A tin shake so hard that it could wake the room. A bottle juggled so effortlessly that it feels like floating in the air. A quick flick on the wrist so smooth that the jigger cleanly fills with a craft concoction. Every time you see a bar takeover, it leaves you spellbound with the mavericks. But beyond the great show, there goes deep intention, storytelling and craftsmanship that makes your craft cocktails.
Bringing the magic of mixology, the India Bartender Show (formerly India Bartender Week) comes back for its second edition in 2026. This time the platform opens its doors not just to the bar industry but also to consumers, reflecting the country’s rapidly growing bar scene.
Conceptualised by industry experts Vikram Achanta, Minakshi Singh and Yangdup Lama, the Bar Summit will take place on February 25–26 at Le Méridien, Gurugram. Expect fresh energy where learning, hands-on experiences and entertainment come together with bartenders, beverage creators and taste connoisseurs putting an exciting show. Telling us how India Bartender Show fills a gap in the current beverage industry, Vikram Achanta, Co-Founder, India Bartender Show shares that the show is where people can exchange ideas, learn, and be part of a larger community. “Last year proved how ready Indian bartending is for a wider stage, so this year we are widening the platform with bigger spaces, deeper conversations, and more opportunities for discovery for both bartenders and consumers,” he says.
Is India Ready To Drink?
We previously reported about India’s evolving cocktail culture with bar takeovers on the rise and 14 new bars making it to the list of 30BestBarsIndia. Add to it a flux of celebrity bar openings, and well-travelled consumer’s discern taste palate and India is ready to raise the bar in cocktail culture. As per reports, India’s ready-to-drink cocktails segment was valued at roughly USD 71.9 million in 2024 and is projected to grow to about USD 210.8 million by 2030. Events like The India Bartender Show play a crucial role in shaping the country’s growing beverage ecosystem.
“Over the past decade, we’ve seen a remarkable shift in how the aspirational Indian consumer
engages with the world of drinks and cocktails. At our bar, we’ve been hosting workshops
for nearly 13 years now. Month after month, people are coming in with genuine enthusiasm to understand techniques, flavour balance, ingredients, and even the philosophy behind well-made drinks,” says Minakshi Singh, Co-Founder, India Bartender Show adding, “We’ve met countless guests who’ve either built or want to make home bars. They come to us asking for guidance on everything from bar tools and glassware to spirits, syrups, and mixers.”
She says that this shift goes beyond just mixology. “It’s tied to social confidence, exposure, travel, and
a desire for quality experiences. People want to serve better, drink better, and share better,” Singh tells Outlook Luxe.
What to expect at India Bartender Show 2026
India Bartender Show 2026 kickstarts with Beverage Week from February 19–24. It will feature signature cocktails made with Indian ingredients across 75+ NCR bars. Consumers can indulge in whisky dinners, craft beer tastings, cocktail and wine workshops, bar crawls and more. The event continues with the World Bartender Day on February 24 which will have a special bar takeover curated for and by bartenders. Further on the line-up is The India Bar Summit from Feb 25–26 which will bring together bartenders, operators, hoteliers and industry leaders for two days of panel discussions, masterclasses and trend-spotting. The India Bartender Show 2026 will also have a Baithak, dedicated to Hindi-led conversations; The Future Room, spotlighting upcoming trends in the bar scene; and the Exhibitors Village, showcasing cutting-edge bar tools and products.
The upcoming edition introduces three new zones; the Agave Village celebrating India’s booming agave spirits scene, the Indian Craft Spirits & Beer Zone and the Wine & No-Low Zone, offering diverse tastings.
Representation in Bar Culture
Building on last year’s representation from over 20 states, regional participation will be robust at The India Bartender Show 2026. Attendees can expect more participation from tier-1 and tier-2 cities in India as well as bartenders and bar owners coming in from Nepal, Sri Lanka and neighbouring regions. “A few names that immediately come to mind are Emi Suiam, Assistant Bar Manager at Shad Skye, who beautifully incorporates ingredients like bamboo shoot into her cocktails; Sanjana Oswal, Head Bartender at SWIG – Bar & Eatery; and Sarbani Mukherji, Head Bartender at Conversation Room. Each of them represents the new wave of bartenders shaping the future of Indian bar culture,” tells Achanta.
Yangdup Lama, Co-Founder, India Bartender Show chimes in, “India Bartender Show is becoming the meeting point for South Asia’s bar industry. With representatives from Nepal and Sri Lanka joining us this year, the platform is expanding in a way that feels both natural and exciting. Our focus remains on growth, learning, and building a sustainable ecosystem for beverage professionals across the region.”
For the first time, the Bar Summit will be ticketed and open to consumers allowing even wider participation of not just industry experts but common folks. “By inviting consumers this year, we are giving them a chance to experience a side of bartending they don’t usually see. It’s also a way to open up more learning opportunities for anyone curious about the craft behind mixology,” says Minakshi Singh, Co-Founder, India Bartender Show.
