The Rice Whiskey Revolution: Reviving a Thousand-Year Himalayan Heritage with Kashish Shrestha

Kashish Shrestha , founder and CEO of the Nepali Spirit Company , joins the show to share the journey of bringing Nepal’s ancient distilling traditions to the global stage. Shrestha discusses his transition from a high-end whiskey collector and auction regular to a craft distiller based in California, producing traditional rice spirits out of Florida. He provides a deep dive into the cultural history of Aila —a spirit used in Nepali rituals for centuries—and explains how he is evolving the craft by introducing wood-aging through Amburana, Mizunara, and Sherry casks . From the fire-like profile of traditional rice whiskey to his upcoming Himalayan espresso liqueur , Shrestha highlights the bold future of the first international Nepali rice whiskey brand.