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tep aside, wine pairings. It is now time for whisky pairings to take centre stage in India. And when that whisky promises to satisfy you while also helping to protect a vanishing bird, all the better. The bird in question is the Great Indian Bustard – commonly referred to as GIB (and godawan in Hindi) – that has been marked Critically Endangered in the IUCN red list. Once commonly found in the scrublands of the dry desert state of Rajasthan in western India, this bird has been hunted for food and sport to a level of near extinction. As one of the bulkiest flying birds in the world, the GIB can grow up to 1.2m in length and weigh up to 15kg. Known for its long legs and long neck extending from a brownish body, this bird will win no beauty pageants, but was once in contention for being named India's national bird. [jump to recipe] But according to recent estimates, there are barely 120 GIB left in India. The alcoholic namesake, Godawan whisky, was created in early 2023 as part of corporate conservation efforts for the GIB. It is an artisanal single malt distilled in the town of Alwar in Rajasthan using locally grown barley and methods that require minimal water, in a nod to the arid region where it is produced. There is also a gin-like infusion of Indian botanicals that is said to add flavourful touches of raisin, fig, apricot and caramel. Chaitanya Raj Singh, a social entrepreneur and young scion of the Jaisalmer royal family (he is the 44th titular king), is also a champion for the GIB cause and works with Godawan whisky's parent company, Diageo, to promote conservation efforts. He says the company has been coordinating with the Indian Ministry of the Environment and Wildlife to secure grasslands – the preferred GIB habitat – to allow more space for the birds to breed and hopefully, flourish. "This conservation initiative is a step in the right direction. And we hope that we will be able to save the bird… the way it happened for the tiger," he said, referring to the Royal Bengal Tiger that has been brought back from the brink of extinction in India by dedicated conservation efforts.