Neha Mehrotra
06-Aug-2025
As Monkey Shoulder’s 8th UBC kicks off in New Delhi, we step behind the bar with host Pankaj Balachandran to explore what this high-octane competition says about India’s growing cocktail culture.
What does it really take to be India’s best bartender?
Is it the shake? The flair? The crowd-pleasing garnish? Or is it something more grounded, like the perfect pour, the muscle memory of a service round, or the confidence of a spirit-forward drink done just right?
On a high-energy afternoon at Playboy, The Grand, in New Delhi, we got our answers to all these questions. Over 120 bartenders from across the capital had gathered not just to perform but to prove that bartending is a craft honed through discipline, pressure, and relentless passion. This was the Delhi leg of the Ultimate Bartender Championship (UBC) by Monkey Shoulder, the iconic blended malt from William Grant & Sons. Now in its eighth edition, UBC has become one of India’s most anticipated bar championships, and this year, it’s bigger than ever.
“I’ve been part of UBC since its first edition in India,” says Pankaj Balachandran, industry stalwart and this year’s returning host. “And I’ve always believed this is one of the most objective, skill-based formats in the world of bartending competitions.”
He’s not exaggerating. While many global contests test how well you can talk about a drink, UBC strips things down to the bare essentials. Think of it as a bartender’s boot camp: five back-to-back challenges that test speed, accuracy, nosing ability, pouring precision, round-building, and product knowledge. “Bartenders often believe they belong behind the bar, but UBC pushes them out of that comfort zone,” Pankaj explains. “In one round, they have to serve tables. In another, they build an entire round of drinks in minutes. It’s designed to mimic the pressures of a real bar.”
One of the most telling moments of the competition is the Round Building challenge. For the uninitiated, imagine getting six cocktail orders at once. Instead of making each drink individually, a top-tier bartender will pick up each ingredient once and portion it out with military precision. “It’s about the economy of motion,” says Pankaj. “If you pick up the lime juice, know which of the six drinks you need and pour accordingly– no wasted steps, no repeated effort. That’s what separates speed from strategy.”
The Ultimate Bartender Championship has had eight editions and when I asked Pankaj what's different this year, he tells me, “The format still remains the same, but one of the additions this year is the fact that there never used to be a global finale.” The person who wins India goes to a cab monkey internationally. “But this year there is a global finale. It is happening in Japan on the 12th of October and the winner goes to compete with other winners from across Asia as a regional champion,” he adds on. “Earlier, winners would go for a training experience at Monkey Shoulder’s Camp Monkey. Now, they’ll actually compete at an international level,” Pankaj shares, visibly excited.
And Delhi certainly didn’t disappoint. After a day of sweat, nerves, and serious bartending grind, three finalists emerged: Ankit from Home, Ravi from Khi Khi, and Rahul from The Dressing Room. They’ll now go on to face the top performers from other cities in the India finale this September.
As UBC makes its way to Kolkata, Goa, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Gurugram, it’s also riding the wave of a nationwide cocktail revolution. “People in India are now travelling more, experiencing global bar cultures, and returning home with higher expectations,” Pankaj notes. “They don’t just want a drink; they want an experience.”
And Indian bars are rising to meet that moment. “This year’s Asia’s 50 Best Bars list tells you everything,” he says. “The number of Indian bars on that list is almost on a par with cities like Hong Kong.” When I ask him what drink best represents him, Pankaj smiles: “A Negroni. Classic. Bitter, sweet, strong – everything in balance.”
