Why cocktail makers want you to drink less, not more

The term “non-alcoholic cocktail” may sound like the very definition of an oxymoron, but ask anyone in the Indian beverage industry today and they will tell you that interest in zero-alcohol cocktails, spirits, and liqueurs is at an all-time high globally—and in India. Sakurafresh’s Better Than Bitters range of non-alcoholic bitters, which includes its classic Aromatic XII Bitters with the distinctive flavour of ripe citrus fruits and hints of clove and cinnamon, recently won several awards at the London Spirits Competition, and the company is introducing several other variants—including daring flavours like sandalwood bitters and Mexican Mole bitters—to the Indian market. The need to fill the gap with drinks that are non-alcoholic but are every bit as complex as cocktails in terms of taste and flavours is a small and niche market, certainly, but a growing one, says Rishabh Bhatia, founder of Delhi-based beverage brand Bab Louie & Co., which makes a range of non-alcoholic bitters, garnishes and cocktail premixes using craft techniques. Svami's non-alcoholic pre-mixed classic cocktails The low-to-no alcohol movement is kicking off in India, believes Rohit Kasare, India brand head at Zero Percent, a German-Indian e-commerce collaboration that acts as a marketplace for imported non-alcoholic drinks, such as the Danish brand ISH, which has a range of beverages like Ginish and Rumish that mimic the taste of favoured tipples without the alcohol content. Rumish and Ginish from ISH Spirits, being brought to India by Zero Percent “Our journey in India started at the beginning of this year, focusing on the 0% alcohol category, when we realised that people want to drink less but want something with familiar flavours, something fun and exciting, when they go out, and something that doesn’t have high sugar content like most mocktails,” says Kasare.