With over 15 years in the beverage industry, Pankaj Balachandran is well-known for his contributions to India’s cocktail scene. Originally from Kerala, Balachandran’s journey began with a passion for hospitality that quickly led him into wine and spirits, and taking on a bar manager role in New Delhi in his early 20s. His career path includes leading bars like Delhi’s Perch Wine & Coffee Bar, and Home Bar, as well as Tesouro in Goa, which was number four in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022 before its closure. He has also co-founded several groundbreaking establishments and is currently CEO of Countertop India, a full-spectrum beverages consultancy which he co-founded in 2019. Now based in Goa, his recent openings Boilermaker and The Lab are raising industry standards across India. A chat with the ‘bar-preneur’:
My Kolkata: Welcome to Kolkata, Pankaj. What brings you here?
Pankaj Balachandran: We’re managing and developing beverage programmes for Conversation Room (set to open doors in Edward Court on Chowringhee on November 11). I’ve spent a lot of time in the city previously as an ambassador of Monkey Shoulder and even if it’s a short two-day trip this time, it’s great to be back.
Countertop India, your bar consultancy company, has also worked on Junction at Taj Bengal…
Yes, we now have a national mandate with the Taj group to oversee Taj bar renovations and revamps across their properties. We recently did Rick’s, at the iconic Taj Mahal in New Delhi. Then Junction at Taj Bengal just went through a bit of an upgrade. The idea with hotel bars is to primarily bring that up to speed because many have taken a beating when it comes to keeping pace with the evolving bar scene. So bringing them up to speed is one of the programmes that we’ve done across the Taj group. Countertop has a strong presence in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru, as well as select projects in Dubai and Japan. We’re now looking to extend our focus to emerging markets like Kolkata.
Tell us more about Countertop.
Countertop is a consultancy I co-founded with Arijit Bose in 2019, although he left the company two years ago. It started with consulting bars, but over time, Countertop has grown into a full-spectrum consultancy, covering everything from alco-bev to non-alcoholic brands, bar programmes and events. We’re slowly moving into owning bars as well. When I say owning bars, I mean running our own bars. For example, Boilermaker in Goa, a five-star dive bar with three non-negotiables — good food, good drinks, and great service, which operates under the Countertop umbrella. We also have The Lab, a creative space in Goa dedicated to experimentation and innovation in beverages.
Other than that, we manage and develop beverage programmes. All cocktail and programme mentorship are done by us for clients like Hunger Inc Hospitality (The Bombay Canteen, O Pedro, Veronica’s, Papa’s), and Izumi, and the bar teams contribute in keeping the programme fresh and evolving. Countertop also has a solid wine wing. We do wine events across the country and develop wine programmes for venues.
So the company has really expanded into multiple layers and we’re involved in nearly every aspect of beverage innovation and bar culture.
What are some of your thoughts on Kolkata’s current bar trends?
I know the market pretty well here. A few years ago, the city’s cocktail choices were fairly simple — drinks like Cosmopolitans were the norm. On my last visit though, I went to bars using advanced techniques, like centrifuges, to craft complex cocktails. However, consumer preferences haven’t evolved at the same pace; they have not been moving with the trend. It’s like it went from zero to thousand, without a gradual progression.
At Conversation Room, our approach is to bridge this gap by focusing on approachable, enjoyable drinks. We’re dialing back the complexity and just simplifying things. Like, for example, in terms of cocktails, everything is tasty and refreshing, stuff that people can relate to and have multiple rounds of. We’re not going into a centrifuge or rotovap cocktail, which will intimidate a consumer. The goal is to make the bar experience inviting for a broad audience, rather than catering to a niche crowd.
Finally, how are you liking Goa?
Goa is a refreshing change after spending 12 years in Delhi. It’s the perfect space to slow down. When I’m looking to experiment or dive into something more technical, my own Countertop Lab is my go-to spot. It’s a dedicated space for research and development, where I can push the boundaries of mixology. It is built around sustainability and we work closely with local farmers, producers and artisans.
