Smoke Lab Vodka Becomes the Official Vodka Partner of the Serpentine Summer Party 2026

On June 24th, an Indian spirits brand will walk into one of the most selective rooms in the art world and pour the first round. Smoke Lab Vodka has been named the Official Vodka Partner of the Serpentine Summer Party 2026, marking the first time an Indian spirits brand has held this position at the gallery's flagship gala. The announcement also doubles as Smoke Lab's formal entry into the UK market, a debut set straight inside Kensington Gardens.

The Serpentine Summer Party is not an easy room to get into. Held annually at the Serpentine Galleries in London's Kensington Gardens, the invitation-only gathering functions as the gallery's principal fundraiser, underwriting its exhibitions, commissions and education programs for the year ahead. It has built its reputation by drawing an audience that spans art, architecture, fashion and film. Over the years, the event has welcomed an impressive roster of guests including Cate Blanchett, Anna Wintour, Marina Abramović, Venus Williams, Edward Enninful, Alexa Chung, Orlando Bloom, Andrew Garfield, Jourdan Dunn, Bianca Jagger, Maya Jama, Skepta and Lily Allen.

This year's Serpentine Pavilion comes from Lanza Atelier, the Mexico City practice led by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo. Their design takes its cue from Britain's serpentine, or "crinkle-crankle" brick walls, reworking a centuries-old construction technique into a sculptural space built for the biggest art gatherings in the world.

For Smoke Lab, the partnership represents far more than a sponsorship. Founded in 2019 and backed by NV Distilleries & Breweries, the brand has built a reputation around its premium vodka crafted from Basmati rice, combining Indian provenance with contemporary design and global ambitions. The brand has spent the past several years collecting international accolades while building a wider lifestyle ecosystem around the vodka.

The brand is led by founders Varun Jain and Sanya V. Jain, who have helped position Smoke Lab at the intersection of spirits, design, fashion and culture. As Founder and CEO, Varun Jain has spearheaded the company's premiumisation journey, building globally minded spirits brands rooted in Indian ingredients and craftsmanship. Sanya V. Jain, Co-Founder of Smoke Lab and Creative Director of Smoke Lab Wear, has shaped the brand's creative identity and cultural footprint through collaborations across fashion, hospitality and the arts. Together, they have expanded Smoke Lab beyond a spirits label into a broader lifestyle platform that reflects a contemporary vision of Indian luxury.

The Serpentine partnership is the most visible marker yet of where their work has been heading: out of India and onto a global stage, an identifiably Indian brand that does as much for the culture as it does for the craft of brewing. "For me personally, as a founder, it is an incredibly proud moment to see a brand created in India take its place on one of the world's most influential and cultural platforms," says Sanya V. Jain. "As a brand, we have always sought to present a contemporary expression of India to the world. The Serpentine provides the perfect platform to introduce Smoke Lab not simply as a vodka, but as a reflection of modern Indian creativity, design and hospitality."

The signature serve of the night is the Spicy Raw Mango Sour, built on Smoke Lab's Green Chilli Mango variant, inspired by a pairing most Indians could identify with their eyes closed: raw mango and green chilli. As Indian luxury brands continue to expand their presence on the global stage, Smoke Lab's partnership with the Serpentine Summer Party stands as a notable moment for the country's premium spirits industry, bringing Indian craftsmanship, creativity and hospitality to one of the world's most closely watched cultural events.