World Bartender Day 2026: Three Women Whose Journeys Are Reimagining What It Means To Belong In Indian Bartending

The story of bartending in India has long been told through men. Not just about who gets to drink, but even about who gets to make and serve it. But the women behind the counter have been rewriting that script with quiet persistence and unmistakable presence. On World Bartender Day, it feels necessary to turn the spotlight toward the ones who stepped into rooms that weren’t designed for them, stood their ground, and transformed the craft by simply refusing to shrink. Their journeys aren’t framed by glamour; they’re shaped by late nights, unlearning, discipline, and the emotional labour that often goes unseen. From claiming space in male-dominated bars, dismantling the limitations placed on their ambition, to building a culture rooted in knowledge and confidence, these women show what the future looks like when they take charge of the narrative. This is their story, told on their terms. 

Ami Shroff: On Taking Up Space 

Ami Shroff is one of India’s most influential bartenders, recognised for pioneering flair performance, leading bar programmes, and training teams across the country. With over two decades in the industry, she has built a career that bridges entertainment, education and beverage consulting, shaping how modern Indian bartending is experienced and understood. But at the start, bartending for her was an act of presence and stepping into a space she wasn’t expected to occupy. “I always thought flair was what sparked my interest,” she says, remembering being seventeen and mesmerised by the spectacle of juggling bottles, spinning tins, the kinetic joy of movement. “But I think it was also a fascination with being in a space where I saw very few women. It was like why? Is it not allowed, or is it just the lack of women? That question pulled me in more than anything else," she says.

Her relationship with the industry has always been intertwined with the larger systems around it. And though she finds safety a hard concept for herself, she empathises even more with others. She says, “I can imagine how hard it is for people from other communities, people with more disadvantages, who are navigating systems of power and exploitation. If we take care of these aspects, every industry will flourish.”

For Ami, the pathway to a healthier bar culture begins with accountability, especially at the top. “It always trickles down,” she explains. “Your base workers, your most underpaid workers, they hold the system together. Everything can crumble without them, and somehow we still don’t give that the importance it deserves.” She points to housekeeping as an example, the backbone of hospitality that still remains undervalued.

Her advice breaks the expected pattern. Instead of guiding women, she turns her attention to men:
“Enough advice has been given to women. I want to start advising men - question your privilege, your entitlement, the gender roles you grew up seeing. Start changing things at home. Try being more like women.”

And when she’s making a drink for someone who says they “don’t like cocktails,” she returns to the core of her craft: listening. “It’s usually because they think cocktails are too sweet,” she says. “I ask them for one flavour they love, pineapple, ginger, something fruity or spicy — and build the drink around that. When you work with what they like, it always works," she concludes

Hemali Bendre: On Unlearning Limitations 

Hemali once imagined a life built around blueprints and drafting tables. “I wanted to be an architect my entire childhood, and I even cracked the entrance exam,” she says. But life nudged her off script. Watching seniors in college perform flair, she found herself drawn to the unexpected. “I wondered how they learnt it. I felt curious. And that curiosity slowly shifted my whole direction. You never know where life takes you sometimes.”

Entering bartending came with an entirely different set of challenges, many of which had nothing to do with the craft itself. “Nobody in my family ever questioned my choices,” she says. “It was always people outside. People who couldn’t stand seeing me grow. It once felt like a challenge, but now I see it as the reason I pushed harder.” Education became her anchor. “Someone rightly said — education is power and consistency is the key. That’s how I navigated everything.”

Today, across her role as a Brand Developer at Diageo India and mentor, Hemali sees the landscape shifting, and she believes that participation is the accelerator. Bendre says, “The industry has changed in the last five years. More women are joining F&B, more women are competing, representing India at global platforms, and taking over bars. Some hotel chains have begun consciously hiring more women in their departments. It creates a cycle of visibility.”

For her, competitions and management programmes are crucial; they help women see themselves in rooms they once hesitated to enter. “Representation grows when women participate. These platforms are exposure, and exposure builds confidence.” Her advice to women entering the industry is stripped of fuss or fear. She says, "Go for it and go fully in it and get fully through it until you end up inspiring someone else.”

And her “never fails” drink? She confesses, “You’ll have to come and be my guest for that one. Some secrets stay behind the bar.”

Priyanka Mondal: On Building A New-Age Bar Culture

Priyanka’s journey into bartending began with boarding passes. She started her career with SpiceJet in 2019, mastering service and guest engagement long before she ever shook her first cocktail. When the pandemic reshaped the hospitality landscape, she moved into hotels and joined the bar team, first as a supervisor. “I was overseeing floor operations,” she says, “but the more time I spent around the bar, the more I felt drawn to it. My passion kept growing until I finally stepped behind the bar.”

Her evolution since then has been focused and intentional, from working at ZLB23 at The Leela Palace Bengaluru to winning the ProWine Bartenders’ Competition, becoming the South India winner of Grey Goose HOC 2023, and earning a Top 25 spot in the 50 Best Bars Scholarship 2024. But the path hasn’t been without tension.

As a woman, one defining challenge for her was breaking traditional taboos. She says. “Even today, it can be difficult for women to work behind the bar and drive change. You often need to put in extra effort to prove your skills.” Her response? Discipline, knowledge and clarity. She says, “Instead of being discouraged, I shifted my perspective. I read more. I learned more. Knowledge empowered me and it helped me express myself through my creations and establish my identity behind the bar.”

Now, as Assistant Bar Manager at The Library Bar at The Leela Hyderabad, she’s thinking beyond herself. toward what the industry could look like ten years from now. “I hope to see more women in leadership, ownership and brand representation. Structured mentorship programmes, equal access to competitions and safer, more inclusive workplaces, that’s how the industry grows.”

Her advice to young women is rooted in the same discipline that shaped her own trajectory: “Focus on skill, knowledge and confidence. Invest time in understanding spirits, techniques and flavours. The stronger your foundation, the harder it is for anyone to question your credibility. Surround yourself with people who support your growth.”

And when she’s trying to convert someone who claims they don’t like cocktails? She goes straight for the Division Bell, a mezcal-Aperol-maraschino-lime classic that balances smoke, citrus and bitterness with quiet sophistication. “It’s complex but still approachable. It never fails.”