How Young India Drinks Today

India's spirit culture has never felt more homegrown or more confident

- By Jyoti Kumari

Not too long ago, walking into a bar meant asking the same familiar question: “Which alcohol do you use in this cocktail?” And almost without thinking, most of us would instinctively choose the imported option – gin from London, whisky from Scotland.

Indian spirits were rarely chosen; in fact, they weren't even part of the conversation.

Walk into a bar anywhere in India today and that instinct is gone. Bartenders name Indian brands with confidence, guests choose them without hesitation, and more often than not, menus highlight them with pride. The ease with which these names are spoken, and the curiosity with which they're received, signal something unmistakable: India is finally learning to trust its own spirits.

A slow but definitive shift is taking place across the country's drinking culture, driven by a combination of curious consumers, especially the newly-minted Gen Zs and mindful creators alike. This swing has less to do with novelty and more with sensibility.

Today's younger drinkers, from mid-twenties to early thirties, aren't approaching alcohol with the all-or-nothing instinct of the generations before them. They're drinking with intention. They ask where something comes from, why it tastes the way it does, and what sets one spirit apart from another. They want cleaner flavours, craft-driven stories, and a taste that feels authentic.