Inside the ‘Drinking Indian’ Panel at India Bartender Summit: Redefining the Future of Indian Cocktail Culture

A sunny, spring Wednesday afternoon at the India Bartender Summit felt electric, buzzing with creative energy. People attending curated workshops and masterclasses, listening intently to the best in the business and trying specially crafted cocktails from a range of brands.

At Le Méridien Gurgaon, the summit’s four stages — the Main Stage, Workshops space, Future Room and Baithak — were humming with activity. Being held over two days, 25th and 26th February, the event brought together bartenders, chefs, hoteliers, founders and industry experts of the F&B space. The stages were split between indoor and outdoor areas, with many standalone stalls from liquor brands, serving unique cocktails.

Attendees strolled between sessions, interacting with each other, drinks in hand, soaking in perspectives from global and Indian bar professionals, innovators and spirit experts.

The Main Stage featured top global bartenders showcasing their craft, while the panel discussions were more intimate in nature.

Drinking Indian — the Future of Indian Cocktail Culture

Megha Mamgain, the Managing Editor of HerZindagi & OnlyMyHealth, moderated a stellar panel at the Workshop Stage, moving beyond cocktail recipes to interrogate identity, sourcing of ingredients and the evolving palette of the modern Indian.

The panel brought together a mix of experts from different disciplines – Siddharth Purohit, Founder of Aazol, a long-time researcher of regional ingredients and sourcing systems; Chef Thomas Zacharias, founder of Locavore and an influential culinary voice known for championing regional Indian ingredients, forgotten food traditions, and sustainable food systems; Karishma Manga Bedi, CEO and Founder, Those Good Distillerss; and Yangdup Lama, co-founder of Cocktails & Dreams Speakeasy, Sidecar and India Bartender Show.

Building a Bar Culture Rooted in India

The panel explored what it truly means to build a bar programme rooted in India, which moves beyond tokenism and aesthetics, to be more rooted and philosophically Indian in all ways.

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Siddharth Purohit highlighted how Aazol sources its ingredients locally, how bars and restaurants can shift focus to this, and how that can, in turn, help local communities. He elaborated on how rural India, where many of Aazol’s workers live, is where they understand the ingredients best and maintain high levels of cleanliness.

Thomas Zacharias, or ChefTZac, talked about how the food and beverage landscape is evolving. “Over the last ten years, there has been a significant movement towards exploring Indian ingredients and regional flavours, similar to what we first saw happening with food and coffee,” he highlighted.

He added, “Bartending is a highly technical craft where managers invest significant time learning about liquids, proportions, and flavour profiles. If just 10% to 15% of that time were spent understanding how and where local ingredients are grown, and building relationships with farmers or producers, it could go a long way.”

Karishma highlighted how in her research, she’d found the first mentions of rum in the Sanskrit texts of ‘Arthashastra’, where she found a drink that was made by fermenting and distilling sugarcane juice. She's now making IDAAYA, a luxury sipping rum. IDAAYA, took inspiration from ancient Indian techniques and is blended in sal wood casks, whilst using methodologies like charring of the cask, which adds to the depth of flavour to the rum. She highlighted how the modern Indian, especially women, are focusing on “drinking less, but drinking better.”

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Yangdup highlighted how he’s seen a shift in consumer behaviour, and a lot of that is attributed to bartenders themselves being experimental. “Ten years ago, a consumer might have refused to pay a premium for a local product, but today they are completely willing to pay a premium price for a homemade Indian spirit or drink,” he said. He highlighted how if he adds a chilli or any ingredient to a drink and presents it confidently, consumers are excited to try it. “It is important that we take ownership of what we represent; it requires effort, and while there are no hard and fast rules, it depends entirely on what you bring to the table,” he added.

Aazol Shines at The India Bartender Summit

Aazol, a brand rooted in championing local Indian products, was a highlight at The India Bar Summit. Known for sourcing directly from local women-led communities, the brand champions authenticity, traceability and forgotten flavours.

Siddharth from the brand highlighted bringing ingredients rooted in Maharashtrian culinary traditions to the bar conversation. 

Yangdup also created two cocktails, using IDAYAA and Aazol products. One featured a mahua laddoo from Aazol and another featured the liquid jaggery from Aazol. Both were passed around for those attending the session to sample.

Beyond this discussion, there were several others, featuring the best in the business. Brand showcases and cocktail tasting stations offered myriad colours, scents, and tastes. From tea-based mixers, to creative agave expressions to inventive twists on beloved classics, the summit featured it all. Find out more about the summit here.

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