Bar Idols brings bartender-server duos across India for a competitive showdown to the finish. Here’s why you should drop by the hotly-contested Mumbai leg that features nine of the city’s top bars
A masked bartender pours a gin-based cocktail
A server's skill and a bartender’s pace will be judged at Bar Idols, a cocktail competition by the folks behind Greater Than Gin of Nao Spirits & Beverages. Regional rounds take place across seven cities, with the crowd as the jury, culminating in a grand finale in Goa. The Mumbai rounds will take place at Waikiki Bar in Andheri East, where the nine shortlisted spaces — Bandra Born, Perch Wine & Coffee Bar, Slink & Bardot, Supa San, Block 108 & Cocktail Bar, Hardeep Punjab The Walk, O Pedro, Papa’s and Permit & Co — will pour drinks for the patrons to judge on November 16.
Patrons applaud a bartender at a previous edition of the competition
For the selections round, participants had to first submit a 60-second video on social media of making a drink using Juniper Bomb. “What we generally look for is how they relay their story, how confident they are, and how they express the cocktail. We look at the server to pitch, because traditionally it’s the bartender that brings forth the story, but for Bar Idols we wanted the server to be forward. Consumers are the jury. This is a celebration of the partnership that makes every great bar experience: the bartender that crafts the drink, and the server that makes sure it’s remembered,” says Anand Virmani, co-founder and master distiller, Nao Spirits & Beverages.
A cocktail entry from the 2024 edition
Previously known as Bar Wars, this year, the competition was renamed as Bar Idols, which focuses to shine a light on the unsung heroes of hospitality. “The idea behind Bar Idols is to celebrate the people who make the bar world what it is: not just the faces creating your cocktail behind the bar, but the people that bring that cocktail’s story to life for you. The bartending community in India is growing massively; people are sharing knowledge, collaborating, and pushing each other to do better,” adds Virmani.
Anand Virmani (centre) with patrons. PICS COURTESY/NAO SPIRITS & Beverages
Chef partner Gresham Fernandes, Bandra Born, thinks competitions like Bar Idols play a big role in shaping the culture of the beverage industry. He says, “For us at Bandra Born, it’s not just about winning; it’s about giving our bartenders a stage to represent their creativity, confidence, and individuality. When our team participates, they are not only showcasing what we do behind our own bar, but also learning from others, exchanging ideas, and pushing the craft forward. It’s important for young talent to be seen and challenged in new environments; it sharpens their skills, broadens their perspective, and builds pride in what they do.”
ON November 16, 7 pm onwards
AT Saki Naka Junction, Hotel Peninsula Grand, Alok Manya, Metro Station, Lokmanya Tilak Nagar, Andheri East.
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