Overview: The What India is Drinking 2026 (WIID) annual brand survey by 30 Best Bars India has revealed this year’s most popular cocktails and spirits across the country’s on-trade. Conducted among 155 bars in 18 cities, including Kolkata, Bengaluru, Pune, Gurgaon, Goa, Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai, participation increased by 24% from last year with responses gathered from bar owners, head bartenders, and beverage leads.
The Full Story
The fourth edition of the report is based on a survey conducted among 155 bars in 18 cities, including Kolkata, Bengaluru, Pune, Gurgaon, Goa, Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai. Respondents mentioned 527 brands across 21 categories, including 166 Indian brands. Radhakrishnan Nair, co-founder of 30 Best Bars India, noted: “2026 shows a settling of long-term consumer behaviour alongside pockets of sharp change. Categories like gin, Scotch, apéritifs and agave continue to be led by global giants, but the pace at which Indian brands are consolidating their presence is significant.”
Cocktail preferences are reportedly trending toward ‘bold, distinctive flavours’, with the Picante emerging as the most popular cocktail in India’s new national ranking. The Tequila-based cocktail, which brings a spicy, herbal take on Tommy’s Margarita, has become the top-selling cocktail in most surveyed cities. Picante leads the overall ranking, followed by Negroni and Espresso Martini. Negroni also maintained its place as the best-selling gin-based cocktail, followed by Gin & Tonic. For vodka-based serves, Espresso Martini kept its top spot, ahead of Cosmopolitan and Martini. Cosmopolitan seems to be gaining momentum in the Indian on-trade, jumping from fifth position to second within a year. The best-selling agave-based cocktails this year include Picante, Margarita, and Paloma, while Daiquiri, Mojito and Long Island Iced Tea lead rum-based serves. For whisky cocktails, Whiskey Sour overtook Old Fashioned for the number one spot, with Penicillin in third.
In the agave spirits category, Don Julio (Diageo), Patrón (Bacardi) and 1800 (Proximo Spirits) held their top-three positions for the third consecutive year. Diageo-backed Maya Pistola was the sole Indian brand in sixth place. In the vodka top three, Bacardi’s Grey Goose, Pernod Ricard’s Absolut and Moët Hennessy’s Belvedere kept their spots, respectively. Top Indian vodkas included Smoke Lab (NV Group), Short Story (Third Eye Distillery) and Cashmir (Piccadily Agro). The gin top three saw no movement, with Bacardi’s Bombay Sapphire, Diageo’s Tanqueray and William Grant & Sons’ Hendrick’s leading the pack. Hapusa and Greater Than (both owned by Diageo India), and Jaisalmer (Radico Khaitan) dominated the Indian gin segment. Mohan Meakin’s Old Monk led the Indian rum segment, followed by Piccadily’s Camikara and Amrut Two Indies. For brandy, Hennessy (Moët Hennessy), Martell (Pernod Ricard) and Rémy Martin (Rémy Cointreau) ranked at the top, with Tilaknagar’s Monarch Brandy rising to the top 10’s eighth spot. Mast-Jägermeister’s namesake liqueur kept its first place as the most popular brand in the Liqueurs & Other Spirits category, followed by Diageo’s Baileys. Cointreau overtook Pernod Ricard-owned Kahlúa for third place. Among Indian liqueurs, Quaffine (Indie Brews & Spirits), Six Brothers Mahura (South Seas Distilleries) and Mikiamo Limoncello (Nuvola Spirits) led the list. In the amaro and apéritifs segment, Campari and Aperol (both owned by Campari Group) retained their leading spots, while Cinzano (Caffo Group 1915) overtook Amaro Montenegro for third place.
Diageo’s Johnnie Walker kept its number one spot in the blended Scotch whisky segment, followed by Pernod Ricard’s Chivas Regal and Bacardi’s Dewar’s. The best-selling Scotch single malts were William Grant & Sons’ Glenfiddich and Pernod Ricard’s The Glenlivet, followed by Edrington’s The Macallan, which rose five places from eighth to third spot. For international whiskies, Pernod Ricard’s Jameson continues its leading trajectory, while Suntory’s Jim Beam took the second spot in 2026 from Brown-Forman’s Jack Daniel’s. The top three international single malts were Yamazaki (Suntory), Bushmills (Proximo Spirits) and Kavalan (King Car), respectively. In the premium Indian whisky sector, Allied Distillers and Blender’s Woodburns shot into the top 10, taking first place and leaving behind Suntory’s Oaksmith and Pernod Ricard’s Blenders Pride. Indri (Piccadily), Godawan (Diageo) and Paul John (Sazerac) were the most popular Indian single malts, with South Seas Distilleries’ Crazy Cock holding tight to its seventh place.
What This Means
Vikram Achanta, co-founder of 30 Best Bars India, added: “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. The newly signed India-UK free trade agreement is expected to create further opportunities for Scotch whisky across the country’s off- and on-trade.
Consumer Takeaway
The report indicates that this year’s findings highlight a market where well-established global brands remain strong. More Indian brands are also entering the top 10 across various categories. 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.
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