Bhubaneswar liquor sales double in last wk of ’25

Bhubaneswar: A majority of the city’s population may have woken up with a massive hangover on the first day of 2026, if the volume of liquor sales are anything to go by. According to official data, between Dec 25 and 31, the Odisha State Beverage Corporation (OSBC) supplied alcohol worth Rs 32.55 crore, with New Year’s Eve and the day before that seeing the most intense activity and all three depots recorded peak lifting as retailers and bars stocked up heavily.Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) remained the top choice for revellers and pubs reported record footfall.The surge was stark when compared to a standard week in the capital. While Bhubaneswar typically accounted for about 10% of the state’s total foreign liquor offtake, the year-end week saw this figure nearly double in terms of local intensity.Excise officials attributed the spike to extended celebrations and high demand from retailers and bar owners. “Supply was scaled up to meet the rush,” an excise department official said, adding, “All three depots of Bhubaneswar recorded a peak in liquor lifting.”“As the New Year celebrations unfolded, there was a high demand from retailers and bar owners. The supply was done accordingly,” the official said.The surge in liquor sales was led by IMFL, which accounted for 2.5 lakh litres worth Rs 28.04 crore, followed by 1.78 lakh litres of beer worth Rs 3.56 crore and 1.5 lakh litres of country liquor worth Rs 94.20 lakh.A pub owner in Patia highlighted the trend and said that on a lean day, they recorded business of about Rs 1.5 lakh. “On Dec 31, our collection crossed Rs 4.8 lakh as we offered all-inclusive ‘Zero Night’ packages that sold out days in advance,” he added.In terms of numbers, OSBC supplies liquor worth Rs 20 crore on an average on a typical day, of which roughly Rs 2 crore of sales take place in Bhubaneswar. The weekly sale which comes around to Rs 14 crore on an average shot up to Rs 32.55 crore in the last week of 2025, recording over two-fold rise.The food business mirrored the liquor boom. Non-veg food worth Rs 7.01 crore was sold on Dec 31 alone,with mutton sales standing at Rs 2.52 crore, and chicken at Rs 2.35 crore.