How does this milk-based beverage get its name? Prepared with naturally cooling ingredients like nuts, poppy seeds, and spices, Thandai is not only a MUST-HAVE during Holi and Maha Shivratri but also a refreshing treat to enjoy all summer long! Among the best thandai brands in India, we are set to find the best one.
We ordered ready to drink Thandai syrups from seven renowned brands, and the title of the Best Thandai Brand in India goes to…
Table of Contents
Quick Comparison of Best Thandai Syrup Brands
| Brands | Mishry Rating | Buy Now On Amazon | Buy Now On Flipkart |
| Gulabs | 5/5 | Add To Cart | – |
| Bikano | 4/5 | – | |
| Urban Platter | 4/5 | Add To Cart | – |
| Gopaljee | 3/5 | Add To Cart | – |
| Haldiram | 3/5 | – | |
| Dhampure | 3/5 | Add To Cart | – |
| Guruji | 1/5 | Add To Cart | Add To Cart |
Our Review Factors
1. Packaging
A glass bottle adds a touch of premium. Is the bottle simply placed in a carton? Are there cardboard slots holding the bottle in place? Bubble wrap, double packed?
Are the labels easy to read?
2. Main Ingredients
When preparing thandai at home, ingredients like rose petals, poppy seeds, and nuts are typically used. Additionally, saffron, fennel seeds, milk, and sugar are added to create its signature flavor.
How many of these could we spot on the ingredient lists? What about added colors and flavors?
3. Taste
We were looking for a readymade thandai bottle that imparts a refreshing taste with a well-rounded sweetness.
Which Thandai syrup tastes impeccable after mixing with milk?
4. Flavor
Does the flavor of all ingredients shine through equally?
Are the flavors intense, or do they feel subdued? How boldly did the spices and aromatics make their presence felt?
5. Aroma
Do the taste and flavors match the aroma?
How fresh a whiff does one get upon opening, mixing, and drinking?
6. Consistency
The consistency was recorded in two stages- before and after mixing in milk. Easy mixability or demanding efforts, how was our experience with these seven brands?
7. Nutritional Information
Thandai is typically rich in carbohydrates as compared to the other macronutrients (fats and proteins)
100 ml of Thandai syrup would provide anywhere between 250-350 Kcal with 65-80 grams of carbohydrates, 1-1.5 grams of protein, and 1-2 grams of fats.
8. Price
Our contenders range from Rs 290 to Rs 550/-.
The price varies based on net quantity, quality of ingredients used, packaging, etc.
9. Shelf Life
Thandai syrups have a shelf life of anywhere between 6-12 months.
Best Thandai Syrup Brands in India – Detailed Review
The aroma, consistency, appearance, and taste of all seven contenders have been shared in detail in this section.
Here’s a quick insight into our review process. It starts with scrutinizing the ingredient list (we’re always in for a surprise). This is followed by observing and recording details on appearance, aroma, consistency, mixability, taste, and others.
For our Best Thandai Syrup in India, we performed two tasting rounds. After the first, the tasters had their top three chosen, which were then re-tasted, and then we announced the definite favorite as our Top Pick.
1. Gulabs Thandai Syrup
The price of 500 ml Gulab’s Thandai syrup is Rs 375/-. The top 5 main ingredients are: sugar, water, rose petal jam, almonds and dried watermelon seeds.
This features an eco-friendly brown carton plus glass bottle packaging. The recommended ratio is 1 part syrup to 5 parts milk (20 ml to 100 ml). Gulabs also mentions their syrup can be used as a dessert/ice cream topping too.
Visually, this is a smooth, flowy syrup. We couldn’t really see any ingredients as the mix had been blended. The rose petal jam lent the most prominent aroma.
The thandai syrup mixed effortlessly in milk and imparted a visually appealing hue. Almost milky white with a tinge of green. Thumbs up for this, as it contains no added colors.
The crushed nut bits add a homestyle texture to the beverage. We liked this. REFRESHING! The taste and aroma are both tempting.
The sweetness is well-rounded, and there’s a desirable pepper flavor. Not too intense, not too subtle. The flavor profile of this ready-to-use syrup came closest to that of homemade Thandai.
Main Ingredients-5/5
Taste- 5/5
Aroma- 5/5
Mishry Rating – 5/5
- Thumbs up for the eco-friendly packaging!
- This contains no preservatives, and added colors.
- It can be used as a dessert topping.
- We appreciate the smooth, flowy consistency.
- We liked an interplay of textures due to crushed nuts.
- This tastes super refreshing!
- Balanced sweetness and we could make out the ingredients.
- Overall, very homestyle taste and aroma.
Craving thandai but can’t go through the preparation process? Gulabs Thandai Syrup is as close as it gets to the homemade variant.
2. Bikano Kesaria Thandai
The price of 1 Kg Bikano Kesaria Thandai is Rs 290/-. The top 5 main ingredients are sugar, water, liquid glucose, almonds and watermelon seeds.
Offered in PET bottles, Bikano Kesaria Thandai had a flowy batter-like consistency. This wasn’t smooth but had granules that we think were lumps of powdered sugar.
Specs of black pepper and average-sized saffron strands were visible. It emitted a subtle aroma of the spices used, khus khus predominantly.
1 part syrup to 4 parts water/pre-boiled milk with ice cubes is the recommended proportion, and we prepared this Thandai accordingly.
Though mixing requires some effort, the lumps had dissolved completely.
This had a light saffron appearance that resembled that of masala milk. Safe to say, mixing this Thandai syrup with milk worked in its favor. The aroma was more prominent and inviting.
The Thandai tasted pretty good. Quite refreshing, perfectly sweet, and showcased a mild and delicious flavor of saffron. The slight peppery kick tied these together.
Main Ingredients-2.5/5
Taste- 4/5
Aroma- 4/5
Mishry Rating – 4/5
- Completely lump-free after mixing.
- The color is pleasing.
- This thandai syrup tastes quite good.
- It has a refreshing aroma.
- The sweetness is balanced.
- This is very reasonably priced (1 kg for Rs 290/-)
- The flavors of saffron and black pepper were mild.
- It is sweetened with sucrose and liquid glucose and contains synthetic colors.
- It also contains sodium benzoate that we wouldn’t otherwise add to thandai.
Looking for a budget-friendly buy? We recommend Bikano’s Thandai syrup.
3. Urban Platter Kesaria Thandai Syrup
The price of 500 ml Urban Platter Kesaria Thandai syrup is Rs 550/-. The top 5 main ingredients are sugar, water, khus khus, almonds, rose petals and cardamom.
Urban Platter Thandai is packed in a glass bottle. A similar 1:4 ratio has been suggested.
Visually, this was thick but flowy and had an olive green appearance. It had a FRESH aroma that was dominated by rose and fennel seeds. There was an inviting sweetness that laced the aroma.
Thumbs up on how easily it mixed in milk. Adding milk lightened the appearance, and our Thandai had a pastel, pista green look.
The sweetness was on the higher side. However, this was quite delicious! The black pepper heat hits right at the back of the throat. We could make out the fennel seeds. They imparted a subtle but appreciable flavor. The minutely crushed nuts add a nice bite to the beverage. Overall, this was refreshing.
Main Ingredients- 3/5
Taste- 4/5
Aroma- 4/5
Mishry Rating – 4/5
- This looked appetizing.
- The rose and fennel seed aroma was desirable.
- Full marks on mixability!
- We could taste all the ingredients.
- The crushed nuts add a nice texture.
- This tastes refreshing.
- This is priced quite steeply.
If you don’t mind the occasional splurge, Urban Platter’s Thandai Syrup is the one you should go for.
4. Gopaljee Kesaria Thandai Fruit Syrup
The price of 750 ml Gopaljee Kesaria Thandai fruit syrup is Rs 325/-. The top 5 main ingredients are sugar, water, khus khus, almonds, and cucumber seeds.
Gopaljee Thandai is packed in a glass bottle. Since this calls itself a ‘fruit syrup’ we were quite intrigued. The brand offers a PET bottle with the pack.
It features a deep amber appearance and a somewhat thinned-down consistency. It had a bold rose fragrance with subtle notes of saffron. The aroma was intense to the extent that it felt undesirable. Saffron strands were visible sparingly.
20 ml syrup with 80 ml milk, the brand recommends a 1:4 ratio.
Mixing the syrup with milk did not impact its aroma significantly. It was still predominantly rose-like and overwhelming. The taste is just like the aroma, led by rose. But it feels too synthetic and artificial.
However, surprisingly, it is slightly bitter. This bitterness transfers to the aftertaste as well.
Main Ingredients-3/5
Taste- 2/5
Aroma- 2/5
Mishry Rating – 3/5
- The consistency is quite watery.
- We found the aroma to be overwhelming.
- It had a synthetic rose flavor.
- The bitter aftertaste was disappointing.
5. Haldiram’s Kesaria Thandai
The price of 750 ml Haldiram’s Kesaria Thandai is Rs 310/-. The top 5 main ingredients are sugar, water, khus khus, almonds, and watermelon seeds.
The glass bottle is placed inside a carton. Haldiram’s Thandai cannot really be called a ‘syrup’ as it had more of thick paste-like consistency. The fluid was flowy, but it was quite dense. We could see some saffron strands too.
The brand recommends mixing one part syrup with four parts of chilled milk.
We measured and added the syrup and milk to find that mixing was a task. This wasn’t a surprise, owing to the original consistency of the syrup.
Once it was seamless, our ready-to-relish Haldiram Thandai had an appetizing, light saffron appearance, more towards a pale yellow.
The overwhelming saffron aroma was too strong for our liking. It was laced with whiffs of kewra.
Taste-wise, this Thandai was way too sweet. The flavors of saffron and kewra were overpowering too. Towards the end, we could taste subtle notes of black pepper. Overall, the sweetness from sugar had overshadowed all other ingredients.
Main Ingredients-3.5/5
Taste- 3/5
Aroma- 3.5
Mishry Rating – 3/5
6. Dhampur Green Kesari Badam Thandai
The price of 750 ml Dhampur Green Kesari Thandai is Rs 499/-. The top 5 main ingredients are sugar, water, badam, elaichi, saunf, and kesar.
Dhampur Green Kesari Thandai comes in a glass bottle. The deep olive green appearance explains why it is labeled ‘Green’ Kesari Thandai.
An unappetizing aroma was observed. No one ingredient could be identified at this stage.
Following the 1:4 ratio as the brand recommends, this Thandai syrup mixed seamlessly.
Corroborating the ‘Green’ Thandai claim, this had a light pista green appearance. Surprisingly, the aroma turned inviting, but we still couldn’t make out the individual ingredients by a whiff.
The primary taste here was sweet. Too SWEET. This Thandai is sweet to the point where all you can taste is sugar. An exceptionally mild flavor of black pepper was sensed by one of our reviewers.
Main Ingredients- 3/5
Taste- 2/5
Aroma- 2/5
Mishry Rating – 3/5
7. Guruji Kesharia Thandai Dry Fruit Syrup
The price of 750 ml Guruji Kesharia Thandai Dry Fruit syrup is Rs 300/-. The top 5 main ingredients are sugar, water, badam, rose water, and magaz.
A glass bottle is placed inside a golden brown carton. This looks premium.
It is a 750 ml bottle that prepares 25 glasses of thandai. Therefore, the suggested ratio is 1 part syrup to 2.2-2.5 parts of milk with ice cubes.
This is a deep amber-colored syrup with a luscious, smooth, and thick consistency. It is flowy and not lumpy.
The aroma felt a bit artificial as we whiffed some nuttiness, a floral khus khus-like aroma. This was quite easy to mix into the milk, no complaints here.
Once prepared, saffron took the front seat, in terms of aroma. Like a few other contenders, Guruji Thandai was overpoweringly sweet. The brand has added saffron abundantly, giving it a dominant taste and appearance. However, the flavor of pepper was barely noticeable.
Main Ingredients-1/5
Taste- 1/5
Aroma-1/5
Mishry Rating – 1/5
Our Top Picks & Recommendations
Gulabs was our collective favorite for the refreshing taste, spot-on sweetness, and nutty bits. Additional marks for not adding preservatives and colors. This is almost as good as homemade Thandai.
We also recommend Bikano as a value-for-money pick and Urban Platter if you feel like going all out this season with a more gourmet product.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some interesting FAQs on Best Indian Thandai Brands:
Yes, all seven contenders use kesar and elaichi, listed on the ingredient label as saffron and cardamom.
Six of seven contenders use additional flavor enhancers. Among our top picks, Gulabs stands out as the only brand that is completely free of additives.
None of the contenders call for additional sugar. You just need to add the recommended quantity of milk and ice cubes.
Yes. Thandai can be considered a more nutritious option compared to aerated beverages. Furthermore, it offers a flavorful and enjoyable way to include milk in your diet.
Final Words
Here’s a wrap on the best thandai brands in India:
Nothing beats a tall glass of well-flavored thandai. Gulabs, Bikano, and Urban Platter were the best-tasting trio of the seven brands we tried. However, we did not choose Bikano as our Top Pick because it uses extensive additives and colors. On the other hand, Urban Platter may not be the most pocket-friendly option for all.
Gulabs, made without any additives, imparts an exquisite taste and aroma. The best part? It is reasonably priced too!
If you prepare Thandai from scratch, feel free to skip this review. But if you’re looking for a flavorful and quick way to indulge, this might be the post for you.
Tell us in the comments which is your favorite brand of thandai this summer season.
