Monkey Shoulder, the free-spirited blended malt by William Grant & Sons, kicked off the eighth edition of the “Ultimate Bartender Championship” (UBC) following seven successful editions. Kolkata hosted this year’s championship’s second city round, which culminated at Little Bit Sober in Kolkata.

There were approximately 130 exceptional bartenders who demonstrated their expertise, quickness, and craft in five different mixology challenges during the high-energy Kolkata leg. The purpose of the Bartender Rumble format was to assess real-world agility and bar competence by testing participants on fundamental bartending skills, including pouring, nosing, mixing, product awareness, and creating the ideal serve.

Surajit from Olterra, Anil from ATM Bar, and Ishardeep from Highland Nectar-ITC Sonar, the top finalists from Kolkata, emerged victorious and will now compete against other city-round finalists in the grand final.

Pankaj Balachandran, a well-known figure in the Indian bar industry and a brand friend, is hosting the championship this year. As this edition’s special guest host, Pankaj brings a wealth of industry knowledge and enthusiasm to the UBC stage.

“I have come back after five years to again organize this competition. We have got the highest number of participants from Kolkata this time. Over a hundred people have participated in this event. It will be a power-packed and skill-based bartending competition,” said Pankaj Balachandran.

Future city rounds in Goa, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Gurugram will finish out the tournament. The India final is set for September, and the victor will travel to Tokyo to play internationally at the DMC World DJ tournament in Japan.

Priyanka Dutta