Deepavali 2026: How ready-to-drink cocktails are changing India’s festive drinking scene

Deepavali parties are as much about the dining and drinking as the dress-up. Setting up a snazzy bar with sophisticated flavour pairings, garnishes and sleek ice can be tedious if freelance bartenders are booked for the season, or you do not have the bandwidth for it.

This year, if you are hosting a soirée, you can take the guesswork out of bartending with Ready-to-Drink (RTD) alcoholic beverages, serving familiar flavours across a range of spirit profiles (high or low ABV- alcohol per volume of beverage). Flavour experimentation is a key driver in this market, according to the 2026 Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report, “40% of consumers say rich flavour makes for an impressive experience, while 22% are actively seeking intense and bold tastes”.