Hapusa announces Top 50 bartenders for Forager’s Championship

Hapusa, Himalayan Dry Gin by Nao Spirits & Beverages, has unveiled the Top 50 bartenders for the second edition of the Forager’s Championship, a bartender-led competition built around the idea of local foraging and community.

The first round concluded with 112 bartenders, up 22 percent from last year, submitting 60-second videos featuring original cocktails made with Hapusa and at least one locally foraged ingredient. Entries showcased a diverse pantry, from guava and raw mango to clams, Assamese black rice, ramphal, gundruk, seaweed and Indian pennywort.

Spirit-forward classics, particularly Martinis, dominated submissions, with infusion, especially house-made vermouths, the preferred technique. Bartenders were judged on their choice of ingredient, its relevance and final execution.

Fifty bartenders from nine cities, including Mangalore, Guwahati, Jaipur and Pune, now advance to regional rounds. Zonal winners will embark on The Forager’s Journey, a five-night immersive experience in the Himalayas, culminating in a cocktail showcase in Delhi.

“When you start with where you are instead of what’s trending, you get drinks that couldn’t exist anywhere else. That shift changes how bartenders think: ingredients stop being props and start becoming teachers. The Forager’s Championship is really about slowing down and paying attention to the places we work in, not just the recipes we borrow,” says Anand Virmani, Co-Founder & Master Distiller, Nao Spirits & Beverages.