03 May,2026 09:56 AM IST | Mumbai | Tanisha Banerjee
Inside Permit & Co. where we start and end the bar crawl. PICS/TANISHA BANERJEE
On a bright, pleasant Sunday, I stepped out of my house to waltz through a bar crawl with my friend. It began at Permit & Co - an almost ironic starting point for a crawl rooted in the city's old-school permit room culture. By 2.45 pm, strangers were already warming up over a welcome drink, exchanging introductions that felt less like networking and more like the beginning of a long, shared evening.
From there, the trail moved southwards to Gokul, then Sunlight, followed by Café New York, before looping back to Permit & Co for a high-energy bar takeover. Each stop came with its own rhythm, plates of munchies, and the kind of conversations that only get easier as the afternoon slips into evening (a drink each hour).
The night's pivot came with a return to Permit & Co, where the bar takeover introduced Lucifer's Gold Whisky, recently rebranded and positioned as a bold reimagining of what whisky can be. The event itself was organised by Monika Alcobev, the brand's importer, as part of a larger push to reintroduce the label in a more experiential format. With everybody cheering on with their cocktails in hand, the night was really coming alive.
The team hosting us was a full mast gang as they constantly joked around while also paying attention towards you, just in case. To get the utmost experience we were given full freedom to buy any local alcohol from the bars' shops with their warnings: "Drink at your own risk". Luckily, by the time of the bar takeover the crowd had become best buds with everyone and that's about when my friend and I hit the dance floor.
At Gokul, we had a beer-chugging contest, which I failed terribly
What makes a permit crawl work is the setting. Gokul's no-frills familiarity encouraged easy chatter. Sunlight added a playful layer with jukebox sessions that had people bonding over shared music tastes. And Café New York, with its old-world charm, slowed things down just enough to take in a slice of Bombay's dining history. By the third bar, conversations blur across circles, and by the fourth, it feels like everyone arrived together.
Two cocktails stood out not just for their flavour, but for how easily they translated the whisky's personality. Spill the Tea - a mix of Lucifer's Gold, hibiscus, citrus, and ginger ale - felt tasteful without being heavy. Bad Intentions was built with pink peppercorn, citrus, and grapefruit soda, this one leaned bright and refreshing. The citrus cut through cleanly, making it an easy crowd favourite. There were also playful additions like quick shots pairing coffee with whisky that kept the energy high.
Where's the fun without a bingo card?
Priced at a decent Rs 2500, Permit crawls like this tap into the city's own drinking heritage. In a landscape increasingly dominated by polished bars and curated menus, revisiting legacy spaces adds texture. Not every Sunday needs to be sacrificed to rest. Sometimes, it can be spent finding your balance with strangers (and alcohol).
