EXCLUSIVE: Secrets to Running Award-Winning Bars with Pankaj Balachandran | Bar Management Revealed!

Join Swati Sharma, Co-Founder, of The Dram Club as she chats with Pankaj Balachandran, the visionary director of Short Story Spirits & Founder of CounterTop India, in an engaging episode about the art of running award-winning bars. Dive into their discussion on the secrets behind creating a memorable bar experience, the importance of innovation, and the strategies that turn a bar into a celebrated hotspot.
0:00 - 8:35 - Introduction & Initial Days
8:36-11:17 - Bar ops/ What does it take to run a bar?
11:26- 14:47 - All about Hoots
14:55- 20:04 - Understanding beverage consultancy & Bartending/ Cocktail competitions
20:05- 25-20- Monkeying around with Monkey Shoulder
25:38- 28:56- Spirits Versatility & Trends
30:43 - 34:35- New Beginnings & Bar Tesouro
34:32-42:42 - Tesouro Success Story
42:43- 46:52- Bar awards, Recognition & Experiences
49:09 - 52:23 - Tips on how to run a successful bar
52:25- 1:01:20 - Countertop & Birth of Short Story
1:09:13 - 1:18:19 - Cocktail culture, Consumption & Growth
1:18:20 - 1:20:22 - Home mixology vs Bartending
1:21:27 - 1:26-08 - Influencers & Influencer Marketing for bars
1:26:13- 1:32:06 - Upcoming bar Trends, Sustainability & Future
1:32:30- 1:33:19 - Rapid Fire & Outro