What India Is Drinking 2026: Bombay Sapphire, Don Julio, Grey Goose, Bacardi, Indri, Woodburns Among Most Popular Brands In Premium Indian Bars. Picante The Most Popular Cocktail.

The fourth edition is based on a survey of 155 bars across 18 cities, with participation up 24% from last year, representing bar owners, head bartenders and beverage leads.Respondents mentioned 527 brands across 21 categories, of which 166 were Indian homegrown brandsPicante takes the #1 spot in the new national cocktail ranking, accounting for 40% of votes, ahead of NegroniNEW DELHI , Sept. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 30BestBarsIndia, in partnership with The Outlier, have released the 2026 edition of What India Is Drinking (WIID): India's most comprehensive snapshot of consumer brand preferences across the country's leading bars. Now in its fourth year, the report maps how drinking behaviour continues to evolve across categories, cocktails, and cities, reflecting both steady favourites and shifting trends.The 2026 edition is based on a survey of 155 premium bars across 18 cities, a 24% increase in participating bars from last year , with respondents including bar owners, head bartenders, and beverage leads. Collectively, respondents mentioned 527 brands across 21 categories of alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks and mixers. 166 were Indian homegrown brands .This year's findings point to a market where established global brands continue to hold strong positions, while more Indian brands are entering the top 10 across categories. Cocktail preferences are showing a growing appetite for bold, distinctive flavours, with Picante emerging as India's most popular cocktail in the new national cocktail ranking. It is the top-selling cocktail in most surveyed cities.Appended are one key insight from each category:CategoryOne Standout InsightGinHapusa has risen to #5 , leading a strong Indian contingent that also includes Greater Than, Jaisalmer and Stranger & Sons in the top 10.AgaveDon Julio retains the #1 position , while Indian agave brand Pistola ranks #6 as the only homegrown representative, showing that agave interest is expanding beyond established Mexican names.VodkaGrey Goose remains India's #1 vodka , while Smoke Lab enters the top 10, bringing an Indian brand into an otherwise global-led category.Liqueurs & Other SpiritsSix Brothers Mahura enters the top 10 , placing another Indian heritage spirit alongside global liqueur names.Amaro & AperitifsDavana Vermouth Indica and Paapi Absinthe enter the top 10 , marking notable Indian arrivals in a category long led by European aperitif brands.RumCamikara is now India's #3 rum , ahead of Diplomatico, Flor de Caña and Havana Club.Brandy & CognacHennessy, Martell and Rémy Martin continue to dominate the top of the category, reflecting the enduring appeal of French Cognac. Monarch Legacy Edition's entry into the Top 10, however, points to growing space for premium Indian brandy.Indian Single MaltGodawan rises to #2 , ahead of Paul John and Amrut, one of the year's strongest examples of a newer Indian brand overtaking early category leaders.Indian Premium WhiskyWoodburns takes #1 , displacing Oaksmith and signalling a changing guard in Indian premium whisky.Blended Scotch & MaltJohnnie Walker and Chivas Regal remain firmly #1 and #2 , proof that brand heritage still carries enormous weight in blended Scotch.International Single MaltYamazaki holds #1 , with Japanese labels dominating the category— Japanese whisky is now firmly part of India's premium-drinking aspiration.Scottish Single MaltGlenfiddich remains #1 , but The Macallan rises to #3, reflecting increasing interest in prestige-led, collector-style Scotch.International WhiskyJim Beam moves ahead of Jack Daniel's to #2 , suggesting that American whiskey drinking is broadening beyond its best-known Tennessee label.Indian Still WineSula and Fratelli remain almost neck-and-neck at the top , making Indian wine a genuinely competitive two-brand market rather than a single-brand category.International Still WineJacob's Creek retains #1 , while producers and regions—not just individual labels—are becoming more visible in how consumers and bars think about imported wine.Sparkling WineChandon takes #1 , underlining how sparkling wine is becoming a more accessible, everyday celebration choice in India.ChampagneMoët & Chandon remains #1 , while Billecart-Salmon's rise into the top five suggests growing interest in producer-led Champagne discovery.Indian Beer & AdjacenciesGoa Brewing Co. rises to #2 , reinforcing the growing relevance of regional craft breweries in a category still led by Kingfisher.International BeerCorona remains #1 , holding its position as India's most enduring international beer brand.WaterVedica rises to #2 , ahead of Himalayan—evidence that premium Indian water is becoming a meaningful part of the bar and dining-table ritual.MixersCoca-Cola is #1, but Malaki's climb into the top five reflects a growing appetite for more considered, flavour-led mixers.Category BreakdownSpirit category stalwarts Bombay Sapphire , Don Julio , Grey Goose , Jagermeister , Campari , Bacardi , Hennessy , Indri , Johnnie Walker , Yamazaki , Glenfiddich , Kingfisher and Corona retain the top positions from last year in their respective categories. The only significant change is in the Indian Premium Whisky category, where Woodburns replaces Oaksmith as the leader.Among the Wine categories, Sula , Jacob's Creek and Moët & Chandon continue to champion their categories, while we see Chandon overtake Cinzano as India's most popular Sparkling Wine.Indian brands aren't far behind, across categories. In Gin, Hapusa , Greater Than , Jaisalmer and Stranger & Sons retain their positions in the Top 10. Brands are highlighting more Indian botanicals and local produce, while flavoured gins continue to broaden consumer choice and bring new drinkers into the category, including from Tier II and Tier III markets.One of the biggest movements this year has been in the Amaro & Aperitif category, where we have two Indian brands in the Top 10: Davana Vermouth Indica and Paapi Absinthe . Maya Pistola Agavepura holds its own in the Agave category, as the only Indian brand in the Top 10; similar to Smoke Lab in the Vodka category.India's Most Popular CocktailsMost Popular Cocktails New Category#20261Picante2Negroni3Espresso Martini4Old Fashioned5Gin & Tonic6Long Island Iced Tea7Martini8Gimlet9Margarita10PalomaNationally, the Picante takes the crown as the country's most popular cocktail in 2026, with the Negroni and Espresso Martini close behind; a lineup that points to a clear trend: drinkers are gravitating toward white spirit-led cocktails built on bold, assertive flavours, whether it's the heat of spice or the bite of bitterness.The category breakdowns show the Negroni, Picante, Espresso Martini and Daiquiri all holding onto their respective crowns, signalling a market where preferences have settled rather than shifted. The one notable reversal comes in whisky, where the Whisky Sour reclaims the top spot from the Old Fashioned; a return to form for 2024's favourite.Radhakrishnan Nair, Co-Founder of 30BestBarsIndia , notes: " 2026 shows a settling of long-term consumer behaviour alongside pockets of sharp change. Categories like Gin, Scotch, Aperitifs and Agave continue to be led by global giants, but the pace at which Indian brands are consolidating their presence is significant. The city-level variations are sharper this year; what sells in a Bengaluru cocktail bar looks different from what leads in Jaipur or Kolkata. WIID 2026 captures these shifts clearly and offers a realistic view of what customers are choosing at the bar ."Vikram Achanta, Co-Founder of 30BestBarsIndia , adds: " We're seeing that brands that are most consistent in terms of their advocacy initiatives with the on-trade as well as community-building initiatives such as bartending competitions are seeing that pay off in the trade via bartender loyalty when it comes to cocktail creation as well as recommendations to a guest. With the expected influx of both international brands due to FTAs (Free Trade Agreements) that have been drawn up or are under negotiation, as well as more and more Indian brands joining the mix, such advocacy-based initiatives will go a long way to building entry barriers for savvy brands. "City Insights2026 shows a market where some drinking preferences are becoming firmly established, while others remain distinctly shaped by the city. Categories like Brandy continue to show strong national consensus, with Hennessy leading across all eight markets, while Gin tells a different story: Bombay Sapphire leads nationally, but Hendrick's takes Gurgaon, and Roku leads in Pune.These differences show that India's bar culture isn't moving toward one uniform drinking pattern but is developing its own local nuances.All bars surveyed have been operational for at least six months. Click here to access the full WIID 2026 report and explore category-wise rankings.The category-wise rankings and comparison to last year is appended below:Gin#202620251Bombay SapphireBombay Sapphire2TanquerayTanqueray3Hendrick'sHendrick's4RokuRoku5HapusaBeefeater6BeefeaterGreater Than7Monkey 47Hapusa8Greater ThanStranger & Sons9JaisalmerMonkey 4710Stranger & SonsJaisalmerAgave#202620251Don JulioDon Julio2PatrónPatrón3180018004Jose CuervoJose Cuervo5CreyenteCamino6PistolaMaya Pistola7CaminoCreyente8CodigoCodigo9Don AngelClase Azul10CorralejoDesmondJiVodka#202620251Grey GooseGrey Goose2AbsolutAbsolut3BelvedereBelvedere4Ketel OneKetel One5CirocHaku6HakuCiroc7BelugaBeluga8SkyySkyy9Smoke LabSmirnoff10Belenkaya & Stoli (Tied)Short StoryLiqueurs & Other Spirits#202620251JägermeisterJägermeister2Baileys Irish CreamBaileys Irish Cream3CointreauKahlúa4KahlúaCointreau5QuaffineChoya Umeshu6Choya Umeshu & Amarula (Tied)Quaffine7Six Brothers MahuraTabernero Pisco8Malibu & Mikiamo Limoncello (Tied)Cazulo Feni9Luxardo MaraschinoLuxardo10Cazulo FeniAmarulaAmaro & Aperitifs#202620251CampariCampari2AperolAperol3CinzanoAmaro Montenegro4Amaro MontenegroCinzano5LilletMartini6MartiniLillet7Fernet-BrancaFernet-Branca8CocchiSelect Aperitivo9Xenta AbsintheRicard10Select Aperitivo & Davana Vermouth Indica & Paapi Absinthe (Tied)CocchiRum#202620251BacardiBacardi2Old MonkOld Monk3CamikaraCamikara & Diplomatico (Tied)4DiplomaticoFlor de Caña5Flor de CañaHavana Club6Havana ClubPlantation7Appleton EstateAppleton Estate8Captain MorganCaptain Morgan9AmrutShort Story10Kraken & Mount Gay (Tied)AmrutBrandy (including Cognac)#202620251HennessyHennessy2MartellMartell3Remy MartinRemy Martin4St. RemySt. Remy5MorpheusMorpheus6Honey BeeMansion House7Meukow & Louis XIII (Tied)Honey Bee8MonarchBisquit & Dubouché9GodetGodet10Bisquit & DubouchéMetaxaIndian Single Malt#202620251IndriIndri2GodawanPaul John3Paul JohnGodawan4AmrutAmrut5RampurRampur6Longitude 77Longitude 777Crazy CockCrazy Cock8GianChandKamet9KametGianChandIndian Premium Whisky#202620251WoodburnsOaksmith2OaksmithBlenders Pride3Blenders PrideOtherside4Royal RanthamboreRoyal Ranthambore5AntiquityAntiquity6Royal ChallengeSignature7SangamRoyal Challenge8Otherside & Signature (Tied)Roulette9Cotombi ReserveCotombi Reserve10RouletteHighburyBlended Scotch & Malt#202620251Johnnie WalkerJohnnie Walker2Chivas RegalChivas Regal3Dewar'sMonkey Shoulder4Monkey ShoulderDewar's5Ballantine'sBallantine's6Teacher'sBlack & White7J&B RareTeacher's8Black & White100 Pipers9100 PipersJ&B Rare10ARTHAUSBlack DogInternational Single Malt#202620251YamazakiYamazaki2BushmillsBushmills3KavalanHakushu4HakushuKavalan5Komagatake MarsNikka Coffey Malt6Coffey MaltTsunuki7YoichiKomagatake Mars8TsunukiYoichi9Super NikkaScottish Single Malt#202620251GlenfiddichGlenfiddich2The GlenlivetThe Glenlivet3The MacallanGlenmorangie4LaphroaigLaphroaig5TaliskerThe Singleton6GlenmorangieAberfeldy7The SingletonTalisker8Aberfeldy & Lagavaulin (Tied)The Macallan9The BalvenieCaol Ila10Caol IlaLagavaulinInternational Whisky#202620251JamesonJameson2Jim BeamJack Daniel's3Jack Daniel'sJim Beam4HibikiSuntory Toki5Suntory TokiHibiki6Maker's MarkMaker's Mark7BushmillsBushmills8Woodford ReserveWoodford Reserve9Buffalo TraceWild Turkey10Wild TurkeyBuffalo TraceIndian Still Wine#202620251SulaSula2FratelliFratelli3GroverGrover4KRSMAKRSMA5Big BanyanBig Banyan6Four SeasonsReveilo7ReveiloFour Seasons8Vallonne & Chateau Indage (Tied)Vallonne9York & Tilt (Tied)Chateau Indage10IriaGood EarthInternational Still Wine#202620251Jacob's Creek - Winery in AustraliaJacob's Creek - Winery in Australia2Campo Viejo - Winery in SpainCampo Viejo - Winery in Spain3Baron Philippe de Rothschild- Producer from France, has many labelsBlack Tower (Riesling)- Winery in Germany4Black Tower (Riesling)- Winery in GermanyBaron Philippe de Rothschild- Producer from France, has many labels5Brancott Estate - Winery in New ZealandLe Grand - Wine Producer from France6Alta Vista - Winery in ArgentinaAG Forty Seven - Argentine red wine719:59 - German Red WineBrancott Estate - Winery in New Zealand8Pasqua - Italian Producer, multiple labels19:59 - German Red Wine9Yellow Tail - Australian Producer, multiple labelsPasqua - Italian Producer, multiple labels10Barton & Guestier Saint Emilion - French Red WineMAN Family - Wine Producer from South Africa, multiple labelsSparkling Wine#202620251ChandonCinzano2Villa SandiChandon3CinzanoVilla Sandi4BottegaBottega5SulaFratelli6FratelliSula7Jacob's CreekJacob's Creek8BelstarMartini9ZoninZonin10GroverSan SimoneChampagne#202620251Moët & ChandonMoët & Chandon2Dom PérignonDom Pérignon3G.H.MummLaurent-Perrier4Laurent-PerrierG.H.Mumm5Billecart-SalmonVeuve Clicquot6Veuve ClicquotBillecart-Salmon7Louis RoedererLouis Roederer8Philippe Gonet & Bollinger (Tied)Devaux & Bollinger (tied)9Armand de Brignac & Devaux (Tied)Taittinger10TaittingerPhilippe GonetIndian Beer & Adjacencies#202620251KingfisherKingfisher2Goa Brewing CoBira 913Great State Ale WorksGoa Brewing Co4Simba & Geist Brewing Co. (Tied)Great State Ale Works5Kati PatangSimba6Six FieldsGeist Brewing Co7ToitSusegado8IglooSix Fields9MedusaToit10EffingutMoonshineInternational Beer#202620251CoronaCorona2BudweiserBudweiser3HoegaardenHoegaarden4HeinekenHeineken5PeroniPeroni6ChangAmstel7AmstelChang8CarlsbergKirin9ErdingerErdinger10Birra Moretti & Singha (Tied)CarlsbergWater#202620251PerrierPerrier2VedicaVedica & Himalayan (tied)3HimalayanMalaki4Malaki & Bisleri (Tied)Veen5VeenBisleri6EvianAava7Blue PineEvocus8Schweppes Soda WaterKinley9AavaEvian10EvocusAquafinaMixers#202620251Coca ColaCoca Cola2SchweppesSchweppes3Sepoy & CoSepoy & Co4Red BullRed Bull5MalakiPerrier6MoninFever Tree7Fever TreeMalaki8PepsiSvami9MTSRMonin107UP & Gunsberg (Tied)MTSRAbout 30BestBarsIndia: Co-founded in 2019 by Vikram Achanta and Radhakrishnan Nair of Bar 30 India LLP, 30BestBarsIndia aims to raise awareness about the rising standards of Indian bars and beverages nationally, and on international platforms. 30BestBarsIndia's rankings of the country's best bars in the previous six editions in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 have included well-known bars that have gone on to be part of international bar ranking lists. In addition to its rankings, 30BestBarsIndia has expanded its influence with the "What India Is Drinking" report, an annual study that provides valuable insights into consumer brand preferences across the country's top bars. To see the report and full list of bar rankings, please visit 30bestbarsindia.inMedia Contact: 30BB@theoutlierpr.com “This is a company press release that is not part of editorial content. No journalist of The Hindu was involved in the publication of this release.”