From Emerging Cocktail Culture To Experience-Led Drinking, These Are The Key Bar Trends In 2022

The top 50 bars list from India is out, and this year, due to a three-way tie, the list features 53 names &ndash of which 14 bars are from Mumbai. The annual list is prepared by&nbsp30BestBarsIndia, the country&rsquos only independent bar ranking and awards platform, which has just unveiled its 2022 edition.

Here's a look at the key trends

Mumbai Continues to Dominate the Bar Industry in India

In Mumbai, 14 bars made it to the 30BestBars 2022 Top 50 list. That's more than double that of last year. With creative techniques and a stronger focus on each component that goes into a drink, Mumbai is spearheading cocktail culture in India and its high-quality restaurant bars are raising the standard of drinking experiences. From 6 bars in 2021&rsquos Top 50 List to 14 bars in 2022&rsquos list, the city is rapidly becoming a major hub for cocktail bars, restaurant bars, and lounges. What&rsquos more, new initiatives such as zero-waste drinks, unique garnishes and enhanced training programs have empowered Mumbai&rsquos bars to continue upping their game.

Kolkata is Making Waves with its Emerging Cocktail Culture

Gone are the days when Mumbai or Delhi were the only cities considered to have a lively bar scene. The once &lsquosleepy town&rsquo of Kolkata is more awake than ever before and is beginning to play a prominent role in shaping India&rsquos cocktail culture. With six bars in the Top 50 List, the city is becoming a hotspot for innovative cocktails as names such as Olterra, LMNOQ Skybar, Sorano and many others are catching the attention of beverage connoisseurs from across the country.

A key force driving this growth is the emergence of strong bar programs and experienced bartending talent. This has led to more experimentation with new and indigenous ingredients as well as an increased focus on curating high-quality ice programs. In addition to this, the city is also seeing a steady emergence of microbreweries that are producing freshly brewed craft beers.

Goa is Leading the Way for Experience-Led Drinking

With evolving tastes and palates, consumers today are more inclined to try new beverages, flavours and profiles. They are also on the lookout for more high-quality drinking experiences where bar programs, d&eacutecor, cuisine and music come together to give them a holistic and memorable experience. And bars in Goa are rising to meet this demand.

Take Miguel&rsquos for example, a cocktail and petiscos bar in Panjim. Its open-kitchen and open-bar concept gives guests a full view of the process that goes behind creating their food and drinks. Or For The Record, a bar dedicated to vinyl records, where guests can listen to music on vinyl while sipping on local brews.

Known for its phenomenal cuisine and thriving food scene, Goa is also home to restaurant bars that serve up delicious delicacies along with an excellent bar program. From Izumi&rsquos much-loved Japanese fare and unique take on drinks to Jamming Goat 1.0&rsquos innovative cocktails, Goa&rsquos bars are charting the way when it comes to experience-led drinking.

Bangalore Continues to Have a Great Mix of Breweries and Cocktail Bars

Known for the micro-brewery culture, Bangalore is home to over 70 micro-breweries in the city. The first micro-brewery in the city opened back in 2010, and since then Bangalore has been dubbed &lsquoBeer Capital&rsquo of the country - with numerous breweries opening across the city. Beer culture in Bangalore stands strong, with some of the city&rsquos most loved breweries like Toit and Byg Brewski making it to the list of Top 50 Bars in India.

Currently, India is home to about 150 microbreweries across the country, with an expectation of doubling over the next 3-5 years. In order to recognise the efforts in this sector, 30 Best Bars India has an award category for Best Microbrewery/Taproom category. In the past two editions, names from Bangalore won 3 of the 4 awards.

The popularity of microbreweries has also allowed places like Toit to go national, and Windmills to go international &ndash opening in Texas. Additionally, these microbreweries across the city are known for their expansive spaces &ndash such as Byg Brewski accommodating up to 2000 people on a busy night. Similarly, the cocktail culture is growing in the city &ndash with Bangalore bars making waves in efforts for sustainability, ice programs, and indigenous ingredients.

New Markets to Watch Out For

In the list of the top 50 this year, seven bars are from Jaipur,&nbspGuwahati, Pune, Chennai, and Hyderabad. These names include a varied mix of cocktail bars, performance space-cum-bars, hotel bars, and beach-front restaurant bars. As cocktail culture steadily grows in the country, standards for bars have also been on the rise. While Delhi, Goa, Mumbai and Bangalore are known as the cocktail capitals, more cocktails destinations are cropping up elsewhere. Consumers are now seeking out top quality drinking experiences &ndash and gravitate to bars that pay attention to details like d&eacutecor, ambiance, glassware, and ice. What they&rsquore seeking out is a holistic and memorable experience &ndash which bars across cities like Jaipur, Guwahati, Pune, Chennai, and Hyderabad are building up to.

Take for instance Native Cocktail Room. Based in Jaipur this bar describes itself as &lsquothe theatre of mixology&rsquo. The bar offers up drinks styled and curated after various Indian states, focusing on the indigenous flavours of each place. The bar program goes beyond standard classic cocktails, and instead serves an interactive and holistic experience. Which is a trend being followed by bars across the country.

The bars in Jaipur, Guwahati, Pune, Chennai, and Hyderabad that made it to the list of Top 50 Bars in the country, listed alphabetically, are
&bull Bar Palladio (Jaipur)
&bull Elephant & Co. (Pune)
&bull Native Cocktail Room (Jaipur)
&bull Radio Room (Chennai)
&bull Room Two (Hyderabad)
&bull Sanctuary Bar & Kitchen (Hyderabad), and
&bull Terra Maaya (Guwahati)