Raj Shukla
Years of Participation
2023
As a hospitality professional and veteran bartender – Raj Shukla’s passion for spirits and cocktails has set him apart in the bar and cocktail world – locally, nationally, and now globally. A first generation Indian-American born in Nashville – he currently lives and works in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Raj has been designing and crafting exceptional cocktails and menus at places such as Copper Spoon and Mercado in downtown Fort Wayne where the food & beverage scene stands toe-to-toe with any major metro. He has competed in and won numerous cocktail competitions within the Midwest and across the U.S. – earning a national top 5 bartender spot in 2021 in the USBG World Class Competition. Most recently, Raj was featured in the new Netflix bartender competition series – Drink Masters.
In 2021, Raj started Do Good, Be Good LLC. – a hospitality/beverage company named after the motto his late Grandfather repeated to him daily as a child. The name stuck and resonates within everything Raj does whether through bar/cocktail/menu design and consultation to spirits and cocktail education and training.
When he is not behind the stick you can find Raj teaching couples and group cocktail classes, hosting bourbon and whiskey tastings, as well as bartending at pop-up bars and private events. In 2023 Raj aims to secure a space in Downtown Fort Wayne to build and design his first of many bar concepts. His city is growing exponentially and he is excited to provide exceptional service and offerings to his community.