India Notifies New Regulations on RTD Alcoholic Beverages and Country Liquor

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has officially notified the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) First Amendment Regulations, 2025, with specific provisions regarding alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages (RTDs) and country liquors, or traditional Indian spirits.
According to the notification, alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages are defined as flavoured drinks containing between 0.5% and 15.0% alcohol by volume, made from spirits or a blend of spirits and other alcoholic beverages. These may be combined with natural, nature-identical or artificial flavours, as well as food additives permitted under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. Additional ingredients may include fruit or vegetable juice, herbs, spices, added sugar or caloric sweeteners, salt, and may be either carbonated or non-carbonated.
For the carbonated versions, the beverage must be infused with a minimum of one volume of carbon dioxide, and the carbonation must meet the prescribed safety and quality standards.
The notification also provides a clear definition of country liquor, also referred to as Indian liquor or Indian-made liquor. These are alcoholic beverages produced through the distillation of fermentable agricultural carbohydrates.
Two categories are recognized:
• Plain country liquor, made from alcoholic distillates derived from the fermentation of molasses, jaggery (gur), cereal mash, potatoes, cassava, fruits, coconut or palm sap, mahua flowers, or other agricultural raw materials;
• Blended country liquor, consisting of a mixture of alcoholic distillates, rectified spirit, or neutral spirit.
According to the notification, the new regulations will come into effect on January 1, 2026.

Photo credit: Freepik

Source: FnBNews