Hangovers Are Out. Longevity Is In

At a recent sangeet in Hyderabad, guests dressed in couture did something unexpected between dance sets. They queued not for champagne but for IV drips. “Discreet infusion stations beside the bar offered the Myers’ Cocktail, a vitamin blend more associated with immunity recovery than wedding revelry. Guests rolled up their sleeves as casually as they once lifted crystal flutes. It was a defining moment,” says politician, educationist and entrepreneur Vijender Goud. “Wellness is no longer private or corrective. It has become part of the celebration itself.”

For Goud, the symbolism was unmistakable. “What is unfolding across Hyderabad’s high-profile social circles is not a passing fad but a recalibration of status,” he says. “For years, prestige was expressed through excess: rare liquor, extravagant spreads, after-parties that ended at sunrise. Now luxury signals access to knowledge about your body, your metabolism, your longevity. It is about celebrating without compromising performance.”

He believes vitality is fast becoming social currency. “This mirrors a broader global movement,” Goud adds, pointing to biohacking lounges at fashion weeks and sobriety shaping red-carpet conversations. “But in Hyderabad, the shift feels embedded rather than performative. It is visible not only at private celebrations, but also inside restaurants and hospitality businesses rethinking their beverage philosophy.”

Restoration in real time

The IV station was no anomaly. “Foot massage corners, reflexology pods and pop-up recovery suites are becoming standard at weddings and corporate gatherings,” Goud says. “The ethos is strategic, not indulgent. People do not want to feel depleted after hosting their own events. They want to wake up clear, functional and productive. That itself is aspirational.”

Menus reflect the same discipline. “Heavy spreads are giving way to plant-forward selections. Welcome counters now feature kadha, coconut water, turmeric lattes and zero-proof infusions instead of sugar-heavy coolers and alcohol-led bars,” Goud notes. “What hosts serve signals what they value.” Indulgence has not disappeared. It has been redesigned.

Rise of the sober bar

Nowhere is this recalibration clearer than at Dokii Dokii, where the sober bar is not an add-on but a strategic core. “For us, this was never about offering a substitute,” says Sandeep Balasubramanian, co-founder of Dokii Dokii and Hashi. “It was about building a new category.” Having worked with alcohol brands for over five years, he tracked global consumption closely. “Gen Z is drinking far less than millennials. Worldwide, alcohol consumption is flattening and, in many markets, declining. The long-term direction is clear,” he says. “Yet diners still want a sophisticated beverage experience. That gap was the opportunity.”

In a city where liquor licences are costly and regulations tight, he saw room for innovation. “We asked a simple question: can we deliver the theatre and craft of a cocktail without the alcohol? That question shaped our entire beverage programme.” The result is a structured Sober Cocktail menu designed to stand on its own. “There is a real behavioural shift. People want to enjoy their weekends and wake up sharp. Performance and social life are no longer separate,” he adds.

The implications for hospitality, he believes, are structural. “In five years, serious restaurants will not treat non-alcoholic options as an afterthought,” Balasubramanian says. “A sober portfolio will be as important as a wine list once was. This is not a trend. It is a shift in how people socialise.”

Discipline as social capital

Participation in endurance events such as the Hyderabad Marathon has become a quiet marker of social identity among entrepreneurs and next-generation business leaders. “In certain circles, discussing sleep metrics or marathon timings carries more weight than talking about a wine cellar,” says Dr Samatha Tulla, co-founder and medical director of PMX Health. “Optimisation signals discipline. Discipline signals control. And control is power. Hyderabad’s globally mobile elite, frequent travellers to London, Dubai and Singapore, are adopting longevity frameworks. What is emerging locally is not imitation, but integration,” says Dr Samatha Tulla.

Engineering the environment for health

If Goud observes the shift socially, Dr Tulla structures it clinically .“Your social circle shapes your sleep, diet, movement and stress more than you realise. When people surround themselves with others prioritising strength, metabolic health and recovery, adherence improves dramatically,” she says.

That philosophy underpins the monthly PMX Kommune gatherings. “Alcohol is absent by design. Conversations centre on strength milestones, metabolic markers, recovery protocols and mindset. Many attendees are reducing alcohol or quitting smoking because they understand the biological cost,” says Dr Samatha Tulla.

The quiet redefinition of status

Luxury has always meant control over time, space and access. In Hyderabad, that control is turning inward, toward biology itself. Immunity is curated. Recovery is scheduled. Menus are metabolically considered. Celebrations are designed to sustain, not exhaust. “The definition of aspiration is evolving,” says Vijender Goud. “It is no longer about pushing excess. It is about preserving energy, focus and longevity.”

Balasubramanian sees the shift from behind the bar. “In five years, serious restaurants will rethink their beverage programmes,” he says. “Sober and wellness-forward offerings will not be niche. They will be expected.”

Dr Samatha Tulla agrees. “When vitality becomes visible in a community, it raises the baseline. Health-supportive environments make healthy behaviour normal.”

The cocktail party has not disappeared. But beside it stands a new archetype: the wellness-curated soirée, globally aware and intentionally restrained. In Hyderabad’s recalibrated high society, endurance is fast becoming the ultimate marker of arrival.