What trends are driving India’s bar scene in 2025?
A rising thirst for homegrown spirits and a push for premiumisation are driving India’s drinkers, according to the latest annual bar report published by 30BestBarsIndia.
30BestBarsIndia has partnered with PR agency The Outlier to release the 2025 edition of What India Is Drinking (WIID).
The report brings together insights from bar owners, head bartenders and beverage leads from 125 bars across 17 cities in India, all of which have been operational for at least 6 months.
Premiumisation remains a key driver across all categories, the report found. This even applied in non-alcoholic categories like water.
Homegrown spirits are also commanding more shelf space than in previous years, competing with global icons which continue to perform well. The report said: “Beyond whisky, craft gin, premium vodka, and agave spirits, homegrown liqueurs and Indian heritage spirits are also carving out loyal audiences, finding space on menus and shelves that once leaned entirely on global staples.”
In a number of categories, the best-performing brand from 2024 has remained in top spot this year. These include Johnnie Walker in the blended Scotch category, Jameson for international whisky, Glenfiddich for malt whisky, Indri for Indian single malt, Grey Goose vodka, Bombay Sapphire gin, Bacardi rum, Corona for international beer, Kingfisher for Indian beer, Jacob’s Creek for international still wine, Sula for Indian still wine, Moet & Chandon for sparkling, Hennessy for brandy, Jägermeister for liqueurs and Campari for aperitifs.
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The only significant change is in the agave category, where Don Julio replaces Patron as the leader.
Oaksmith emerged as the top brand in the newly introduced Indian premium whisky category, Yamazaki was the leader among international single malts, and Cinzano replaced Martini as the most popular sparkling wine.
India’s beverage market continues to grow rapidly. Many markets around the world slowed in 2024, but India recorded the highest growth in total beverage alcohol consumption among 20 major markets, according to IWSR. Volumes rose 7% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, crossing 440 million nine-litre cases. Spirits led this rise, with Indian whisky up 7%, vodka up 10%, and gin up 3%.
According to the report, India is on track to become the world’s fifth-largest alcohol market by 2033, which its authors described as “good news for both Indian makers and global brands eyeing the country’s evolving drinkers”.
30BestBarsIndia launched in 2019, co-founded by Vikram Achanta and Radhakrishnan Nair. It aims to raise awareness about the rising standards of Indian bars and beverages on national and international platforms.
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