After a decade-long run of growth, beer sales in Punjab are witnessing a sharp and sustained decline, with fresh data revealing a 25% year-on-year drop.
The shift comes as the state’s youth increasingly gravitate toward Imported Foreign Liquor (IFL), marking a striking change in drinking preferences and retail trends, clubbed with the frequent rains in Punjab, which dropped the temperature in summer.
What was once a dominant beverage of choice — especially among young, urban consumers — beer is now losing ground to premium imported spirits like scotch, vodka and gin.
According to figures from the Punjab excise department, the sale of IFL has more than doubled over the past two years, even as beer consumption slips into negative territory for the second consecutive year.
“This is the first time in over 10 years that we’ve seen such a sharp decline in beer sales,” said a senior excise official, who confirmed the 25% year-on-year drop in overall beer volumes across the state.
“Imported liquor, on the other hand, is breaking all previous records. IFL is a big hit in Punjab, with sales jumping 12.5-fold from 20,000 cases in financial year 2021-22 to 2.5 lakh cases in 2024-25 and projected to reach 3 lakh this fiscal — a 15-fold rise from 2021-22,” said an excise department official.
The trend is most visible in major urban centres like Ludhiana, Amritsar and Mohali, where liquor stores report dwindling beer sales and rising demand for international labels.
{{/usCountry}}The trend is most visible in major urban centres like Ludhiana, Amritsar and Mohali, where liquor stores report dwindling beer sales and rising demand for international labels.
{{/usCountry}}Even in bars and lounges, whisky-based cocktails, premium vodka mixes and gin-infused drinks are replacing the humble pint.
‘Social, lifestyle factors driving shift’
Industry observers attribute the shift to changing consumer aspirations, aggressive lifestyle branding by global liquor giants and evolving social behaviour.
“Beer no longer carries the aspirational value it once did,” said Abhijeet Singh Pahwa, who runs a club in Mohali. “Imported spirits come with lifestyle appeal and young consumers want to be seen with premium labels. It’s less about volume and more about vibe now.”
“Now, youth today don’t want crates of beer. They want a single bottle that feels premium — that looks good on social media and carries a certain image,” he said.
“Earlier, weekends meant truckloads of beer. Now it’s all about Chivas, Absolut and Jameson and other top brands,” said Amarpreet Singh Randhawa Ammu, a liquor contractor.
He, however, said the trend didn’t translate into more business for contractors due to the prevalent liquor smuggling from other states.
Punjab excise commissioner Jatinder Jorwal confirmed the trend, while also attributing the decline in beer sales to the frequent rains and drop in temperature from April to October, the months which normally saw maximum sale of beer.