Chandigarh Man Serves Free Vodka Golas To Beat Summer Heat; Gets Arrested

A Chandigarh liquor vendor’s attempt to turn summer into a marketing spectacle has now landed him in legal trouble and sparked one of the internet’s most bizarre food conversations this week. The man was arrested after allegedly serving free vodka-infused ice golas in Chandigarh to people outside a liquor shop in Sector 9 Market, Chandigarh, with videos of the stunt rapidly spreading across social media platforms.

Free Vodka Ice Golas In Chandigarh Go Viral

The clips looked almost unreal at first glance! Think about it: it had crushed ice, bright gola syrups and plastic cups lined up at a roadside stall. Then came the plot twist: vodka being poured directly over the icy treats before they were handed to customers standing in the middle of a busy market. Within hours, Instagram pages and X users had turned the incident into viral content, with reactions ranging from amusement to disbelief.

But while the internet treated it like peak “desi summer innovation,” excise officials saw a clear violation of law.

According to reports, Chandigarh Police and the Excise Department were alerted after the videos gained traction online on Saturday. A flying squad was then sent to inspect the stall outside the liquor vend. Officials reportedly found alcohol-laced ice golas being openly distributed to the public without the necessary licence or permit required for serving liquor in such a setting.

Also Read: You Can Now Buy Liquor At Petrol Pumps In Chandigarh? All About The City’s New Policy

Chandigarh Man Booked After Serving Vodka Ice Golas In Public

A case was subsequently registered under Sections 68, 1 and 14 of the Punjab Excise Act, along with Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The accused was later granted bail.

The matter became more complicated after Charanjit Singh Bajaj, whose company had reportedly received the excise notice, denied involvement. Speaking to Times Of India, he claimed no person by the name mentioned in the show-cause notice worked at the establishment. He also stated that the company had not organised any “langar” or alcohol-serving gola stall outside the shop, suggesting that an individual customer may have independently carried out the activity.

Also, ice golas are super nostalgic in India. For generations, they have been the ₹20 summer rescue sold outside schools, parks, beaches, and crowded bazaars. The idea of combining that childhood street-side favourite with vodka felt absurdly modern, almost like something made specifically for viral shares.

Yet globally, alcohol-infused frozen desserts are hardly new! Bars in cities like Mumbai, Bangkok, Singapore, and New York have long experimented with boozy popsicles, frozen margaritas, liquor granitas, and cocktail slushies during peak summer months.

In India too, restaurants have increasingly leaned into “adult dessert” menus featuring rum cheesecakes, whiskey chocolates, and gin sorbets. The difference, however, is regulation. Such drinks are typically served inside licensed premises under controlled conditions.

That is precisely where the Chandigarh vodka ice gola stunt appears to have crossed the line.

Also Read: Polish Tourist Calls Chandigarh “India’s Beverly Hills” & The Internet Agrees

For now, Chandigarh’s vodka ice golas controversy remains a strange blend of summer heat, street-food memories, and excise law, all crushed together like ice in a gola machine.

Cover Image Courtesy: notkanjusbaniya/X

For more such snackable content, interesting discoveries and the latest updates on food, travel and experiences in your city, download the Curly Tales App. Download HERE.