New Delhi, Jan. 24 -- If two trends defined global cocktail culture in 2025, they were the rise of the tequila-based picante and the return of the Old Fashioned. The latter, the simple, definitive bourbon cocktail, is usually an uncomplicated concoction of the liquor, simple syrup and bitters. But it continues to be reimagined in cocktail bars across the globe and in India-often smoky, often citrusy, sometimes quite wild; infused with spices like cardamom and cinnamon, fruits like tamarind and mango, chai, and even bhut jolokia chilies.

The resurgence of the Old Fashioned and its playful iterations are a pretty accurate representation of global cocktail culture today, where the rapid spread of popular trends across cities and countries i...