Drink Trends 2021 India

Our 2020 drinks trends came to a screeching halt with the pandemic, but the lockdown certainly led to a host of cocktail premix options for thirsty tipplers stranded at their homes or a long-term Airbnb overlooking a valley or ocean. Let us look at what 2021 holds for the drinks space in the country.
Hard Seltzers
We always had RTDs(ready to drink) in India, Bacardi Breezer was the name. A new nomenclature now doing the rounds is Seltzer, it simply means carbonated water and Hard Seltzer is an alcoholic variant. It essentially is a spirit+ soda+ sweetener+ flavour. Breezer will now have some company.
Fruit Wines
Fruit wines were synonymous with Catholic aunties making wine at home as a part of  Christmas festivities. Ginger, Orange, Grape et al. Commercially Grapes have been the fruit of choice not just in India but globally, but other fruits only saw traction in the Himachal belt. Maharastra is seeing some affinity to other fruits now, it should pick speed this year.
No Alcohol or Zero Proof Spirits
Health is paramount and lot of people are turning away from alcohol. To satiate the thirst of such people and teetotallers, companies have come up with no alcohol variants of Gin, Rum, Whisky, Wine, Beer etc. If the price point of these in India is right, they will shine.
Canned Cocktails
Consistency, convenience, and hygiene are what canned cocktails offer, but the joy of watching the cocktail being made in front of you is missed. Nonetheless amidst this pandemic where people have learnt to party at home, the canned cocktails will be a go to.
Rum, Ron, Rhum
Rum is made from Sugar cane juice or molasses a by product in Sugar production. In India Whisky which is to be made from grain is made from molasses as the latter is cheaper and we have a plethora of brands, but the irony is that we do not even have half a dozen Rum brands. Old Monk = Rum in India. It is a blue ocean out there and Rum can make a mark.
Cognac
Most that is consumed in the country is in the southern states, especially Tamilnadu. Brandy is the go-to drink down there for locals and the upper strata drinks the most famous brandy in the world, Cognac. Cognac hasn’t even scratched the surface and Urban India with its big malt audience is all set to be wooed by this special grape spirit.