Post Festivity Drinking - By Ameeta Sharma

An interesting insight into the alcohol consumption pattern and changing behaviour of the tipplers in India especially during festive season.

Festivities generally mean eating, and of course drinking copious amounts of alcohol. It has been said quite often that north Indians consume more ‘scotch’ than is distilled in Scotland! This statement probably has its root in the obsession with scotch to the extent that people, especially a couple of decades ago, have been known to put Indian whisky in their empty scotch bottles, just for a lark. In any event Indian alcohol consumption style has been heavily influenced by the British manner of drinking thereby popularizing beer and gin for day time drinking and whisky for the evenings.

It is definitely undergoing a change with the wine promotions, and the cocktail popularization. Lounge bars, fancy five star bars and easier import laws mean that the consumer has a chance of drinking in different environments and there is more to choose from.
 

Drinker Profile

Legally, drinks may not be served (or purchased by) to anybody under the age of 25, of course people look away on this legal requirement. In any event, the Indian consumer’s increased experience with international travel and the exposure it brings means they are more aware. A youngster today knows ten more brands of beer than are available in the market.

Fine dining and accompanied wine with it is increasingly becoming the norm rather than the odd chance event. Gone are the days when only India manufactured wines were available or the suspect boot legged ones which were claimed to be ‘diplomatic quota’ but was quite often cheap table wine, pure plonk not worthy of being served with any food let alone any fancy ingredients.

With multinational companies and then BPOs and other high paid jobs came the cash flow that allowed a discerning drinker to desire more than just one variety of Gin or Vodka on the shelves in the liquor shops. As the double income couples brought up their only child and pocket money increased even the upwardly mobile youth was not keen on Old Monk rum-and-coke. They wanted to try Bacardi and coke, or better still JD (Jack Daniels) and coke.

In summers white wine and champagne moves and in winter classy reds and rose wines.
At the same time the young generation goes for vodkas and beers

Five Star Drinking

The bars in five star hotels were always well stocked and brimming with international brands. In fact, often people made lists of fancy bottles and liqueurs to buy a bottle a head at a time when they traveled overseas. Rifaquat Mirza is executive Assistant Manager at The Park and Dhananjay is the Director F&B at The Claridges. Both hotels have bars that are totally 'rocking and very popular'. They were also willing to share their experience to profile the Delhi drinker and the newer trends and fashions in the capital of the country.

For seasonal drinking, Rifaquat says, ‘a lot of people give up alcohol during 'shradh' or 'navratras' so post that there is a definite surge which mellows by Diwali as more card parties are at home. Then comes Christmas and the New Year week. People are in a more celebratory mood with ‘shots’ and sometimes even 'binge' drinking. Although in Delhi the weather can be a dampener at times. Dhananjay feels that ‘during Christmas people go for variation - from cocktail to wine and champagne, and talking about New Year, all the brand moves and the consumption is the highest.'

As for drinking trend, Dhananjay says, 'in summers white wine and champagne moves and in winter classy reds and rose wines. At the same time the young generation goes for vodkas and beers. The slightly mature customer does not like to experiment but sticks to their brand.' At the Park the feeling is that the younger guest is more brands based and ladies are moving from vodka to white wine, and the single malt is getting more popular, again. Of course, Christmas and New Year time is for celebration and people tend to consume more alcohol. ‘Consumption shoots up 30% to 35% during these days, and then alcohol consumption goes down for 2 – 3 days after the New Year but after that it picks up again,’ says Dhananjay.

At the Park hotel Rifaquat agrees with the trend and admits, 'But, of course during celebration time people budget larger amounts of alcohol consumption for this time of the year and then for the first two days, everybody suffers from the New Year eve excesses. But then people return from holidays, and by mid January, everyone gets back to normal and unless it is mandatory ‘dry’ day, reasons to party are on the increase and they just enjoy, without even a reason to party'.
 

Independent Bars

With a sleuth of lounge bars, pubs, bar cum restaurants and different variations of bars opening up in Delhi with regularity, each one manages to find its own niche. They have their promotion agendas which might be free martinis for women, or two drinks for the price of one or any such to attract more people. During festive season most bars do great business and the regular clientele just manages to spend longer hours and more money.

For diners wines do increase in sales but post dinner drinks also rise. For the compulsive bar hopper groups it could be anything from beer to cocktails and it is the same pattern of youngsters mixing their drinks and more mature clientele sticking to their staple.
 

Sale Outlets

Every state in India has its own quirk about how alcohol is bought from a shop in the market. Regulated time limits and airless, overcrowded, badly displayed limited stock was the routine in Delhi, until fancier shops opened to the delight of Delhi alcohol buyer. There are, today, about 400 shops in Delhi, 100 are managed privately on L52 license; L2 license is government department owned. Sushant Mukherjee retired from DSIDC as Chief Manager and is today a full time advisor to the management on the alcohol sale outlet management. Sushant says, 'Around Christmas wine sales do pick up probably for gifting, cake making or generally just because it is part of the Christian culture. However, in Delhi on average wine sale it is barely 2% to 3% of all alcohol sales in Delhi, yet the quantum has picked as compared to last year'.

At government run shops the sales report come weekly and they are immediately aware of drop or difference in demand. Sushant confirms, 'Alcohol sale is at its peak just before the 31st and for a few days in the New Year everybody talks of no drinking; after ten days it picks up. Resolution does not last beyond that. By end of February beer sales pick up; people who drink beer drink it throughout but usually after Feb the others too buy.'

Heavily ruled by weather changes, Delhi buys more alcohol in winters and beer does not move, but come summer and whisky sale comes down, in fact all spirits sell less. Shops in Delhi even on a daily basis has peak period between 6 to 9 pm!

With mandatory dry days that include all religious and national holidays in Delhi government owned shops the maximum sale is in Ashok Nagar (East Delhi) and in terms of floor area the Greater Kailash II shop is the largest with Delhi’s only temperature controlled wine cellar. This shop was designed by Deepshikha Sarkar who does interiors and shops in malls and big houses too and this was her first liquor shop!
 

In Conclusion

Yes, though the younger age group, just under thirty would be more prone to mix their drinks, and more mature people would stick to their regular staples, everyone has that odd wild night of bingeing. Though Indian constitution and the state laws do not allow advertising of alcohol, heavy duty structure does not allow easy availability of all international brands, popularity of alcohol is at an all time high.

For the mandatory 'dry' days, a more keen drinker would just stock in advance and a more resourceful youngster would just raid the parental bar at home. Anybody who enjoys alcohol and experiments with it may stay away from it for a while but the lure is there and what the heck, it is an addictive intoxication. Hail that and celebrate it with a … Hic!