World Class by Diageo India announces Top 100 Bartenders

World Class India by Diageo has shortlisted Top 100 bartenders for its 2026 edition, highlighting the evolving landscape of bartending across South Asia. Featuring talent from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, the list reflects a confident, skilled bar community shaped by years of focused investment in education, training and mentorship through the World Class platform.

For this stage of the competition, bartenders were tasked with reinterpreting a classic cocktail using Johnnie Walker Black Label as the base. The submissions reveal a strong grounding in classic cocktail structures, paired with expressive flavours, refined techniques and a growing use of local ingredients and culinary influences.

This year’s Top 100 shows the strongest-ever representation from Tier II cities, led by Pune, followed by Kochi, Coimbatore, Trivandrum, Indore and Dehradun, alongside major metros. Regionally, the West leads with 27 bartenders, followed by the South (22), North (20) and East (11), while Sri Lanka and Nepal contribute 10 bartenders each. Women make up 14 percent of the shortlist, marking the highest participation by women in the platform’s history, supported by initiatives like Diageo’s ‘Our Hive’.

In terms of cocktail styles, sours emerged as the most common starting point, followed by Highballs, Old Fashioneds and Rob Roy-style cocktails. Stirred, built and long drinks featured prominently. Ingredients that stood out included banana, jaggery, toasted rice and mushroom, alongside spices, herbal notes, savoury umami elements and tropical fruits.

Anchal Kaushal, Vice President - Customer Marketing, Diageo India, said, “It has been encouraging to see the diversity of talent coming through this year’s Top 100, particularly from Tier II cities and among women bartenders. Across regions, the bar community is showing greater confidence in their craft and communication with guests. World Class plays an important role in supporting this kind of long-term growth through education, mentorship and global exposure. Seeing how this talent is already shaping up has been exciting, and we’re looking forward to how the competition unfolds.”

The Top 100 will now compete at Regional Finals in Gurugram/Delhi on January 29, Kolkata on February 2, Bengaluru on February 4 and Mumbai on February 11, before progressing towards the National and Global Finals later in 2026.