Bacardi has secured the first position amongst rum brands in India’s most premium bars. The brand has ranked first across all cities included in the reporting. They have maintained the number one spot for a second consecutive year. While Bacardi has continued to dominate and assert its position in the rankings, other brands such as Old Monk and Camikara have also retained a strong presence. This showcases how the Indian rum market has evolved, being able to compete with established international brands.
The survey covered over 155 bars across eighteen cities and fourteen states. The survey known as the “What India is Drinking 2026” has identified bar owners, bartenders, managers in narrowing down its ranking systems. The reflecting sales patterns across the studied bars suggests a strong demand for Bacardi based drinks, this study mainly focuses on the impact the rum has had across the studied bars and not the overall rum sales across the country.
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The rankings cover homegrown and international labels. While Bacardi secured the top spot, Old Monk in second, Diplomático in third, Camikara in fourth, and Flor de Caña in fifth. Havana Club ranked sixth, Appleton Estate seventh, and Captain Morgan eighth, while Amrut Two Indies secured ninth place. Kraken and Mount Gay shared tenth position.
When comparing the rankings to the previous years edition, we can see a few noticeable differences such as, Diplomatico moved ahead of Camilkara, both brands shared the third spot in 2025. Flor de Caña slipped to fifth, while Havana Club, Appleton Estate, and Captain Morgan retained their previous positions. Amrut Two Indies reentered the top 10, emphasising the presence of an Indian rum brand in the top 10.
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Old Monk is the highest rated Indian rum brand, being placed second for the year in a row. Their performance continues to establish the trend of Indian labels being able to compete with international brands. Camikara is another Indian rum that has performed strong, coming in fourth in the overall rankings, while Amrut Two Indies returned to the national ranking in ninth position, adding another Indian producer to the overall top 10.
Brands such as Maka Zai, Ashanti, Short Story, Daku, Cabo, Lost & Found, and Segredo Aldeia are also amongst the leading Indian rum brands. This helps showcase the variety of Indian rum brands present in the market and being attracted from premium bars across the country.
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While Bacardi secured the top spot, the rankings varied from brand to brand and city to city. Old Monk secured the runners up spot in Kolkata and Chennai, Havana Club took the second place in Mumbai and Pune. This shows how different rum brands maintain differing levels of popularity across the Indian market.
In Bengaluru and Goa, Diplomatico took second place and came third in Mumbai. Camikara showed growth in the northern markets and came in second in Delhi and Gurgaon. However, neither Camikara nor Diplomático appeared among the five leading brands in Chennai or Kolkata.
These results reflect how different customer preferences are across the country. Bacardi holds the top spot in the overall rankings, the competition highlights how different international and Indian brands operate within the Indian market
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The information presented in this article has been sourced from the official 30BestBarsIndia What India Is Drinking 2026 report, with additional references from PR Newswire, The Tribune, and The Whiskey Wash. These sources provide details on Bacardi's category leadership, survey findings, popular alcohol brands, and drinking preferences across India's bar industry.
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The survey recorded 35 brands compared with 27 the year before, showcasing a 30% increase. These reports suggest how premium bars across the country are operating and opting for a wider selection of different rum expressions.
Bacardi's dominance across eight cities reinforces its position in India's premium bar scene, while Old Monk, Camikara, and Amrut Two Indies demonstrate the presence of Indian producers. With more brands appearing in the rankings, the category is becoming increasingly diverse, offering consumers a wider selection of rum styles and labels.
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