The bartending industry is, as always, throwing both serious and fun together: the Delhi chapter of the Ultimate Bartender Championship 2018, held on the 12th of this month at Studio XO Bar, in South Extension, saw 55 of the city’s most talented bartenders battle it out for a win. Bartending may not be a profession you tell your folks you’re hankering after in class 12, but it’s definitely one that’s drawing serious attention for those in the F&B industry.
“As a profession, it has become as important as that of a chef in a restaurant. Slowly, the trend of bartender-driven bars from London and Paris is trickling into India too. It’s a very good time to be in the industry,” said Pankaj Balachandran, the India Brand Ambassador for Monkey Shoulder that has brought the bartender championship to India for its second season (worldwide it’s in the fourth year). As a malt, Monkey Shoulder is a Scotch whisky blended from three speyside single malts, and is perfect for cocktails.
Over the course of the day, competitors were tested on “skills that pay bills” such as ingredient knowledge, budgeting, mixing, nosing, and speed. Rounds included a quiz, the Mixiodic Table (a play on the more conventional Periodic Table), and the final Speed Challenge. This last test, refereed by last year’s national winner Paramveer Singh, required the six finalists to prepare a melange of eight cocktails, including an Espresso Martini and a Monkey Splash, in under five minutes. After a high-pressure round, the contest’s host, Balachandran, announced that the city’s bartenders had performed exceedingly well and achieved commendable total scores. Unfortunately, unlike Mumbai and Pune, Delhi lacked female participation.
Tanka Gurung, who works at Perch Wine and Coffee Bar, in Vasant Vihar, emerged as the winner of the Delhi round with seven out of eight correct drinks, a clean bar, and the best time record. “Now my focus is on the finals. This is the most interesting competition that I have participated in through my career because we are tested on everything we do behind the bar on a daily basis,” he said. He, along with three other finalists, Chirag Pal, Vineet Kumar, and Ankur Kashyap, will compete in the India Grand Finale to be held in New Delhi on 28th June.
The finale will see the top contestants from Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Goa, Mumbai, Gurgaon, Pune, Kolkata, and Delhi battle for a customised 500 CC motorcycle and a coveted place in one of the bar industry’s most prestigious global event, the Athens Bar Show, with an all-expenses-paid trip.
Exploring global trends
“This competition gives us the chance to explore global trends and implement them in India. My aim is to take Indian bartending to the next level so we can compete with countries like USA and UK. It’s not easy. I belong to a pure non-alcoholic, vegetarian family. We do 12-13 hour shifts without enough money or recognition. But things are definitely getting better,” Pal said.
The Indian bartending industry is reaching an exciting stage of broadened scope, more innovation, and greater appreciation for the art that it is. Contests like this will hopefully break stereotypes, establishing this as a career that goes beyond flair bartending.
“You cannot be the ultimate bartender if all you know is how to throw a bottle in the air. You need a number of different skills. The idea of this contest is to train and groom youngsters,” Balachandran said, of the competition with an average age of 25.