Unlikely as it sounds, a piece of Ireland is blooming in Hyderabad
True to its reputation of being open to influences from around the world, a new trend is unfolding in Hyderabad—the distinctive flavour of Irish tipple is permeating the city in more ways than one.
A leaf from Shamrock
City-based influencer and keen traveller Priyanka Mallik, who has experienced the Irish pub scene first hand, says “Visiting Dublin’s historic pubs was like stepping into a living room filled with heirlooms. The same faces return year after year, passing down memories.” Talking of the culture now being transplanted in Hyd, she notes that “while we’re building new memories here, the Irish pub scene in the city has the potential to develop its own living legacy.”
She adds, “One thing that really stood out for me in Irish pubs was how the tables were placed close together. You naturally end up chatting with strangers, swapping stories for hours!” And that, she says, has stayed true to form across the oceans. “Here in Hyd, until the Irish pub culture really took root, there was no real urge to strike up conversations with the next table.”
Home and abroad
Irish pub culture has been around for about 1,000 years and Irish expats craving a taste of ‘back home’ have made sure the ‘comfort zones’ are strewn across the world.
“Hyd isn’t short on its own traditions of people gathering for the sake of just being together—think of the ‘adda’; the ‘baithak.’ So, when we talk about something like Irish grain or whiskey in Indian context, we’re not trying to replace one story with another,” says Vikram Damodaran, Chief Innovation Officer at Diageo India, who’s also taking the Irish pub-inspired idea forward in Hyd.
Fusing ideas
Liquor connoisseur and city-based entrepreneur Sunny Chaudhary, who is planning to enter this business soon, has a broad vision. “The Irish-Indic concept I imagine goes beyond just drinks. We are challenging the notion that pubs are solely spaces for indulgence or escape. Instead, they can emerge as cultural hubs, without hierarchy.” This idea combines the intimacy of Irish social culture with city’s rooted community spirit. “It’s about transforming a familiar format into something more mindful for today’s gen,” he adds.
Desi touches
Hasini Yellareddy, who attended a recent Irish gathering in the city, offers an insightful take: “The traditional ‘rounds’ system (where individuals foot the bill for each ‘round’ of drinks for the group) doesn’t translate rigidly. Social dynamics tend to shape interactions, making the process more fluid; people often just split the bill. At first glance, this might seem like a mismatch of cultures, but it isn’t necessarily so. When the setting is easy-going, authentic connections still find a way to emerge.”
And what other difference makes this Irish dynamic interesting in Hyderabad? Mixologist Pankaj Balachandran, who has been shaping India’s cocktail culture for nearly 15 years, points to a subtle but defining variance. He notes that, in many Irish settings, the staff themselves, especially a familiar bartender, can act as a bridge. That sense of connection does exist in Hyderabad, but it often stays within established circles rather than naturally extending to strangers.
"One thing that really stood out to me in Irish pubs was how closely the tables were placed. You naturally end up chatting with strangers," says Priyanka Mallik, a city-based influencer and avid traveller.
"The traditional ‘rounds’ system doesn’t translate rigidly here. People often just split the bill. At first glance, this might seem like a cultural mismatch, but it isn’t necessarily so," says Hasini Yellareddy, a city-based digital creator.
