ABD Maestro Pvt. Ltd., the luxury and super-premium spirits business of Allied Blenders & Distillers Limited (ABD), has advanced its nationwide bartending competition, Bar Maestro, to the second round after receiving more than 350 entries from seven cities. Organised in partnership with the Tulleeho Beverage Academy, the competition has shortlisted 160 bartenders whose creations will now compete for a place in the national finals. The inaugural round also generated significant online engagement, attracting over 7.6 million Instagram views.
The opening challenge required participants to create an original highball cocktail using WOODBURNS Contemporary Indian Whisky, with entries judged on creativity, technical expertise and storytelling. Kolkata emerged as one of the standout cities, with bartenders drawing inspiration from Bengal’s culinary heritage by incorporating ingredients such as Kasundi mustard, GobindoBhog rice, Jharna ghee, panchphoron and Nolen Gur into contemporary cocktail creations. “The response to Bar Maestro is a powerful milestone in the evolution of India’s bartending community. It was fascinating to see participants build narratives around their local cultures and ingredients,” said BikramBasu, Managing Director of ABD Maestro, adding that the platform aims to promote craftsmanship and innovation in Indian mixology.
Round 2 will be judged by industry experts Sanjay Ghosh and ShrenikAvlani, who will select two bartenders from Kolkata for the national finals. The competition will culminate with a Bar Takeover on August 19, followed by the Grand Finale on August 20, where India’s first Bar Maestro champion will be crowned. Consumers can sample the shortlisted cocktails at participating outlets across Kolkata from July 27 to August 3.