Bombay Booze and the Bard

“Make it large,” – You’d often hear those words ringing in the ethos of the city of dreams. Its usage, however, is not limited to boardrooms, workspaces or mindsets of the people here, but also in watering holes scattered across every corner of this city. From fishermen devouring their pavva in local taverns mid-afternoon to millennials guzzling shots in upscale bars at night – Mumbai and Mumbaikars love their drinks and have loved it, since time immemorial.

Just like all tours curated by No Footprints, this is different!

Unlike a usual pub crawl offered by travel providers, this tour isn’t a guide to the parties in town. Instead, we focus on iconic bars that have significantly contributed to the alcohol history and the drinking culture in the city. You’ll learn about how once Goan ‘aunties’ ran what were Mumbai’s speakeasies during prohibition or about the rum that has for decades been India’s favorite across age groups. There are also engaging cocktail-making workshops and games!

Our tour starts with a visit to Mumbai’s oldest and most iconic bar, where guests sip on iconic cocktails that have been on the menu since the 1930’s. Further up, we move to permit rooms that have reached cult status among locals, where conversation move to the prohibition eras. From there, we upscale this experience by doing a cocktail making workshop at an urban gastropub. What’s more, you also get to sample some of Mumbai’s beloved ‘chakna’.

Our penultimate stop is Leopold cafe, the bar that was hit during the 2008 terrorist attack of Mumbai. Made famous by Shantaram, we learn the history of this iconic bar that’s been on Mumbai shores since 1871 – all this while playing some fun drinking games. Our last stop is a visit to a quintessential Maharashtra dance bar. Learn about these haunts which are struggling to survive today but once were money-spinners and have although inspired many Bollywood films but their own story is the tale to tell! So if you’re the kind who’d love to indulge in some cultural appreciation of Mumbai’s drinks and bars while you have endless fun, this tour is highly recommended.

Meeting point: Outside Regal Cinema at 1815 hrs

Things to note:

1. Chits will be handed to the guests at the beginning of the tour. Each chit can be redeemed for one pre-decided drink/meal at each restaurant. Any additional order must be paid for by the guests themselves
2. We expect proper decorum to be maintained throughout the tour. Any misbehavior will have the guest barred from continuing the tour.
3. Dance performances at dance bars are organized at the discretion of the bar management.