural juices contain sugar. We want the masses to be able to go to a shop and buy a healthy product without thinking twice. Even the existing kombucha brands are positioning themselves as niche and artisanal. We want to reach out to the masses through better accessibility and affordability. You shouldn't have to spend more money to be healthy.”

Vaz

“We’re sharing the story of feni through the lens of culture, history and science,” says Hansel Vaz, a pioneer in the industry who wants to educate people about the drink and aims to break prejudices. t Hansel

Hansel Vaz, a geologist, worked in over 15 countries back in the day. He is also a proud Goan who wanted people to see feni as an exotic drink and rid it of its prejudices. “I had a concept in mind but no bank was willing to fund my project so I had to continue working,” he says. His crazy schedule got him flying back and forth from the country every month. “I would work for a month and come back here, work on feni and go back. I was burning the candle at both ends, but it was something I needed to do,” he admits.

After 6 years of sheer hard work and determination, he stayed back in Goa and started Cazulo, a brand completely self-funded to date. On May 10, 2013, he launched Cazulo at the Konkan Fruit Festival. “I ditched the traditional launches where press conferences are held and took to an unusual launch. The festival was for people and since cashew is a fruit from Goa, I wanted to create a resemblance and send out a strong message that we’re not a commercially produced alcohol but a fresh fruit-produced alcohol,” Hansel describes.

Since the launch, he has managed to create awareness about feni and dukhshiri through insightful tours at the distillery in Cansaulim. “Feni was considered to be an old man’s spirit; it was a cheap spirit that had poor awareness and if that was the way

people looked at feni, it reflected on our culture and I didn’t want that. We needed to bring the spirit to the forefront and make our culture proud,” he says.

The Cazulo tour involves a visit to a cashew orchard, a walk through the traditional distillery, a tasting session and finally a meal. The tour doesn’t talk about the brand but about the spirit of feni and the culture, history, science and techniques. Hansel explains, “The idea of the tour was to introduce feni and tell its story which has been around for centuries but nobody told it in the right way. Every culture takes the trouble to explain itself but there are other feni brands that aren’t doing it. People need to know. For example, I remember when wine was first sold in India, many people used to ask how much soda goes with it. Nobody knew how to drink it but now everyone does. That is simply because wine companies took the trouble of explaining the concept to people.”

With a vision to invest in the advocacy of the category, Hansel made these tours educational, fun and legendary. “Even when I launched dukhshiri in 2018, it was the first time in Goa’s history that this spirit was sold in a branded bottle. Dukhshiri often has a low-class connotation but I had to dispel the misconceptions and confusions around

those beliefs. This is an exotic spirit with a powerful ingredient and I want to tell its story to the world.”

Cazulo uses a 450-year-old South Goa recipe and unlike other feni brands, they use cashews from Goa. All their cashews are tree-fallen and naturally ripened. They also use wild yeast for fermentation and brew the spirit in a 150-litre copper pot which is later collected and stored in earthen pots.

Cazulo has gained a lot of popularity as its story is worth telling. Among the top 10 bars in the world, 4 of them serve Cazulo. Bollywood and Hollywood celebrities have visited the distillery, too. “Seeing my brand spread across the world is exciting and I am happy to see people who usually drink champagne or tequila, which are expensive drinks, are open to drinking a ₹ 750 bottle of feni. It’s definitely a sign of success,” says Hansel.

Click to check out

Cazulo’s premium feni

“We follow the tradition to the tee and honour the craftsmanship that is involved. We want our brand to be an ambassador for the land and people where it comes from,” says Hansel.

036. Follow us on:

25-year-old Shohail Furtado has a natural penchant for making delicious and blissful concoctions. Years ago, at parties, he would make punch bowls and eventually was nicknamed ‘The Cocktail Guy’ as every one of his blends became a crowd favourite. In December 2021, he used his talent for the ‘greater good’ and started sharing his original cocktail recipes on his Instagram page, Cocktails N Cookies. “The pocket-friendly cocktails on my page are made simple enough for people to recreate at home,” he says.

At the beginning of this stint, Shohail would mix drinks which he knew would complement each other, however, with time, he started doing thorough research and gathered knowledge of unusual flavours that can mix well. Right now, he works at a software company on weekdays and spends his weekends making cocktails — a balance he’s deeply happy with.

To date, Shohail has collaborated with many brands and made kickass cocktails. In September 2022, he participated in a contest by Mog Asun and made a cocktail named ‘Spanked!’ that won him the first prize.

The gin drinker is always learning new ways of making unusual blends. “Pineapple juice is my favourite ingredient as it enhances the taste of any drink,” he says. At a neighbour’s wedding for which he prepared original cocktails, a concoction with pineapple became a people’s favourite. “It had coconut rum, pineapple juice, mint and soda.”

As Shohail consistently comes up with new refreshing ideas for drinks, we at Get Creative Goa, spent an entire morning with him where he showed off his talent and made 3 different drinks — two cocktails and one mocktail.

Check out the GC-exclusive recipes:

038. Follow us on:

On the Go

Ingredients:

• 330ml Borécha Watermelon Kombucha

• 160ml Limca Refresh

• 3 thick slices of cucumber

• A lot of fresh mint leaves

Method:

(>) Muddle the mint and cucumber in your shaker with a bit of the Limca Refresh and strain it into your punch jar. Then add the rest of the ingredients

Optionally, you can add a dash of pineapple juice too in the ratio below:

2 parts Kombucha

0.5 part Limca refresh

0.5 part pineapple

Rest stay the same

If you like the shirts worn by Shohail and Vince, they are by Siesta o’clock.

Please check out their story on page 003

Before 8

Ingredients:

• 60ml Cazulo feni

• 60ml pineapple juice

• 60ml Limca Refresh

• 10-15 mint leaves

Method:

(>) In the shaker, add 30ml Feni, 15 fresh mint leaves and muddle. Top it off with another 30ml Feni, 60ml of the Limca Refresh and 60ml Pineapple Juice.

(>) Add 4-5 ice cubes and shake

(>) Pour in your glass, garnish with a mint bouquet and enjoy!

039. Follow us on:

Gin Sabina

Ingredients:

• One thick cucumber slice

• 60ml GinGin

• 10-15 fresh mint leaves

Method:

• 60ml Limca Refresh

• 90ml Schweppes Bitter Lemon

(>) In your shaker muddle the cucumber and mint leaves with the Limca Refresh.

(>) Add ice and shake!

(>) Strain the concoction into your glass

(>) Add the 60ml gin

(>) Top it off with the Schweppes Bitter Lemon

Click

to get the full scoop of Shohail’s blurred brews and the blurry visions of Vince Costa!

Running one’s own business sounds challenging but some people make it work out of their sheer grit and persistence. We speak to 10 self-made entrepreneurs and find out how they build their brands single handedly and what makes them sustain.

EDITOR

INTERVIEWER

KIYARA MAY DA COSTA

041. Follow us on:

Florence & Co.

21-year-old Anushka Vernekar launched Florence & Co. in 2021. Her brand started as a hand-poured scented candle house and has ventured into gifting and curating hampers for events. She started her business as a candle ‘fanatic’ herself! She built the brand piece by piece and ensures customer loyalty as her candles hit the mark her buyers are looking for in terms of standard and quality, promising them

satisfactory purchases every time. While her pursuit for success didn’t always smell so sweet, she says, “There has been a time when I felt like shutting down because the business just wasn’t moving the way I hoped it to. Though this phase is inevitable for every startup, it’s still demotivating.” Yet she powered through and never gave up.

“My advice would be not to quit, no matter what. When you believe in your process and endeavour, success will eventually follow you!” Anushka plans to expand her business across the state soon.

Agathos Essentials

Agathos Essentials is a brand by Gloria Alphonsus that creates organic handmade soaps and beauty brands which started as a hobby, and grew to help friends and family. Right from the brand’s inception in 2017, Gloria, a skilled aroma therapist, single handedly focused on

research, and testing and continued to make handmade products using organic, pure therapeutic essential oils, plant butters, organic herbs and spices. Gloria says that it’s important to trust yourself when beginning your own brand and expand your knowledge of what field you’re in.

Agathos Essentials grows its customer base through pop-ups, word-of-mouth and being a part of other events. She has begun a new series of classes, educating her customers on the uses of essential oils.

Mom Made Moments

Line Shetty’s Mom Made Moments offers a range of baked goods! Line advises that if you’re just starting out, it’s important to start small and grow gradually. “I rely a lot on word-of-mouth. I started out small and have never advertised my brand. But as people get to know me and they like the taste of my cakes and the designs too, they recommend me to their friends and family.” She plans to expand her range of yummy treats and hopes to open her own cake studio soon!

Leal by Akanksha

Leal is a Scottish word that means loyalty and honesty and that’s exactly what Akanksha Sadekar’s business stands for. Leal by Akanksha creates all-natural bath, body and self-care products using organic or locally sourced ingredients. “I read up on existing and new ingredients and try to understand what the customers are looking for and based on that I try out new combinations, test how they work, their shelf life, what skin type they suit, side effects, etc.” She tests them out by giving samples to friends and family. She grows her customer base primarily through word-of-mouth and recommendations from friends. “When you love what you’re doing, working 16-18 hours a day, although tiring, doesn’t feel like work.”

Akanksha aims to establish her brand’s presence on a national level.

SusheGateaux

SusheGateaux by Deepa Bandekar makes the most amazing custom cakes! Her advice to young solopreneurs is to understand your market before you throw yourself into the trade. She markets her brand through social media, pop-up markets and recommendations from friends and family.

She is currently working towards owning her own patisserie.

Jackyard Burger House

Picture this — summer evenings with a few good friends, good vibes and mouth-watering burgers from Jackyard Burger House. Datson Desouza runs one of the top burger joints in North Goa. “I was lucky enough to start my brand during lockdown when everyone was selling bakery products. I guess I was the only one who started something different. My friends and I craved a good burger and we couldn’t find any place open for burgers during quarantine. With just

₹ 300, I made my own patty, bacon jam and built a burger.’’

Jackyard started as more of a local brand with local clientele and is now slowly making a name for itself all over India. He has won the ‘Times food delivery icon, Iconic burger house of Goa’. It just goes to show that where there’s a will, there’s a way!

Datson dreams of stretching Jackyard’s franchise to a global scale.

Knead Bread

Neha Rodrigues, the owner of Knead Bread, a bakery catering to delicious desserts, a variety of bread and other baked goods believes in following one’s instinct, no matter how else the world judges you. With love for food and a need to be creative, she tried new flavours and recipes to give her customers the best. She says, “Engaging with people who are passionate about food helps in expanding your palate.” She spreads the word through social media, word of mouth and platforms like Get Creative Goa.

Designed

by Taradise

Designed by Taradise by Tara Fernandes and Johan Bragança is a unique business that curates gift boxes for all ages and occasions. “My advice would be to take the plunge!” says Tara. “Brace yourself to weather a few storms, but definitely go for it. From personal experience, it’s not been smooth sailing but it’s definitely been very rewarding.”

The Cookie Crumb Trail

Tiffany Menezes runs The Cookie Crumb Trail and designs cookies for any and every theme. “I decorate each cookie by hand, and try my best to pay as much attention to detail as possible.” She has three rules to sustain: put in your best effort, be honest with your clients, and believe in yourself!

Sugarlicious

Anoushka Sequeira Fernandes has been running

Sugarlicious since 2012. “I bake cakes; I am a cake artist and I work with buttercream as my canvas and fondant as the art that brings a cake to life!” Her piece of advice is to start small and learn as you progress. “Time is the best teacher and the knowledge you acquire from your own mistakes, is something that’ll stick with you.” Her main source of inspiration is her clients’ unique requests. She recalls the time she designed angel wings for the first time in a short time span and it was well-received. “Some of my clients have more faith in me than myself.”

Frisbee ™ is popularly known as a game where the players chase a plastic disc, but Frisbee ™ is a registered trademark of a toy company and Ultimate Frisbee is a sport. Jonathan Dias, Vice President, Goa Ultimate Association, and member of Gnash, the first Goan team to participate in national tournaments, details the sport.

Jonathan Dias

IMAGE BY INTERVIEWER GNASH MELISSA FERNANDES

Back in 2016, Jonathan Dias was introduced to the sport of Ultimate Frisbee by a friend Nash. They regularly met at the Campal grounds in Panjim and played every day until they were spotted by Melanie Chowgule, an American, who played the sport competitively back in Utah. “She was playing tennis and when she saw us play, she joined us and taught us a lot we didn’t know about the game,” says Jonathan.

Soon, they formed a team and participated in the first tournament in 2017. “We didn’t win but had a lot of fun,” he adds. They named the team ‘Gnash’ after Nash who introduced them all to the sport. “This team had many players who were in college and now have left the state so we’re looking at building a new team and naming it Uzzo. We’re in need of women players.”

Talking of women players, Audrey Menezes, 53 years old, is one of the oldest frisbee players in Goa and has also played nationally and internationally. A realtor by profession, she currently is playing for a team in Bangalore called Air Benders. She played at the European Masters Ultimate Club Championship in May 2022 in Poland and the European Great Grand Masters Beach Ultimate Club Championship in October 2022.

Here’s all you need to know about the sport: 046. Follow us on:

... are of mixed ratio of men & women.

Ultimate Frisbee or Ultimate is a non-contact team sport played with a Frisbee. What makes this sport truly unique is the fact that even at league and championship levels, the game is self-officiating, relying on the players to call their own fouls and settle disputes. Sometimes there are disagreements and then the disc goes back to the person who threw it earlier. The sport allows people of both genders to play. Each game goes on for an hour to 90 minutes sometimes or played till 13 points which is decided before each tournament.

If, then

If played on grass

If played on the beach after every two points it switches to

... to maintain the ratio on the team. there are 4 men 3 men ...and 3 women ...and 4 women

The teams stand opposite each other. There are end zones like in a football field.

The players have to keep passing the disc to a player running forward and once they hold the disc they need to stop and pass it to another player moving forward. When the player catches the disc in the end zone, they score a point. The defender needs to intercept the disc in the air and cannot pull it out of any player’s hands. They don’t need to catch the disc; they can just hit the disc and when it falls on the ground, pick it up and start throwing the disc to their players in the opposite direction.

After the game ends, both teams will sit together and discuss what they liked and didn’t like about the game. They compliment each other or discuss if anyone was too aggressive or cheated during the game. This rating adds to a team’s spirit points and there is a separate award for spirit.

A fun, non-competitive tournament is held in Goa where players don’t come as a team but as individuals wearing quirky hats, mostly made by them. Each one picks a team out of a hat and plays with them for the rest of the tournament. For the fun of it, some silly rules are set like if the player’s hat falls while holding the disc, then they have to pass the disc to the other team. Another one is a cross-gender rule where if a male player passes the disc to a female player, they get double the points.

Many people come to Goa for this tournament from different cities. Last December, around 200 people came from all over India.

You simply have to be able to run and have some good motor skills. Everything else can be learnt like throwing and catching. There are different throws like a backhand, forehand, hammer, etc Throwing in windy conditions is very difficult and can be learned.

Contact the team via their Facebook or Instagram page where beginner workshops are also announced.

Click here to know more 048. Follow us on:

049. Follow us on:

Jaden Maskie’s music has a way of playing on repeat even when you’re not listening to it. Such is the power of his voice. His art developed at an early age, under the guidance of his mother, Neisha Mascarenhas, a famous Bollywood singer and songwriter. He has been making original music since 2019. His journey is inundated with ups and downs and he is positive about growing stronger, building a wider portfolio of songs, evolving and being innovative.

050. Follow us on:

In late 2019, Jaden switched from playing covers and took a plunge into writing original music. “I started writing in November, but it took a couple of months to get it right. ‘Not my Mistake’ was only released in February,” he says.

“There was a lot of self-doubt and self-criticism before it was actually released. I wanted to get it right,” he repeats. “But over time, I have tried to give myself more credit and be more confident about my work. Now, I am comfortable with my software and things are quite straightforward,” he adds.

Jaden openly talks about battling self-criticism and continuing creating music despite the odds — something he knows best. “Music has always been with me. I just enjoy singing. I used to sing when driving around with my family or at family gatherings and just kept at it. I even participated in a competition and won it,” he says.

Jaden, a self-taught artist, once tried learning Indian classical music professionally, but that lasted a week before he snapped back into learning on his own. “My mom signed me up for these classes as she thought it would improve my breath work, sing in the range I can achieve and work in different melodies. It is pretty cool that you can actually learn to do so much with your voice and have that sort of control.”

Along with being a gifted self-taught musician, Jaden is also a voice actor and started at the age of 10. His experience in voice acting aided his music career. “I got a lot of studio time that helped me in understanding a studio setup and recreate it at home.”

Jaden credits his mom for introducing him to the world of music. He states that they never practice together but sing along with his dad when the occasion calls for it.

Listen

As singing comes so easily to him, writing has its own challenges. “The first time I wanted to write a song, I put myself into the position of writing as I had an overly criticising attitude — will people understand this or will they connect with this line? But now, I can do it naturally. I dive into what I feel emotionally at the moment and so every song I write is always a story. And I leave that story up to the listeners’ interpretation of what they want to hear, because some people might hear a love song, or a breakup song or might just hear summery vibes. When you hear my new music compared to the first song, you can see a drastic shift in the lyrics. I’ve let myself go of overthinking. Now, I don’t need to force myself to write as many things inspire me to write, it flows through me. When I do random things like washing the dishes, driving, an idea — a melody or lyric idea — just comes to me and I make notes. Song writing is now natural. It has become simpler.”

Jaden’s hard work has boosted his growth trajectory. He opened for famous singer, Lucky Ali and has done 17 shows since September, including one in Nepal last April. “I’m fortunate to be able to open for Lucky Ali I think the smallest audience that we have performed for was about 2,500 people, the largest being — 15,000 people at Zomaland, Bengaluru. So the main thing that I’m very happy about is that I’ve been thrown into the deep end in terms of how many people you perform for,” says Jaden.

He is growing as an artist and hopes to continue on this path. The artist in him wants to innovate. “My main challenge is to break out of the loop of creating music that has the same sound. I want to create music in different genres and not lock myself to one.

I just want to grow and not worry about the numbers, comments. I am working towards making new music, performing and gaining new audiences,” he signs off.

ENGINE

Made by us.

Ramachandra Naik Rd, Behind Santosh Bldg, Altinho, Panaji, Goa 403001