The holiday season is synonymous with joyous gatherings, festive celebrations, and the clinking of glasses in merriment. From innovative ready-to-drink concoctions to limited-edition spirits, the holiday season welcomes a dazzling array of new alcohol launches. According to recent consumer trends, India’s alcohol market is expanding, with a growing interest in creative beverages. This is notable in the ready-to-drink and fruit-flavoured-drinks segments. Whether you’re drawn to the bold and experimental or prefer the timeless elegance of a classic spirit, the holiday season promises a spirited celebration with a drink for every palate. So, let the glasses clink, the bottles pop, and cheers to these newly launched alcohols:
1. BlockBuster Ultra Lager & Ultra Strong Beer
Coming from the family of American Brew Crafts Pvt Ltd (ABCL), the brand introduced BlockBuster Ultra Lager and Blockbuster Ultra Strong Beer in Jharkhand. The Ultra Lager is a refreshing pilsner-style beer with a light and crisp flavour. Because of its reduced calorie and carbohydrate content, the new variety is a popular choice for a lighter beer. It provides an enticing combination of rich malty aromas, a mild hint of bitterness, and a citrus-floral aroma, providing a one-of-a-kind beer experience. While the Ultra Strong is distinguished by its robust flavour and greater alcohol concentration, providing a powerful drinking experience. The addition of a smokey flavour adds a new and adventurous dimension to its flavour profile.
Cost: Ultra Strong and Ultra Lager at ₹130 (for 330ml)
2. Salud Fiesta & Strong Cranberry RTD
Salud Beverages has launched a variety of new drinking experiences to its product portfolio. First in the line is an innovative Salud Fiesta, which is an Agave Soda in a bottle. It has 8% alcohol content and provides an unrivalled blend of fun and flavour. Salud Strong Cranberry, on the other hand, offers a tantalising trip through powerful flavours. The end product is a ready-to-drink gin elixir, balanced and infused with the tart essence of cranberry and citrus fruits.
Cost: Both priced at ₹135 (for 275ml)
3. Heineken Silver Draught Beer
Coming from the family of United Breweries, Heineken introduced draught beer in the Indian market, with a premium, smooth-tasting beverage suitable for social situations. It is crafted by seasoned master brewers using only natural ingredients, including Heineken’s famed distinctive A-yeast and 100% malt. Additionally, this offers an improved drinking experience, providing the discerning consumer with unsurpassed, precisely balanced taste and freshness.
Availability: Available in premium pubs across Mumbai, Thane, and Pune
4. Magic Moments Remix Pink Vodka
From Radico Khaitan Limited, Magic Moments launches Pink Vodka to meet the growing demands for coloured and flavoured alcohol. It represents a significant advancement in the Magic Moments Vodka line, carefully addressing the growing demand for coloured vodka. The variety, made with 100% natural tastes of black mulberry, elderflower, and raspberry, offers a subtle taste experience that will appeal to a wide range of consumers. Moreover, it comes in a beautiful, transparent bottle with a brilliant pink tint. The alcohol would be released in UP and Assam first, then expanded throughout India.
Cost: Between ₹180 – ₹800 for 750ml, 375ml, 180ml & 90ml
5. Rascal RTD
The ready-to-drink alcohol market has seen an influx of diverse flavour profiles, ranging from classic cocktails like margaritas and mojitos to more exotic and innovative combinations. Brands are experimenting with unique ingredients and flavour combinations to cater to a wide range of consumer preferences. Another new ready-to-drink brand in the market is Rascal. It’s a one-of-a-kind that combines the art of well-crafted cocktails with the refreshment of summer sodas to pack a powerful punch. The variants are packed with natural and natural-identical flavours, making it a delectable alternative to beer. In three delightful flavours with 10% alcohol content – ‘Fresh Lime & Mint,’ ‘Classic Rum & Cola,’ and ‘Twisted Coffee & Caramel,’ the drinks are for a light sipping experience.
Availability: Available in 330ml packs in Indore, Bhopal, and Gwalior.
Also read: From Jaipur To Pune, These New Cities Are Becoming The Rising Pulse Of India’s Cocktail Scene
6. Tequila Rose Liqueur
A new entrant, Tequila Rose is a strawberry cream liqueur. The spirit comes with a fusion of tequila and strawberry cream. The spirit has a 15% ABV, a silky-smooth combination of luscious strawberry cream and the exciting Mexican tequila. The flavour profile is quite reminiscent of the holiday period, adding sweetness, softness, and roundness to the spirit liqueur, while a trace of Tequila adds body, depth, and structure The packaging has a sophisticated appearance with whimsical touches. Additionally, the bottle is adorned with silver roses and brilliant pink strawberries, making it a timeless and enticing classic.
Cost: ₹4800 for 700ml (Mumbai)
7. Camikara 3-YO
Following the success of Camikara 12 Years Old, the cane juice rum, Piccadily Distilleries expands its portfolio of pure cane juice rums with the new Camikara 3 Years Old. Bottled at 42.8% ABV, this rum can be enjoyed on the rocks or as the base of a favourite cocktail all year, acting as a canvas for the real essence of cane juice to shine through. With this 3-YO rum, the brand aims to make premium Indian spirits more accessible. Similarly, the 3-YO rum is a wonderful combination of oak and cane juice spirit. It is a well-rounded and well-balanced spirit of pure sugarcane juice rum.
Cost: ₹1,500 (Haryana); ₹2,410 (Rajasthan) and ₹1,830 (Uttarakhand)
8. Children Of A Lesser God, Indian Single Malt
The Single Malt Amateur group (SMAC) and Amrut Distilleries, the pioneers of Indian Single Malt, released ‘Children of a Lesser God’ together. However, this inaugural Single Cask release in India is only available to SMAC club members. This expression is matured in an Ex-Rye cask, providing the whisky with a distinct rye-finished character. With 50% ABV, this whisky is filled with herbal sweet bitters, sweet vanilla, farm fresh citrus zest, and white pepper. Moreover, the bottle takes on a playful, floral creative appearance.
Cost: ₹9999 for SMAC club members
9. Longitude 77 Indian Single Malt Whisky
Seagram has launched the Longitude 77 Indian Single Malt Whisky, a bottle of alcohol that pays homage to all that is remarkable about India. It is meticulously crafted in Maharashtra, exhibiting notes of oak, vanilla, and subtle fruitiness. Longitude 77 is a name that indicates the location of India on a map, but it also refers to the country’s history, culture, and unique ingredients. With its indigo colour and stamp that serves as a constant reminder of India’s significant global contributions, the bottle also looks good.
10. Medusa Air
With a 4.5% alcohol content, Medusa Air is an enticing blend of imported two-row malted barley and finely chosen hops. Perfect for moments of celebration, leisure, or simply craving the elegance of a fine brew, Medusa Air’s excellent flavour promises to transform your beer-drinking experience. Medusa Air will make its debut in the Delhi Beer market first, followed by Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
Availability: Delhi
11. Meukow Cognac
Meukow offers a range of cognac expressions. The spirit is also elegant. With two new variants, Vanilla and Xpresso, Meukow Vanilla is a delicate combination of Meukow Cognac with natural vanilla scents. The fragrances’ harmony demonstrates a wonderful balance between the cognac, which is lengthy and delicate, and the vanilla, which is silky and robust, providing a unique feeling to the palate. Xpresso by Meukow is a coffee and cognac liqueur. Its smoothness and sweetness reveal roasted coffee, charred wood, dark chocolate, and bitter orange scents.
Cost: ₹2500 (approx.)
12. Don Julio
Diageo has introduced the legendary Don Julio tequila to India. Don Julio’s portfolio for India includes Don Julio Blanco, Don Julio Reposado, Don Julio Anejo, and the legendary luxury spirit Don Julio 1942. The mellow and exquisite aromas of citrus notes and spice layers with hints of ripe stone fruit characterise Don Julio Reposado. Don Julio Anejo is a sophisticated blend of lime, grapefruit, mandarin, and citrus scents with a rich hint of caramel. Don Julio 1942 is a luxury icon and a tribute to the man who started it all; it has a rich, complex flavour profile with notes of caramel and chocolate on the tongue, as well as tropical fruit, toasty oak, vanilla, and roasted agave.
Cost: ₹6500 onwards
13. SĪTÄRĀ Rum
Spaceman Spirits Lab Private Limited (SSLPL) has announced its entry into the craft rum category with the release of SĪTÄRĀ. Their White Rum is a blend of column and pot-distilled Indian rums that are aged in Virgin American Oak barrels and then charcoal filtered for a transparent spirit. The SĪTÄRĀ Botanical Spiced Rum is also a combination of column and pot-distilled Indian rums. This variation, on the other hand, is matured for a somewhat longer period before being infused with seven chosen botanicals to create a spiced rum with a distinct Indian flavour. Cinnamon, Ginger, Orange, Hibiscus, Vanilla, Coffee, and Cacao Beans are among the botanicals used.
Cost: ₹1200 onwards
14. Lemon-Dou
Coca-Cola India has made its first foray into the alcohol business, introducing Lemon-Dou, their global alcoholic ready-to-drink beverage. Lemon-Dou is a delicious, full-bodied chu-hi alcoholic lemon cocktail created with crushed whole lemons soaked in alcohol and combined with bubbles. Initially, alcoholic beverages is only available in Goa and Maharashtra.
Cost: ₹150 in Goa and ₹230 in Maharashtra
15. Haku Vodka
From Yamazaki and Bowmore to the exquisite Roku gin, the House of Suntory has some wonderful spirits in its stable. Haku, their vodka, is a lot more understated, but it looks like something you’d want in your liquor cabinet. Haku, which translates to ‘white’ in Japanese, is distilled from Hakumai, a short-grain Japanese rice. It is distilled twice with bamboo charcoal.
Cost: ₹3,950
16. Smoke Lab Saffron Flavoured Vodka
With their Aniseed vodka, Smoke Lab has flavouring vodka almost exactly perfect, so you should check out their saffron variety. This traditional vodka, which is created with five distillations of basmati rice, is infused with Kashmiri saffron by the Delhi-based firm. Moreover, the result is a viscous, aromatic spirit with a creamy finish.
Cost: ₹2,000 (Delhi)
So, which one of these new alcohol launches is going to be your drink of choice for the holiday season?
Cover image credits: Brands mentioned
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