Love of Diet Coke runs deep for Ishika Gupta, but it was the fear of losing her favorite drink that took the obsession to new heights.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is still rippling across the global economy, and disruption has been particularly acute in parts of Asia, touching everything from gas and energy costs to cooking fuel and fertilizers.
But the shipping logjam in the Persian Gulf is also having unexpected impacts. In India, shops have struggled to keep Diet Coke on the shelves due to a shortage of aluminum cans.
Suppliers told the Reuters news agency that some orders were not being fulfilled due to a can shortage caused by the situation in the Gulf, which accounts for around 9% of global aluminum production. Diet Coke is not sold in plastic bottles in India, unlike most other countries, leaving fans of the drink at risk of losing out.
For Gupta, a 25-year-old marketing and design consultant based in New Delhi, it was an opportunity for fun, so she decided to throw a party celebrating the drink.
“It was a joke,” said Gupta, describing herself as an “avid drinker” of Diet Coke. “I thought only me and two of my friends would show up.”
The party was a hit with Gen Zers, who she says are craving more alcohol-free experiences. Tickets were sold out, and attendees showed up wearing Coke-themed outfits, danced to house and pop music, and made their own Diet Coke “concoctions” inspired by Dua Lipa’s recipes. The pop star has posted videos on TikTok in which she adds pickle juice and pickled jalapeños to the drink.
“We had a cocktail menu, which we like to call the Coke-tail,” she said — it notably didn’t include alcohol. Around 150 people showed up at the party on April 26, she said.
Demand for Diet Coke and drinks with alternative sweeteners has surged in India, where nearly 10% of the adult population is diabetic, according to a 2023 study by the Indian Council of Medical Research. The country’s youth, especially, has become health-conscious, Gupta said.
“I saw everybody consuming it to a point where now in every house party which used to have Coke or Sprite bottles, it’s all been replaced by the zero sugar,” she said.
The party was not a one-off display of dedication for Gupta, who had started an Instagram page dedicated to the beverage a month before the war in Iran broke out.
“It was some cosmic alignment,” she said. “We were celebrating the very thing that there was so-called crisis for,” she added.
She invited people to her first party promising the drink, even though it was sold out on several online delivery platforms that Indians increasingly rely on for groceries. The venue was able to procure suppliers through its distributor.
Coca-Cola did not respond to a request for comment on the shortages.
For a generation that cares about the conflict and is deeply affected by it, it was a way to cut through the gloom and find something fun, even hopeful. Millions in India rely on liquified petroleum gas cylinders for cooking, but they are mostly imported from the Gulf and are in short supply due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
“I had no idea that a lot of people would resonate with that,” she said.
In the neighboring city of Gurugram, where several multinational companies are based, Shruti Sharma had been watching Gupta’s parties blow up on social media.
“Younger people now like it when there is a scarcity of something,” said Sharma, head of marketing at the Marièta restaurant, which reached out to Gupta about hosting the second party.
“They find creativity and fun in something completely unexpected,” she added.
Sharma said they’re sure they will be able to supply enough Diet Coke for all attendees.
Each ticket costs around $16, comes with two cans of Diet Coke, mixers, some snacks and plenty of Coke-themed decoration and props to go around. The party doubles as a listening session for Drake’s new album, “Iceman,” dropping the same day.
Just like the first party, there’s no alcohol at this one either.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
