24 February,2026 03:06 PM IST | Mumbai | Maitrai Agarwal
World Bartender Day is observed on February 24 every year (In Photo: Karan Dhanelia). Photos Courtesy: Special Arrangement
While the rest of India is busy ordering their fifth espresso martini or picante, the masters behind the bar are reaching a breaking point. We often see the bar as a stage for theatrical pours and Instagrammable smoke, but for the person with the shaker, the view is very different.
To celebrate World Bartender Day, observed on February 24 every year, we spoke to the sharpest minds in the business to separate the substance from the spectacle. Top mixologists dish out the most overrated and underrated cocktails currently being slid across bar counters from Mumbai to Hyderabad.
From the technical nightmares that kill a bar's momentum to the social faux pas that actually ruin your service, here is an insider's guide on how to navigate the menu like a pro and, more importantly, elevate what's in your glass.
Bartender, bar owner, author and co-founder of the India Bartender Show, Yangdup Lama is considered to be the foremost authority in the Indian bar scene. If anyone has earned the right to tell us what to drink, it's him. For those looking to move past the ubiquitous (and often uninspired) gin and tonic, Lama points toward a tropical titan that has been unfairly relegated to poolside status, "The Mai Tai is a classic and delicious cocktail that I wish more customers would discover. It caters to all types of palate profiles and can be creatively improvised into modern variations while still maintaining the charm and relevance of its original recipe."
To understand where Indian bars are going, you have to look at where they started. Lama takes a measured, paternal view of our current gimmick era. While some might roll their eyes at the sight of another gold-leaf-topped glass, he sees it as part of the process. When asked which trending ingredient has finally overstayed its welcome, Lama's response is surprisingly forgiving. "The Indian cocktail market is relatively young, so it's difficult to pinpoint any specific ingredient as having overstayed its welcome. Yes, trends like truffle oil, exotic foams, gold leaf, and complex garnishes may occasionally feel overused, but the landscape is still evolving," he reflects.
Rather than cringing at the smoke and mirrors, he views these as the training wheels of a young, hungry market still finding its identity. The mixologist notes a positive shift in the wind, "As the cocktail scene matures, I've noticed a shift toward prioritising flavour and balance over gimmicks." In other words, the gold leaf might still be there for now, but the liquid underneath is finally starting to do the heavy lifting. "Nothing has truly overstayed its welcome yet, especially since enduring trends are typically defined by a five-year presence," he adds. We're just getting started.
For Mayur Marne, bar head and partner at Pune's Cobbler and Crew, the bar is a theatre, and some drinks just don't have enough act in them to be interesting for the performer. When asked which sophisticated drink is actually a chore to make, he points to a Hemingway favourite that lacks the flair he craves, "Death In The Afternoon is a forgotten classic made with absinthe and champagne and while it is a great cocktail, it doesn't leave much room for creativity. Personally, I believe every cocktail should carry a sense of showmanship. After all, the bar is a stage, right?"
Unlike some who dread the vague âsurprise me' prompt, Marne thrives on the creative pressure. "For me, it's never a nightmare. If I'm behind the bar and the guest genuinely enjoys the cocktail I've created and it puts a smile on their face that's a win," he insists.
If you want to see Marne at his best, skip the trendy menu and order a Martinez. "A classic made with gin, sweet vermouth, and Angostura bitters, the Martinez is simple, elegant, and beautifully balanced. Honestly, it's my superpower behind the bar," he confesses.
The picante has become the little black dress of the Indian cocktail world - safe, reliable, and everywhere. However, Evgenia, drinks director at Nao Spirits and beverages (makers of premium craft gins Greater Than, Hapusa, and spiced rum Pipa) believes savoury-leaning patrons are settling for less than they deserve. She suggests, "For savoury drink lovers and all your picante fans, I must disclose one secret: there are drinks with a kick beyond picante. Try a Mezcal Paloma with bird's eye chilli tincture for extra depth and heat. How about a spicy margarita with added charred corn puree?"
At MTW, the after-hours bar tucked away inside the Nao Spirits office in Goa, she takes this further with a complex house signature. "We have an amazing take featuring Hapusa gin, smoked pineapple cordial, amla juice, and Tajin. It's far more complex than a regular Picante, with a really pleasing mouthfeel," she poses.
But while these complex flavours are a bartender's pride in a controlled environment, they can become a logistical nightmare when the sun goes down and the music goes up. The same precision that makes an MTW house signature so special can cause a âglitch in the matrix' when the bar is flooded with thirsty patrons. "On a packed Saturday night, a well-made Ramos gin fizz order is like something from a different planet," Evgenia exclaims. It's not just a matter of preference; it's a matter of physics. "Such requests are highly avoidable during a rush. It's a technical process with several major steps, plus cream and egg white - not what you want to deal with amid a zillion orders on the rail," she cautions.
Ultimately, Evgenia suggests that the secret to a great night out is knowing your environment: save the five-minute, continuous-shake momentum killers for the quiet nights, and stick to the upgraded classics when the rail is full.
Rehan Guha, founder of Oxymorons, and Evgenia, drinks director at Nao Spirits and beverages
Beyond the speed of service, there is a deeper question: are we drinking for the experience, or just the effect? Rehan Guha, founder of Oxymorons in Hyderabad, sees cocktails as bridges connecting traditional techniques with contemporary flavours. "For me, a must-try modern classic would definitely be the naked and famous. It's everything a great cocktail should be: balanced and deceptively simple. Equal parts mezcal, Aperol, yellow Chartreuse, and fresh lime juice. It's smoky, bitter-sweet, herbal, and bright," says Guha.
He views the drink as the perfect educator for an Indian palate that often oscillates between too sweet and too strong. While favourites like the paper plane and penicillin have finally earned their place on mainstream menus, the naked and famous remains a hidden gem. "It still feels like a gateway cocktail in India. If more guests ordered even one drink like that in an evening, the entire bar conversation would elevate," Guha notes.
However, elevating the conversation isn't just about what you order - it's about how you carry yourself at the bar. While many patrons think social currency is the key to a better drink, Guha reveals that knowing the boss might actually ruin your night. "Dropping the owner's name rarely gets you better service. It usually just creates pressure. Instead of a relaxed evening, service shifts from natural hospitality to a rigid performance mode. In fact, with our own friends and family, we prefer they don't mention they know us. We'd rather they experience the bar exactly the way any other guest would - that's the only way we get honest feedback," he warns.
If the espresso martini is the new basic trap, what does a bartender actually consider sophisticated? Is it time to kill the drink entirely? Not quite, according to Karan Dhanelia, head mixologist at Atelier V and Masala Code in Indore. "The problem is not the drink itself but how casually it's being made everywhere. Most places make it too sweet and it starts tasting like a dessert in a martini glass. We need to make it drier and more balanced. Use good-quality espresso, and cut down the sugar. Let the bitterness of the coffee show," he proposes.
What does he think of trending cocktails? Dhanelia is sounding the alarm on theatrical drinks that lack a soul - specifically those designed for a six-second viral loop. "A large percentage of âtheatrical' cocktails would slowly disappear without cameras. The obvious category is the excessive dry-ice, smoke-bubble, colour-changing drinks. The kind that arrives looking like a chemistry experiment but tastes like diluted sugar syrup. Those drinks are built for a six-second video, not for a second sip. Without Instagram, they wouldn't survive on repeat order," he notes.
For your next visit to the bar, experts recommend swapping your go-to orders with these cocktails:
1. Trade the gin and tonic for a Mai Tai. It's complex, tropical, and respects the roots of mixology.
2. Trade the Picante for a Mezcal Paloma with bird's eye chili for added depth.
3. Trade the LIIT for a Naked and Famous for a balanced, smoky-herbal profile.
The golden rule: Save the technical, high-effort orders for the quiet nights to ensure they get the attention they deserve.
