Vodka is gasping for breath
Renowned mixologist and partner at Cocktails & Dreams, Speakeasy, Yangdup Lama doesn’t see any reason why craft vodka should be in demand. In the crafts spirits age he sees very little space for vodka.
The future of vodka looks grim as far as the Indian market is concerned. And the reason is due to the rising popularity of gin and its variations, feels Yangdup. “New-age drinkers are more inclined towards craft spirits with character where vodka has very little role to play. As a spirit, vodka has almost nothing to offer as compared to some other spirits. So, it looks like an uphill task for vodka in the future, in the context of Indian market,” says Yangdup. As regards present consumption trends of vodka in India, he says it is not as it used to be. Those who show a preference for vodka are mainly youngsters between the age group of 25-35. As for client preferences, Yangdup says: “Guests prefer non-flavoured vodka. The flavoured vodkas are very rare unless we put it across in a cocktail format. Some popular brands are Absolut, Smirnoff and Grey Goose.”
