Friday, 25 April 2025
Friday, 25 April 2025
The beverage and bar industry turned up in large numbers at Le Meridein in Delhi NCR for Day One of the Bar Summit of India Bartender Week. Co-founder Vikram Achanta’s thoughts? “It’s been beyond our wildest expectations. To be frank, we were extremely nervous because for an event of this scale, and this size, you need numbers and quality. We’re happy that we were able to achieve both parameters,” said the CEO of Tulleeho Inc
The Bar Summit featured four simultaneous session categories: panel discussions on the Main Stage, hands-on workshops, forward-thinking dialogues in the Future Room, and lively conversations at Baithak. Held in collaboration with Hanna Lee Communications’ Worldwide Bartender Week — the creators of New York Bartender Week — IBW blended global industry insights with local expertise
Lam Chi Mun, Director of Diageo Bar Academy Asia Pacific, and IBW co-founder Yangdup Lama delved into the evolution of Asian cocktail culture. “A decade ago, the emphasis was purely on bartending skills. Today, it extends to service excellence and the business of bartending,” Lama noted
When Lorenzo Antinori, co-founder and mixologist of Bar Leone took the Main Stage, it was a full house. The bar in Hong Kong ranked #2 on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024 list.
Michito Kaneko, owner of Japan’s Lamp bar, shared insights into the art of Japanese bartending. Later that evening, he brought his signature cocktail craft to Japonico, Gurugram, in an exclusive bar takeover.
A snapshot from the session titled: ‘Agave Culture in India: Smoothing out the Thorns’ held at the Main Stage on Wednesday
Yangdup Lama wrapped up Day One with the happy announcement of bar takeovers at hot spots across Delhi NCR on Wednesday night. The list included Japonico led by chef Roberto Blondi, Garima Arora and Impresario’s Banng, Lama’s recent opening The Brook, Lair, The Library Bar at The Leela Palace and others
