Tezzbuzz Desk– Onam festival is being celebrated with full enthusiasm in Kerala, but during this period the figures of liquor sales are also in discussion. According to the data of Kerala State Beverages Corporation i.e. Bevco, liquor worth Rs 771.29 crore has been sold in the state in the first eight days of Onam season. This figure is about Rs 76.33 crore more than the sales of Rs 694.96 crore in the same period last year.
During the 10-day Onam season, the biggest increase in liquor sales was seen in the days before the festival. A total of Rs 771.29 crore of liquor was sold from Bevco outlets between August 18 and August 25. Officials hope that by the end of the season, sales may surpass last year's figures. Last year, a total of liquor worth Rs 826.38 crore was sold during Onam. This year, sales figures for two days are yet to be added. In such a situation, officials estimate that the total business in 10 days can reach around Rs 850 crore. If this happens then it will be a new record compared to last year.
The most important day for liquor sales during Onam was Uthradam, which falls a day before Thiruvonam. On this day, liquor worth Rs 126.31 crore was sold from Bevco outlets across the state. However, this figure was less than last year's sales of Uthradam of Rs 137.64 crore. Despite this, the sales for the entire eight days have gone far ahead of last year. Many liquor outlets in the state witnessed huge crowds before the festival. A Bevco outlet in Karunagapalli was among the highest selling outlets on the day of Uthradam. Liquor sales worth about Rs 1.15 crore were recorded here. The second ranked outlet also did a business of around Rs 1.06 crore. Apart from this, daily sales ranging from Rs 90 lakh to Rs 1 crore were also recorded at many outlets in Thiruvananthapuram, Kasaragod and Alappuzha.
Bevco i.e. Kerala State Beverages Corporation is a company owned by the Government of Kerala. It deals with the purchase and distribution of liquor in the state. Through this, Indian made foreign liquor i.e. IMFL, beer, wine along with foreign liquor and wine are also sold. Increase in sale of liquor during Onam is not a new thing in Kerala. The state's liquor business often sees a boom during festivals and special occasions. This time too, sales of more than Rs 771 crore in eight days are an indication of this. Now everyone's eyes are on the sales of the last two days of Onam season. If sales continue at this pace, the Onam season of 2026 may break last year's record in terms of liquor sales in Kerala.