Creative storytelling studio Edstead has launched ‘Toast to Tomorrow’, a branded docuseries on JioHotstar about the people, craft and culture behind hospitality and spirits in India. It features Paul John Indian Single Malt and Buffalo Trace Distillery.

The series is hosted by Srishti Khanna, a culinary expert with more than two decades in luxury dining, nightlife and lifestyle, and a trained hotelier and former bartender. Guests include Yangdup Lama, co-founder of Sidecar, which the release says was named India’s Best Bar and ranked No. 18 in Asia’s 50 Best Bars in 2023, and social creator Varun, whose surname is not given.

One episode travels to Goa and Darjeeling to look at the making of Paul John whisky. It follows the founder’s trip to Scotland and examines how Goa’s tropical climate shapes the whisky. It features Chairman Paul John, whom the release calls the first Indian whisky producer inducted into the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame, and Master Distiller Michael D’Souza, described as the “World’s Best Distiller.” The release also says the Paul John Visitor Centre has twice been named Best Whisky Visitor Centre in the World. These are the company’s claims and were not independently verified.

Another episode visits Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, which the release calls the world’s most award-winning distillery. It covers bourbon’s rules: a mash bill of at least 51% corn and maturation in new, charred oak barrels. Back in India, the host explores regional spices and food traditions and creates a cocktail pairing Buffalo Trace with Indian flavours.

Edstead founder Shekhar Bhattacharjee said the aim was to tell “a more nuanced story” about craft, people and communities, with “the brand becomes an enabler of the story rather than its centre.” Diego Bianchi, VP – Global Marketing at Sazerac, said the series moves “the conversation beyond the product itself.” Paul P John, Chairman of John Distilleries, said it celebrates “the craft and culture that places Indian malts in a niche of its own.”