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List of Indian drinks

Indian drinks vary from hot drinks during winters to cold drinks in summers while different regions in the country serve drinks made with local spices, flavors and herbs. These drinks are all a part of the cuisine of India.

Consumption statistics by drink type

This is the consumption of drinks per capita per year in India in 2021 by drink type, excluding water and juices.

Assorted drinks

Dairy drinks

Flavoured milk

  • Badam milk – almond-flavoured milk
  • Kesar milk – saffron-flavoured milk
  • Rose milk – Rose syrup – flavoured milk
  • Sugandha milk

Milk-based beverages

  • Ambil or Ambli – prepared by using ragi flour and buttermilk, Maharashtra and Karnataka
  • Buttermilk – Lassi or Laasi in North India, chhachh or Chaas or Chaah in North India, mor in Tamil, majjiga in Telugu, majjige in Kannada, and taak in Marathi
  • Chai with cream – prepared using dry or fresh variants of tea, often has hints of cardamom (elaichi), cinnamon (dalchini) or a mixture of spices, which constitute the special masala chai, taken especially during the cold to keep the winter-related problems at bay
  • Doodh soda – mixture of milk and lemon-lime soda
  • Haldi doodh or hot turmeric milk
  • Lassi – a popular, traditional, yogurt-based drink from Northern India. It is a blend of yogurt, water, spices and sometimes fruit.
  • Traditional lassi (a.k.a., "salted lassi", or simply "lassi") is a savoury drink, sometimes flavoured with ground and roasted cumin.
  • Sweet lassi, however, contains sugar or fruits, instead of spices. Banarasi Lassi: Varanasi, one of the prominent cities of Bhojpur region is known for special variation of Lassi, popularly known as Banarasi Lassi<nowiki/>'. The Curd for Banarasi Lassi is made with reduced milk which gives it a creamy and thick texture. It is then sweetened, churned and served with generous blob of Rabdi in earthen pots called Kulhads.
  • Patiala lassi, a famous Punjabi variation of the traditional yogurt-based drink, Lassi. Originating from the city of Patiala in Punjab, this version is known for its rich, creamy texture and generous use of butter<nowiki/>, malai (clotted cream), and nuts like almonds and pistachios. It is typically served in large brass tumblers and is considered a specialty in Punjabi cuisine. Unlike regular lassi, Patiala Lassi is much thicker and often topped with an extra layer of cream.

Hot drinks

Both tea and coffee contain caffeine and tannins. Comparatively, coffee has more caffeine and fewer tannins than tea, whereas tea has more tannins and less caffeine than coffee.

Coffee

Tea

Flavoured tea

Intoxicating drinks

Ancient

See the list of vedic and ayurvedic alcoholic drinks.

Traditional

The alphabetised list of native traditional drinks is as follows:

  • Laopani (also called Haanj) – made from fermented rice in Assam, concentrated extract is called Rohi.
  • Lugdi – made from rice, Himachal Pradesh
  • Mahua – made from mahua flowers, Central India
  • Mandia pej – made from ragi powder and stale water from boiled rice, popular in Odissa
  • Manri – made from fermented rice, popular in Mithila
  • Rohi – pale yellow coloured extract of Laopani fermented rice drink of Assam, usually offered to the ancestors, priests or elders on special occasions.

Non-Traditional

Alphabetised list of non-traditional drinks in India.

  • Old Monk, well-known rum produced since 1954.
  • Solan No. 1, India's first single malt whiskey produced at Kasauli Brewery since 1930 which was also started by Edward Abraham Dyer.

See also

References