Rude Drink by Vir Sanghvi:The future of drink

The annual World Class Bartender of the Year competition is part beauty contest but it is also part Davos with insights into drinking trends

I wrote here, some months ago, that I believed that (in India at least), bartenders were the celebrity chefs of the future. Young people today, I argued, were less interested in food than in drinks – especially cocktails and funky spirits. When they went out in the evenings, they wanted an experience; and drinks are always an integral part of that experience. Food comes second.

Bartenders set the cocktail trends and call the shots(Getty Images)

Devi Singh represented India at the global World Class Bartender of the Year competition

Contrary to what James Bond likes, a martini is supposed to be a classic gin cocktail

Top bartender Yangdup Lama

Whisky companies are introducing new innovations and variants each year

There were many different contests and titles at the World Class Bartender of the Year competition

Gin, with a distinct flavour of its own, is the new vodka now

A generation of rock stars drank sweet cocktails made with tequila, such as the Margarita

Priyank Sukhija is the king of Delhi’s bar and restaurant scene