Worth the Premium Tag

A good night out, for VIBHA Sehgal, Entrepreneur , is not as much about the drink in her hand as it is about everything around it. She will happily pay a premium for a cocktail. Memorable to her are a Smoked Old Fashioned at Sidecar and a Picante at The Bombay Canteen, as they “feel special because the experience extends beyond the drinks.” Ambience, storytelling, service, and exclusivity now weigh more heavily in her choice of venue than the beverage list, a shift she partly credits to social media and travel exposing consumers like her to “world-class hospitality standards.” Unlike a cocktail, a glass of wine is another matter entirely. “Enjoying wine at home often provides a better overall experience,” she says bluntly: better selection, and far better value. It’s a telling admission. For Vibha, the premium price of a night out has to be earned by something more than the liquid in the glass What justifies paying a premium, for her, is craftsmanship, transparency around ingredients and provenance, and a bartender willing to introduce her to something new. “Value is no longer measured by quantity but by quality and the experience attached to it,” she says. Vibha also finds herself ordering fewer alcoholic beverages than before, and being far more selective when she does. “Luxury today is as much about choice as it is about indulgence,” she notes. Low-ABV cocktails and sophisticated non-alcoholic serves have earned a permanent place in her idea of a well-run venue. Consistency, she says, is what turns an occasional visit into a habit, and a habit into the kind of loyalty she’s happy to recommend to others.