"We think the time is opportune to create a platform that we hope will, over a few years, help further propel the growth of the industry, and put India's bars and bartending talent on the Asian and world map," Vikram Achanta, Co-founder and CEO of Tulleeho that pioneered beverage education and training in India some two decades ago, said of the 30 Best Bars India contest.
"The environment is ripe with the emergence of passionate bar owners who are determined to leave a stamp, large-scale contributions by the beverage industry in capability-building and a pool of young, talented and passionate bartenders and beverage managers whose thirst for knowledge and innovation is changing the face of the Indian bar scene," he added.
"Vikram and I conceived of 30 Best Bars India 2019 more than three years ago when we felt the bar industry in India had reached a stage of maturity that requires national and international recognition. We aim to give voice to these game changers who deserve their due and who can inspire the industry for coming years," Radhakrishnan Nair, Publisher and Editor of MW (Men's World) magazine, said.
The contest will cover bars in at least a dozen Indian cities and regions - Delhi NCR, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Kolkata, Shillong, Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kochi - culminating in an awards ceremony on October 23 "that will showcase, recognize and celebrate the best of the Indian bar and cocktail industry - from the best bars to the best mixologists and bar teams that have made meaningful contributions through their craft", a Tulleeho statement said.
The awards will recognise excellence in categories like Best Bar, Best Hotel Bar, Best Independent Bar, Best Microbrewery or Taproom, Best Cocktail Menu, Best Bar Design, Best Bar Team and Best Bartender. Besides the national ranking, it will also rank bars across major cities.
"The categories have been carefully curated to ensure that we celebrate the achievements, talent and diversity of India's bar community. Judging for these awards is split into three rounds of voting, enabling us to best evaluate India's leading bars, microbreweries and taprooms, and bartenders," the statement said.
( With inputs from IANS )