Jai Dhawan (26), who worked as a distiller of the world-famous ‘Greater Than’ gin made in Goa drowned in the Colva Sea on Saturday night. The news cast a pall of gloom as friends came forward to express their shock at the rather tragic turn of events.
Nimish Gupta Director, Product Management at Riversand said Jay was the epitome of joy, passion, skill and hard work – making every interaction so personal and warm. He said “ I’ve met him multiple times in Bangalore and Goa, and each conversation was rich and meaningful. You’ll be missed tremendously dear Jay”
Anushka Rodrigues who knew him through a common friend said she knew Jay since he first set foot in Goa 4 years ago. She said “ He was a young and vibrant soul with a contagious smile. at a young age he achieved a lot in his industry and had much more potential to show the world. He always came forward to support all his friends in their endeavors too. He was inventive and creative when it came to food and cocktails and had a way with words when it came to food blogging. He will always be remembered as the generous being who introduced us to the world of gin and camaraderie. He would also put stall of Gin at my pop up bazaars. He was the life of the party. And I’m a baker, so he would always order from me too. Jay was always pushing me to try new flavours”. She signed off by saying he was the original ‘Bhai bhai bhai’ .
Conrad Barreto of Football Dugout who knew him socially said Jay was gem of a person. He said “ We’ve been friends for a couple of years now. We met while working in the F&B industry. The brand Jay created in the Gin industry was massive. He was really hardworking and passionate about his work. At 26 he has even brought his own flat in Goa. He was destined for a bright future. During the 2nd wave in Goa he along with some of his friends contributed to send us surgical Face Masks, N95s, Raw Material for food etc to help us in our humanitarian efforts to help the homeless and underprivileged. Hopefully he’s in a place “Greater than” this one”.
A person from the hospitality industry expressed her shock saying he signed off too early and it was a desperately sad development.
Another of his friends Sullivan Noronha said it came as a shock to everyone. He said” It’s absolutely unbelievable. I’ve hung with Jay on multiple occasions and never once have I not been entertained. The man was supremely talented and was a live wire amongst friends and even though he was so young, he’s already left a legacy behind that’s Greater Than most of us achieve in life. Rest easy, brother. You’ll be severely missed”.
