The accolades took many by surprise but instilled a new confidence in the bar community. Minaskhi Singh of Sidecar found the industry has grown because of the awards. “You get a lot of attention… it’s great for attracting new people. It’s a whole lot of pressure too, but good pressure as well.”
Priyanka Blah, founder and editor of Dram Attic and Academy Chair of 50 Best, attributed Delhi’s burgeoning bar scene to high disposable incomes, buoyant tourism, and affordable commercial property rents compared to other Indian cities.
Both sides of the counter ‒ the cocktail lovers and bartenders ‒ drive innovation. The deep-pocketed and well-travelled cocktail-guzzling consumer is looking to replicate international bar experiences from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Europe in their neighbourhood. “They are interested in what goes into their drink, where it comes from and are happy to pay top dollar for something unique and exciting,” said Priyanka.
“At the same time, Indian bartenders, bar managers and bar owners are also travelling,” added Santanu Chanda of Home Bar. “There are a lot of (guest) shifts happening between Delhi, Hong Kong, Singapore, which encourage an exchange of culture, ideology and drink philosophy, which is helping Indian bars.”