What's In Store For Alco-bev In 2021?
The alco-bev industry and its offerings has for long and rightly been associated as an integral part of social gatherings, events and occasions and the highest projection is with the infamous Friday and Saturday nights at clubs and bars. The industry right from the onset of the pandemic, took a heavy blow owing to the subsequent nationwide lockdown and social distancing norms leaving an adverse effect on the manufacturers, liquor shop owners and our bartenders/mixologists.
In India the alcohol & beverages which was once considered a recession proof industry also faced its share of declining sales given that it does not fall under the category of essential commodities. However, with people staying at home for longer periods of time did lead to a rise in needs of in-home entertainment and time out from everyday chores, both at the work and home front. As soon as liquor sales resumed in the country, consumers were slowly seen to trickle back to celebrating occasions and events with alcohol and spirits, with parties and get-togethers moving its destination to zoom.
As Almost 70 percent of alcohol distribution in India happens through liquor vends or shops, while 30 per cent happens on the premise, that is, in bars, pubs, hotels, and restaurants. The latter has continued to stay on the low given continued social distancing norms and most units are slowly re-opening with limited staff, and bartenders. With the situation still being far away from normal, mixologists have largely been confined to their homes with little to no new work opportunities.
Pondering Upon The Past Year
The year 2020 has been transformative in ways more than one, and every industry has in its own way adapted and evolved to the new(er) work methods and opportunities to thrive and make better out of this collective crisis that we are facing at a global level. To talk about the alco-bev industry in particular, new ways have been adapted and devised in a short span of time. Digitization has been an integral part of these developments and has rather proven that while nothing can replicate meeting and greeting in person, there are still fun ways to do things from a distance.
As a young entrepreneur looking to make a change in the alco-bev industry, with a vision to bring out a digital platform that builds an ecosystem of the hospitality industry, alco-bev brands and spirit enthusiasts, the year and the rapid shift towards digital platforms acted as a catalyst for change and newness. The platform has aided us in not only providing consumers with exclusive consumer driven cocktail / beverage centric experiences all with the comfort of staying at home, but has also majorly helped in providing further growth opportunities to bartenders and other members of the industry by means of a platform meant to champion homegrown brands and bartenders.
Trends Expected In 2021
With the year ending with learnings of new ways and adaptive ways to function. We came to a realization that with team efforts, a never give up attitude and readiness to adapt is what has made this a year that we shall remember for a long time.
In 2020, the Indian bar community witnessed an unprecedented expansion of the industry. Five new Indian gins were announced, people adopted local and seasonal ingredients in cocktails, and the pandemic led to pre-batched and non-alcoholic drinks flourishing. 2021 promises to double on 2020’s momentum with new trends, brands, and ideas:
The Rum Revolution
For decades, Old Monk and McDowell’s No. 1 have faced no competition in the rum market, but that’s about to change. With a new, homegrown brand – Makazai Rum – on the market and the arrival of Lover’s Rum in Goa, we are about to witness an Indian Rum Revolution, for the first time in decades.
Makazai Rum is led by a team of women that promise a White and Gold Rum, with premium packaging and design – perfect for use in bars and to show off on shelves.
Lover’s Rum is a rum brand started by an Indian bar legend – Arijit Bose – and will be available in Goa this year.
It’s clear that, in 2021, rum will be following the footsteps of gin on a path that will be exciting and rewarding.
Pre-mixed, bottled cocktails
This trend arose in 2019 in India, but it was heavily adopted by restaurants in 2020 due to COVID-19. To minimize handling of beverages and glassware, restaurants came up with bottled cocktails that can be handed directly to the guests. Another reason for the adoption of pre-mixed cocktail was the inability to visit restaurants in lockdown and order your favorite cocktails. Thus, two wildly popular restaurants in Mumbai collaborated with Stranger & Sons to develop bottled cocktails.
The Bombay Canteen developed the Perry Road Peru – an ode to Mumbai’s beloved district of Bandra and the pink perus that flourish in the winter. Cin Cin developed 4 different flavors of bottled negronis – Curry Leaf, Limoncello, Chocolate Truffle, and Coffee.
With these drool-worthy distillations on offer, it seems that the cocktail-in-a-bottle trend is here to stay, even once the pandemic is over.
Rise of new, homegrown brands
Over lockdown, the Indian gin industry faced an unprecedented upheaval – five new Indian gins were released. While these brands signify a big change in the gin market, they are also a testament to an exciting trend: the rise of new, homegrown brands. The success of these gin brands have paved the way for more alcoholic beverages, such as Smoke Lab’s vodka, Makazai’s rum, and Beor360’s beer.
But these brands aren’t just competing in the Indian market, it has been a pleasure to watch the brands build an international name for themself – Jaisalmer was awarded a Gold Medal in the Fifty Best Awards 2020.
Existing homegrown brands creating limited editions
Releases such as Greater Than’s Juniper Bomb and Paul John’s Christmas Limited Edition portray the confidence that these brands have in the Indian mixology industry. There is demand for new brands, while existing brands continue to grow and flourish in their own niches.
Cocktail Premixes
As home bartending took off over lockdown, the demand for cocktails was filled by cocktail premixes that can easily be ordered home and prepared by adding spirit. The proof exists in the story of Jimmy’s Cocktails.
While the cocktail mix was introduced to the Delhi-NCR market in September 2019, the business was slow until the lockdown hit. To satisfy their cocktail cravings, people started buying Jimmy’s Cocktails and the business grew tenfold. To top it off, Jimmy’s Cocktails raised $350k in seed, to broaden its portfolio.
