Hapusa to host Forager’s Championship

The Forager’s Championship, a bartender-led cocktail competition inspired by local foraging and regional ingredients, is returning for its second edition. Organised by Nao Spirits & Beverages, the makers of Himalayan dry gin Hapusa, the championship brings together bartenders from India, the United Kingdom and Italy, with a focus on cocktails built using Hapusa and at least one locally foraged ingredient.

The competition draws inspiration from Hapusa’s production process, which uses hand-foraged Himalayan juniper collected by local communities. Extending this philosophy to the bar, the championship encourages bartenders to explore ingredients native to their own regions and incorporate them into cocktail design.

Participation begins online, with entrants submitting a 60-second video explaining their cocktail concept and foraged ingredient. In India, entries open on January 9, followed by regional rounds in Mumbai, Goa, Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru. Winners from each country will be selected through peer voting. The UK and Italy rounds have already concluded.

Selected finalists will take part in a five-night, six-day immersion programme in the Himalayas, where they will engage with local landscapes and foraging traditions linked to the gin’s origins. The programme concludes with a cocktail showcase at the Forager’s Takeover event in Delhi on May 2.

The inaugural edition of the championship saw bartenders create cocktails using wild herbs, stone fruits, native honey and regional grains. Notable entries included reinterpretations of classic formats using foraged botanicals and indigenous ingredients, highlighting varied regional expressions rather than standardised recipes.

India Schedule

• January 9–26: Entries open
• February 7: Regional finalists announced
• February 16: Goa round
• February 18: Bengaluru round
• February 23: Mumbai round
• February 25: Delhi round
• March 2: Kolkata round
• April 25–May 3: The Forager’s Journey