Low-price effect: High-end spirits, Scotch sales on a high
Times of India | 1 January 2026
Kolkata: Single malt, Scotch and other high-end liquors have turned into the new flavour of the Christmas-New Year's Eve festive season in Kolkata.
A distributor of liquor pointed out that from April to Nov, there was 12% rise in sales of India Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) in Bengal but due to a marginal price rejig in Dec, sales dropped 20% till date. But the sales of Scotch, single malt and some imported liquors saw a 12% rise. The growth in sales of high-end liquors was witnessed across off-shops, social clubs and restaurants.
Anjan Chatterjee, who owns restaurant brands, such as Mainland China, Haka, Oh! Calcutta, Cafe Mezzuna and Asia Kitchen, pointed out that in DecJan, a lot of non-resident Bengalis (NRB) came to Kolkata and most of them went for high-end liquors. This year, it was even more. "We are getting customers who are asking for 18-year-old Scotch and expensive single malts. The pricing in Bengal is very competitive. I should say BEVCO is also keeping all the expensive brands," he added.
Secretary of Calcutta Rowing Club Chandan Roychowdhury confirmed the spike in Scotch and single malt sales. "People seem to be preferring high-end liquor to regular ones over the past few weeks. The trend is even more prominent this year," he said. Echoing him, Jayajit Biswas, secretary of International Club, said high-end liquors constituted 40% of the club's liquor sales this month. "We saw at least 20% growth in the sales of Scotch and single malt over the same period last year. We feel this will continue for the next few weeks," he added.
Tolly Club CEO V Ganapathy, too, pointed out that though overall liquor revenues rose compared to that the preceding year, period-to-period trends suggested that the sales rise was more pronounced in the premium and high-end segments.
The trend was similar at Eastern Metropolitan Club. The secretary of the club, Sanjib Ghosh, said, "There is a growth of at least 12%. Now, 30% of our sales is of high-end liquor."
Restaurant and bar owners said high-end liquor sales growth outpaced that of IMFLs. President of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Eastern India (HRAEI) Sudesh Poddar, who owns MS Bar and Lounge, Songhay and Manthan, said in Dec, there was 20%-25% growth in sales of tequila, Scotch and expensive gin in leading bars and restaurants in Kolkata. Owner of KK's Fusion Pradip Rozario pointed out that he saw some of his regular customers, who used to have Blenders Pride or Antiquity Blue, having Scotch around this time of the year. "There was a 15%-20% jump in high-end liquor sales for us. Even those who are having beer are ordering Corona instead of the likes of Kingfisher," he added.