INJA wins the Bar Wars

Bar Wars, India's renowned bar competition that puts the spotlight on the unsung heroes of the bar industry that is the servers, concluded with an electrifying grand finale in Goa, crowning INJA from Delhi as the 2024 Bar Wars Champions.

The journey began with over 400 teams submitting creative entries via Instagram reels, with the top 72 bartender-server duos competing across eight major cities. The event in its fourth year was the largest edition of the show, spanning 8 cities across the country.\

What did set Bar Wars apart this year (Greater Than’s Bar Wars) was the involvement of over 100 consumer judges at each event, who tasted the cocktails, evaluated the teams' pitches, and awarded tokens to the bartenders based on their experience, eventually deciding which teams delivered the best service.

After an intense month of competing across the country, INJA emerged victorious, claiming the prestigious title, comprising a cash prize of Rs. 2 lakh and the coveted opportunity for an international bar takeover with Greater Than Gin. The competition stands out not only for its scale but also for its unique consumer-driven judging process, allowing patrons to cast their votes and decide which teams delivered the best experience.

The grand finale saw the nation's top bar teams — Jamming Goat from Hyderabad, Papa’s from Mumbai, Whisky Samba from Gurgaon, Muro from Bangalore, Room One from Goa, Mehico from Kolkata, Steakhouse Bar and Grill from Pune and of course, INJA from Delhi battle it out in a thrilling showdown of creativity, service, and cocktail mastery.

Commenting on the occasion, Anand Virmani, Co-Founder of NAO Spirits, said, “Bar Wars has quickly become our favourite event of the year and this year was nothing short of extraordinary. Two things we love about this competition are that firstly it shines a light on the incredibly talented servers from our favourite bars and restaurants who go unnoticed and under-celebrated for the hard work they do, and secondly, it lives up to our culture of being a transparent brand that invites consumers in to witness and be a part of the judging process - something that has never been done before in bar competitions around the world. We are incredibly proud of all the teams that put themselves out there and put in that effort every year to improve their drinks and their pitch - their work behind the scenes is clearly visible for us all to appreciate!”

The winning restaurant, INJA, on being crowned said, “Winning Bar Wars has been an exhilarating journey for our team. The competition was fierce, and all three rounds pushed us to think creatively and work even harder. The experience has been unforgettable, and we are especially thankful to Greater Than for creating a platform that celebrates the teamwork between bartenders and servers. We can’t wait to take this energy to the international stage and bring to the world what India’s bar scene is all about!”