SALUD

From the top cities around the globe to the ones in the Indian subcontinent, cocktail culture is on the rise, and at the heart of it, besides a common love of creating great, modern experiences, is community building

- MEHERNAAZ DHONDY

Somewhere in the post-pandemic era, the cocktail has seen a definite S restyling. While traditionally, drinks have rested in the background with all the big energy focussed around what's on your plate, we've seen an emergence of a vibrant cocktail culture committed to creating great experiences. There's a premiumisation afoot from the upskilled consumer who spent nearly two years at home making cocktails. It's time to let the folks behind the bar build these sensory experiences for you which is why bartending, a craft and an art to host someone in a small space and tap into their mood and fix what's in their glass the measures the liquids, the garnish, is also seeing a new age reinvention of its role. This is where World - Class steps in, a platform that supports, trains and inspires bartenders worldwide; it is all about community - getting people into one space for a shared collective experience. How well you host someone, how you think outside the box, create modern classics, and eventually balance skill and flavour to create something never tasted before these were also some of the key lookout points at the recently-held World Class Global Finals (For Global Bartender of the Year) in Sydney.