Monkey Shoulder Kicks Off the 8th Edition of the Ultimate Bartender Championship in Goa
21st August 2025, Goa : After seven successful editions, Monkey Shoulder, the free- spirited blended malt by William Grant & Sons, kicked off the eighth edition of the ‘Ultimate Bartender Championship (UBC). The sixth city-round of this year’s championship took place in Goa, culminating at Cafe Co2.
The Goa leg saw a high-energy turnout with over 100 talented bartenders showcasing their skill, speed, and craft across five mixology challenges. Despite an orange alert in Goa due to heavy rains, the community’s unwavering spirit and passion for the craft shone through, underscoring the strong love for the brand. With the Bartender Rumble format, participants were tested on essential bartending skills—from pouring and nosing to mixing techniques, product understanding, and crafting the perfect serve—all designed to evaluate real-world agility and bar expertise. The Winners Ayush from Boilermaker, Avinash from The Second House from Goa, emerged with flying colors and will now compete with other city-round finalists at the India finale.
This year, the championship is being hosted by Pankaj Balachandran, a respected name in India’s bar community and a friend of the brand. Pankaj brings deep industry insight and energy to the UBC stage as this edition’s special guest host.
Commenting on the new season, Kapila Sethi Kad, Head of Marketing, William Grant & Sons India, said: “The Monkey Shoulder Ultimate Bartender Championship is our way of recognizing talent and creating meaningful opportunities for the bartending community across India. With the 8th edition, we’re excited to take things to the next level as the national winner will now go on to represent India at the regional finale in Tokyo. It’s a proud moment to see the platform grow, and Goa has set a fantastic tone for the season ahead.”
Speaking about the Goa round, Pankaj Balachandran, Host – UBC 2025, said: “Coming back to UBC as a special host this year has been a full-circle moment for me. Monkey Shoulder is a brand loved by bartenders and I am elated to the overwhelming number of applicants, and the sheer level of talent this year! Monkey Shoulder has truly evolved UBC into a celebration of the craft, and I’m excited to be part of this journey again, witnessing how far the community has come.”
The championship will continue with upcoming city-rounds in Mumbai and Gurugram, with the India finale scheduled in September and the winner heading to Tokyo to compete on a global stage at the DMC World DJ Championship, Japan.
