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India’s 2026 Bar Report Highlights Local Brands, Bold Cocktails
A new report studied what people order at premium bars in India.
It asked leaders at 155 bars in 18 cities about popular drinks and brands.
The survey found 527 different brands across alcohol, mixers and other drinks.
Indian brands are becoming more popular in several categories.
Picante was the most popular cocktail across the country.
Negroni and Espresso Martini were the next most popular cocktails.
Some global brands, such as Don Julio, Grey Goose and Johnnie Walker, remained category leaders.
Drink choices also differed by city, showing that India does not have just one bar culture.
The 2026 What India Is Drinking report surveyed 155 premium bars across 18 Indian cities.
Respondents mentioned 527 brands across 21 alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage categories, including 166 Indian brands.
Picante ranked as India’s most popular cocktail, followed by Negroni and Espresso Martini.
Indian brands gained ground, with Hapusa, Pistola, Smoke Lab, Camikara and Godawan among notable performers.
Global leaders remained strong, although Woodburns replaced Oaksmith as the top Indian premium whisky.
- Who
- 30BestBarsIndia and The Outlier, using responses from bar owners, head bartenders and beverage leads.
- What
- They released the 2026 What India Is Drinking report on brand, category and cocktail preferences.
- Where
- The survey covered 155 premium bars across 18 cities in India; the release was reported from New Delhi.
- When
- The report is the 2026 edition and is described as the fourth annual edition.
- Why
- The report aims to map changing drinking behaviour, consumer brand preferences and differences between Indian cities.
Key facts
- Bars surveyed
- 155 premium bars
- Cities covered
- 18 Indian cities
- Brands mentioned
- 527 brands across 21 categories
- Indian brands mentioned
- 166 homegrown brands
- Top cocktail
- Picante
- Top Indian premium whisky
- Woodburns
- Largest annual participation change
- The number of participating bars increased 24% from the previous year
Sources
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