Shatbhi Basu – Mentor

Shatbhi is one of those people you meet only once in a lifetime, if you are lucky.

Her list of achievements (many of them are ‘firsts’ in their league) is as long as it is astonishing!

An alumnus of IHM Mumbai, class of 1980. Shatbhi went on to carve out an illustrious career in bartending and was awarded by the President of India and the Ministry of Women and Child Development as India’s first woman bartender

She is Bar & Beverage Consultant to several hundred international brands & bars (pretty much the who’s who) and also a freelance journalist. 

Another first to her credit – creating STIR academy of bartending for giving young students skills, direction, purpose and a career, allowing them to support their family and growth opportunities.

Shatbhi uses her decades of experience in the wine and spirits world to educate trade and consumers, on the hows & whys, taste profiles, nuances of wines and spirits and the art and science of mixology. Encouraging people to think and appreciate, not just drink. Her easy style, wit and irreverent approach makes even the most difficult to understand subjects, simple!

Not bound by trends, fads or the return to classics, using techniques that enhance a drink, taking it to the next level. Drawing flavour inspirations from within the vast options in India and from around the world, focussing on the objective of creating libations that sing!

She has also published India’s first beverage book – The Can’t Go Wrong Book of Cocktails and designed India’s first generic stainless steel modular bar. She is happiest in the working area of the bar, which has been the domain that she has ruled over for decades. 

Shatbhi was appointed the first American Whiskey Ambassador, India from 2013 – 2016 and hosted and created India’s first TV show on cocktails & more – In High Spirits on NDTV Good Times.

Shatbhi is currently working on a book that is due to come out soon – stay tuned to this station for more updates!

We are proud and thrilled to welcome Shatbhi to our hall of revered mentors, and we look forward to bringing her wealth of insights to reveal to our readers a world of beverages unlike anything they have experienced before.

Shatbhi Basu

Shatbhi has been reigning over the world of cocktails for nearly four decades, and started the first training academy for bartenders in India, called Stir.  

She is a Bar and  Beverage Consultant to several hundred international brands and bars and also a freelance journalist.

She has won many accolades in her long and illustrious career, most notable being The President of India award for India’s first women bartender.