India's hottest cocktail: Why is everyone drinking Picante?
Industry insiders tell us why this cocktail is a runaway hit at bars, becoming the new ‘I’ll have what they’re having’ for desi palates
On any given weekend night, walk into a buzzing bar, and you’ll spot the same thing: servers weaving through crowds with glasses rimmed in chilli-salt, carrying cocktails that glow a playful orangish-green. Even before you know what it is, you’ve already guessed - it’s the Picante, the drink that has taken over India’s nightlife.
If you’re wondering what is is: it’s a tequila-based cocktail with bold, spicy-tangy notes, that just hits the Indian palate just right. Made with fresh chilli and coriander, shaken with tequila, lime juice, and agave syrup, the Picante is essentially a boozy, fiery chaat in a glass, and it’s no surprise it’s everywhere because it’s popularity is only climbing.
Though India is embracing the Picante as if it were born in our kitchens, the drink didn’t originate here at all. Created in 2012 in the SoHo House kitchen in Los Angeles, the original Picante de la Casa became a runaway hit in the UK, eventually drifting beyond the club’s menus and into bars around the world.
So why did it take root in India more strongly than almost anywhere else? Rakshay Dhariwal, managing director, PCO Hospitality, puts it simply: “The Margarita has always been the highest-selling cocktail globally, and Indians love spice. The Picante combines both - it’s basically a spicy margarita. That balance of citrus, heat, and freshness makes it instantly appealing.”
Why it works
Yangdup Lama, co-owner of Sidecar, which has been part of Asia’s 50 Best Bars list several times explains: “With the Picante, the magic is in the balance. If the chilli is too sharp, it loses charm. If the coriander is too strong, it becomes herbal. When everything lands just right, it’s refreshing, exciting, and comforting all at once. That’s why it works.”
He also compares it to the Bloody Mary, another savoury cocktail that was introduced here years ago but never fully took root. He notes that while the Bloody Mary was intended as the perfect brunch drink, “it felt too heavy due to the fresh tomato juice. You have two, and you can’t even eat, and that’s why it failed to please many.”
Changing Indian palate
Part of the Picante’s success comes from India’s evolving cocktail culture. “We’ve moved from sweet, fruit-forward drinks to fresher, cleaner, spice-driven flavours,” says Jeet Rana, co-founder of Barbet & Pals.
“Add tequila’s rising popularity, the bar-hopping culture, and Instagram’s obsession with bright, photogenic cocktails, and the Picante had the perfect runway.”
Some bars estimate that every fifth tequila cocktail ordered today is a Picante.
A favourite in cocktail competitions:
The Leela’s signature Picante recently won the Iconic Cocktail of the Year at the 2025 Icons of Whisky Awards. It even featured at a Milan Fashion Week dinner, where Indian chilies replaced jalapeños - further proof of the drink’s new global footprint.
Everyone wants to reinvent it
Like all trend-setting cocktails, this too has entered its remix phase. Bars across India are inventing localised variations such as pineapple + jalapeño for tropical brightness, mezcal swaps for smoky depth, pomegranate or mango purées for sweetness, grapefruit in place of lime for a sharper twist.
At Latoya, Beverage Head Manoj Singh Rawat celebrates this evolution through multiple versions: “Our signature Papi Chulo uses tequila, clarified cilantro, cucumber, jalapeño, and yuzu for a refined edge. We also created the Lemo Icante with kalamansi to highlight Asian citrus, and the Twisted Picante with mango and serrano chilli. These variations show how the Picante keeps adapting globally while staying endlessly inspiring.”
Is it a classic yet?
Many bar professionals think so. Naveen Rathee, director of Food & Beverage at The Westin Gurgaon, Delhi, says, “I believe it’s on its way to becoming a modern classic. The Margarita and the Picante share the same DNA — simplicity, structure, emotion. The Picante reflects today’s palate: clean, bold, spice-driven. Guests now order it as instinctively as an Old Fashioned or Negroni. That says a lot about its staying power.”
The entry into retail spaces
The cocktail’s rise has moved into retail, too. Non-alcoholic mixers from Bartisans, Tipsy Tiger, and MAY & CO. make it easy to recreate a Picante at home. Ready-to-serve alcoholic options are growing as well, with Mr Jerry’s launching a Guava Picante in markets like Goa.
