Ankur Bhatia Of Jimmy's Cocktails Tells Us 2022’s Most Exciting Cocktail Trends

Bartenders and consumers are getting more and more inclined toward exploring their palates and experimenting with what they drink at bars. With new menus being churned out by bars every season, and some even getting rid of menus, locally inspired cocktails are the rage across bars in India. Think of summers and amongst the top 5 drinks that will come to your mind is Roohafza. Sidecar just introduced a cocktail with just that in their new menu, called the Dilli 6. Not only does it inspire nostalgia, it also provides the complexity that one has come to expect from a finely crafted cocktail.

While bars are pushing the limits and boundaries on their versions of cocktails (and doing a stellar job of it), OG cocktails are making a comeback, and that’s not limited to the Old Fashioned. With improved availability and quality of ingredients, Bars have started working towards bringing back classics like the Cosmopolitan and Sex on the Beach with their own takes on the two Vodka classics. Even the Bloody Mary has seen a resurgence with Brunch scenes coming back in vogue. Jimmy’s Cocktails offers all three variants and more to satiate your cocktail needs!

Get yourself these variants here. 

While cocktails have always been garnished, Bartenders are now getting more creative with what they serve their liquid creations with. While fruits, twists, leaves and flowers have always been around, bartenders today are investing both time and energy in creating garnishes that not only elevate the visual appeal of their cocktails, but also the nosing. From Sugar-crust garnishes to popcorn on the side, and from Gin & Tonic Pickles to Citrus Boats, bartenders today serve some epic drinks with even more epic garnishes.

Looking for bar snacks? Shop away here.

Craft Liquor brands are as much in trend as Craft Brands across other categories. While Brands like Greater Than and Stranger & Sons started the craft spirit trend, there are enough and more new brands in the gin space that have a lot to offer consumers in terms of both taste and experience. The Craft Category is even expanding to other spirits, like the recently launched Pistola Agave, and the now popular Cazulo Premium Feni. These brands have given consumers a taste of Indian craftsmanship in the spirits world, to the point where even the global spirits giant Diageo has launched India-inspired craft whiskies!

Check out more homegrown drinks here.

Perhaps it is an effect of COVID-19, but more people now have a good bar setup at home, at least enough to not only showcase their collection but also to house a few bar tools for making cocktails. Brands like SpeedX and Made with Spin have both become more popular with discerning consumers to fulfil their bar needs, while others like Hooper of York have been introduced in India to offer premium barware. Consumers today love putting together their own drinks at home, and the evolving consumer definitely wants to go beyond the whiskey-soda, especially while entertaining friends and family at home. 

While the Gin & Tonic has been the North Star, so far, as far as gin goes in India, there is a whole new set of cocktails waiting to be explored. Cocktails like the Gin Cherry Sour, which offer more complexity while keeping the core characteristics of gin are becoming quite the rage at bars. Jimmy’s Cocktails recently launched a Gin Cherry Sour Mixer with Indian Craft Gin Brand Greater Than, crafted by India’s #1 Mixologist Yangdup Lama.

Read about other Indian gin brands here. 

Consumers have started inching towards Martinis in every shape and form. From the classic Dry Martini to the James Bond Special Vesper Martini, and from the famed P*ornstar Martini to the Green Apple Martini, consumers at bars are loving these spirit-forward drinks in every shape and form. Another popular one now is the Espresso Martini. Made with a shot of espresso, a spirit of choice and some coffee liqueur, it’s trending globally as well as in India. 

Consumers today want lower-calorie cocktails. This means that consumers are slowly but surely consuming their drinks with better ingredients and lower sugar levels. While the standard aerated drinks and juices are still options, consumers prefer their drinks to be less of a share of their daily caloric intake, which means that the preference is now towards lower calorie mixers. Jimmy’s Cocktails are made with fewer calories and zero artificial sweeteners: achieved by using only the highest quality ingredients with their natural sweetness.

Shop a few more low-calorie drinks here. And all of Jimmy's Cocktails here. We highly recommend the party pack!