Holi 2026: Forgotten Holi drinks that disappeared over time

Holi is not just a festival of colours and culinary treats. It is also about nostalgia and memories. And when it comes to memories, it is important to talk about the forgotten flavours and customs. Drinks or beverages have been as important as Holi foods. In early times, welcoming people with sherbet at Holi milaan was all about custom and warmth. But the urbanization changed us a lot and many such flavours are lost in time or are overshadowed by packaged foods and instant drinks. Today, we will take you back in time to forgotten Holi drinks that disappeared over time.

Also known as flower-infused thandai, it refers to classic thandai made with fresh flowers. It used to be made with rose petals, petals of palash flowers, kewra essence, and crushed black pepper. Palash flowers were soaked overnight to create a naturally saffron-orange tint — the same flower used to make traditional Holi colors. And today, artificial colors have replaced this floral version in most places.

This was also called jaggery-fermented kanji and was native to Punjab and Haryana, an older version of kanji which wasn’t just black carrot and mustard. It included jaggery (gur) for fermentation, dried red chilies and sometimes roasted barley. It was mildly fizzy, earthy, and slightly alcoholic due to natural fermentation. As refrigeration and hygiene concerns changed food habits, slow-fermented home drinks declined.

This is also a forgotten sherbet. Before mahua became associated mainly with liquor, tribal communities in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh made a sweet Holi drink from soaked mahua flowers, diluted honey, and used mild fermentation. As per legends, this was low-alcohol and floral, more like a spring nectar. Later, industrial alcohol production changed how mahua was used, and this sherbet-style version faded.

Also known as palash drink, in rural Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, tesu flowers were soaked in water, lightly sweetened with sugar and consumed as a cooling drink.

As per legends, in older merchant communities of Varanasi, Holi milk sometimes included a few drops of badam roghan, almond oil used medicinally, and was served as a Holi drink. It was thought to prevent heatstroke and aid digestion after heavy sweets. Today, it survives more in Unani and Ayurvedic medicine than in festive kitchens.

Today, the hand-churner is replaced with a blender. Else, in early times, in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, sattu (roasted gram flour) wasn’t only a summer drink but was a Holi drink, mixed with jaggery, and spiced with black salt & cumin. Sometimes lightly fermented overnight. The change in time and urban tastes shifted toward cold drinks and packaged beverages, pushing this rustic protein-rich cooler out of festive menus.

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