“With people having tasted plenty of western liquor, now they come to the bar asking for Indian single malts. The popularity of Indian whiskies has been increasing day by day and the truth is that it is really good,” said Joel Scholtens Lindsay, head mixologist, The Blue Bar, Taj Palace, New Delhi.
The demand for Indian whiskey has been growing rapidly. According to data published in 2021 by IWSR, which is the leading source of data and analysis on the global beverage alcohol market, 97.2 percent of the whiskey industry is dominated by Indian whiskies. Further, the overall whiskey market in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.1 percent from 2021-26. According to experts in India, the rise in demand is due to the demand for newer tastes.
“In 2015, if one looked around for Indian single malts in the market, they would find four or five options. In 2021, we undertook a survey to identify the number of single malt variants produced and sold in India and the number was 28! Now, we are looking at close to 35 variants continuing to grow at a steady pace,” said Hemanth Rao, Founder of Single Malt Amateurs Club.
Additionally, even at bars in India, more and more consumers are now ordering Indian whiskies, drawn to the distinct tastes, textures, and flavour profiles that these spirits have to offer.
“What’s definitely interesting about the growth in Indian single malts is the increased creativity being shown by our malt masters, like Michael D’Souza (Paul John), Ashok Chokkalingam (Amrut) and Anup Barik (Rampur), displayed in the wide range of expressions and finishes now available, as also their confidence in charging (and getting) top dollar for their brand in India,” said Vikram Achanta, Co-Founder of 30BestBarsIndia.
Rampur SelectFurther, the demand for Indian whiskies is not only increasing in India but also globally as homegrown brands like Amrut, Paul John, Rampur, GianChand , Indri, and Woodburns catching on.
According to a recent report by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), India surpassed France to become the UK’s largest market of Scotch whiskey in terms of volume with a 60 per cent year-on-year spike in imports in 2022.
Also read:
“The commonly-produced globally recognised Indian whiskies have been NAS whiskies, which are now finding more acceptance within the traditional whiskey-drinking consumers. What has also helped is an investment into the higher quality products and world-class whiskey production infrastructure that the domestic companies have set up over the course of time,” said Vishal Deorah, Owner, of The Whisky Company, Guwahati.
Apart from the increasing demand for homegrown liquor, experts also suggest that Indians are experimenting with their whiskey.
Traditional whiskey getting bolder
Justin Dias, head mixologist at RCB Bar & Café, mentioned that consumers today are far more adventurous in their whiskey choices. Additionally, Indians are willing and up for trying a whole lot of flavours with their traditional whisky going beyond the ‘on the rocks’ notion.
“As cocktail culture continues to gain popularity across cities in India, people are ordering whiskies and highballs to enjoy as part of their cocktails. They enjoy trying new flavours and textures, with ingredients such as pink grapefruit, blood orange, hazelnut, and even fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme being incorporated into their cocktails,” said Dias.
Further, bars have also been getting inspired to experiment more and more with whiskey to meet the palate of the customers. RCB Bar & Cafe has its own take on traditional whiskey sour and calls it Indian Spiced Whisky Sour which is a refreshing mix of sweet and sour flavours, which highlights Indian spices like cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, and basil.
Joel with Aphrodisiac DreamSimilarly, The Blue Bar has a unique drink called the Aphrodisiac Dream, which is a blend of single malt whisky infused with dates, prunes, figs, apricots, blueberries, sea salt, chilli and balsamic vinegar, giving it a unique bitter-salty taste. Additionally, the change in drinking pattern is also related to age, but experts suggest that it has a lot to do with personality as well.
“Your personality defines your choice of liquor. Someone who is more hippie would go for a beer and someone who is more sophisticated would go for a whiskey but when it comes to cocktails, the younger audience loves having experimental whiskeys,” said Lindsay.
The highball, in its favour, has definitely helped increase a younger audience for whiskey, with more and more choice of mixers now in vogue, from lemonade to ginger ale, said Achanta.
Shift towards premium brands, blends and infused cocktails
Another emerging trend in the whiskey market is the shift towards premium brands in 2023. According to data by ICRIER published in 2022, the Indian whiskey space, comprising 26 percent of alcohol-beverage consumers, is expected to move to more premium brands, and 24 percent are planning to spend on newer categories of alcohol by 2030.
“Consumers are displaying a distinct desire to drink less, but drink better spirits, and are also open to trying new types of spirits within and across categories,” said Sreekanta Dash, Category Lead, LEGACY and GOOD MAN, Bacardi in India.
Additionally unlike the West which prefers whiskey on the rocks or neat, Indians prefer it with soda. As per Vijay Dev, Category Lead, Whiskies, Bacardi India, among female consumers, the demand for whiskey has been increasing, with many opting for whiskey-based drinks such as simple highball serves, cocktails, and mixers.
The question of whether India will expand as a whiskey market has already been answered — it's a resounding yes. The question is whether the world will be able to meet the soaring demand for stock among Indian producers.
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
First Published: Mar 27, 2023 6:53 PM IST
Check out our in-depth Market Coverage, Business News & get real-time Stock Market Updates on CNBC-TV18. Also, Watch our channels CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz and CNBC Bajar Live on-the-go!
Lok Sabha elections: 4th phase sees over 68% voter participation, West Bengal leads with 76% turnout
May 14, 2024 1:47 AM
Lok Sabha elections phase 4 witnesses around 67% voter turnout, experts weigh in on key contests
May 14, 2024 12:06 AM
Lok Sabha Election 2024: Shiv Sena UBT’s Arvind Sawant highlights Uddhav Thackeray's vision for Mumbai’s progress
May 13, 2024 9:21 PM
Exclusive interview: 'Southern states will be a big surprise,' says PM Modi
May 13, 2024 9:05 PM