Mixology On The Move: India’s Cocktail Craze Hits Non-Metro Towns

With Indian bars becoming a fixture in international awards and rankings, cocktail culture in India has come of age. While metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru lead the way, non-metro and smaller towns are also seeing a preference for a good cocktail. The interest in well-executed cocktail programmes is becoming a defining factor for many establishments in smaller Indian towns. “Guests here are well-travelled, open-minded, and eager to try new things. All they needed was a space that gave them that experience,” explains Vedant Newatia, Founder and Head Chef of Atelier V and recently-launched Masala Code, restaurants in Indore. Similarly, in Amritsar, Shreya Nayyar, co-founder of The Bagh and Tepah, wanted to curate a beverage programme that resonates with the city. “It’s about making cocktails part of everyday dining, not just a late-night plan bridging the comfort of a café with the energy of a bar,” she adds.

Based on the listing shared by 30 Best Bars India 2025, other cities that have seen growth in cocktail appreciation include Guwahati, Shillong, Jodhpur, and Udaipur. While many of these are part of hotels catering to tourists, there is a local audience that cannot be ignored. In Bhopal, Faiz Rashid, Director of Jehan Numa Group of Hotels, explains that it is part of their growth story. “Our cocktails have evolved from classics to hyperlocal experiences that use ingredients grown on-site, making them storytellers of the region and of our brand. We believe Bhopal deserves this level of innovation,” he says about The Citrus Garden Project bar at Jehan Numa Retreat.

While passion does drive the inception of the bar, to ensure guests keep coming back is a multi-fold challenge. At the core of this is people and perception. “There’s a learning curve with guests; people are curious but may not always be familiar with certain techniques or flavour profiles, so education becomes part of the process,” shares Nayyar. At Atelier V, Newatia introduced classic cocktails to familiarise people with the basics and make sure the classics were done right. Only then did he introduce his current experimental cocktail menu, Around the World in 12 Cocktails. 

On the other hand, retaining skilled and willing bartenders who’d prefer the exposure of competitive cosmopolitan markets is also a task. “This forces us to shoulder the substantial burden of in-house training and creating a compelling retention model,” adds Rashid. Access to quality ingredients also becomes a sourcing rabbit hole. “Many spirits, liqueurs, and garnishes that are easy to find in metros take longer to source here,” says Newatia. To mitigate the situation, these bars and bartenders have come up with their own unique bitters, tinctures and alternatives. This has also led to the creation of speciality cocktails that have also become crowd-pleasers like Jamunji at The Citrus Garden Project, made using jamun grown on the property that is blast frozen for a year-round supply. The drink uses a blend of mahua and vodka with a jamun sorbet.

Indian flavours of mint, lime, and ginger are a safe bet when crafting cocktails for a local palate. Both Tepah and Atelier V use these to offer cocktails that are refreshing and easy. At Jodhpur’s Bungalow Twelve, Indian gooseberry and cilantro meet tequila for a local take on a Picante. Coromandel Café in Puducherry offers a Nannari mojito as well as a tamarind and rum cocktail, as an homage to local flavours.

The success is driven by aspiration, exposure and high disposable income. “People today are more experimental with what they eat and drink; they understand ingredients, they ask questions, and they appreciate the craft behind the bar. But the real shift comes from curiosity from wanting to drink better, not just drink more,” echoes Nayyar. Non-metro, tier 2 and 3 cities are witnessing an organic growth that is not driven by playing catch-up. This is resonating with audiences and is a sign of an evolving bar and cocktail culture in India.