The Poetry Of Menus: Art That Gets Us Tipsy

"Can I have a Thai Curry, Frida’s Sisters, and a Booty Call?"

If you overheard that at a bar, you’d probably assume someone’s gearing up for a very adventurous evening — a full-course meal and a night that promises food, fun, and possibly, a little promiscuity.

But sorry to disappoint (or not), these aren’t secret code words for a night of debauchery — they’re cocktail names. And before you picture curry in a coupe glass or two Frida(s) shaking up your drink, let’s be clear: these concoctions aren’t literal. A Thai Curry cocktail doesn’t come with rice, Frida's Sister doesn’t arrive with siblings, and a Booty Call definitely doesn’t guarantee one!

What they do offer is a concept — a bit of theatre meant to stir up a mood while you sip. Sure, these three aren’t from the same bar, but the point stands: there’s a new fashion in town.Sure, these three aren’t from the same bar, but the point stands: there’s a new fashion in town. Cocktails now come dressed with meaning, styled with intent, and most importantly, served with a story.

The Rise Of Concept Cocktails

Gone are the days when patrons were content with just a Martini, Negroni, or Cosmopolitan. People want experiences now — and what better way to offer them than through the one thing no one resists when stepping out: eating and drinking. When dining becomes experiential, the trick is to make it theatrical. Food will always be food, and drinks will always be drinks — but what if that 120-minute meal could feel like a journey? Something worth talking about long after the check arrives. This is where restaurateurs have leaned into concepts — and experimentation has increasingly centred around drinks. Plus, alcohol helps — people get a little tipsy, a little freer, and a lot more open to play.  

Take The Love Hotel in Delhi, for instance — a bar with a menu that dives headfirst into the concept of sex. Cocktails here are playfully themed (yes, Booty Call is on the menu, and yes, your check arrives with a condom). The room glows red, you’re cuffed before your drink arrives, and the entire experience buzzes with cheeky energy. It’s provocative, hilarious, and somehow… perfect for a date night!

Then there’sAABBCC, also in Delhi — a bar that lives in the world of retro-futurism, letting you sip on the classics of yesterday, the staples of today, and the imagined cocktails of tomorrow. The space itself feels like a sleek spaceship — a legit time-travel capsule where the drinks are your pilots. From a Thai curry–inspired cocktail to one that channels baingan bharta, each creation blurs the line between food and drink — a truly avant-garde take on what a bar experience can be. 

The cocktail menu is also the one thing every patron reads at a bar — which makes it the best (and perhaps only) way for the bar to speak to them. It’s like a one-sided introduction, but in a charming way — so bartenders and restaurateurs put their best foot forward to make a strong first impression. Design plays a huge part in that. The better it looks, the more it draws you in — transforming it from something purely functional into a piece of art. Often, the menu even mirrors the bar’s aesthetic, echoing its architecture, interiors, and overall vibe. Once that first impression is made, you’re hooked. You’ll flip through the pages, scanning every name, wondering what each concoction hides behind its clever title.

This is where the concept kicks in — a few witty names, some striking visuals, and you’re instantly curious. Why are the drinks named after music albums? Why am I being handcuffed before my drink arrives? And why on earth am I being served Baigan Ka Bharta Drink when I came out precisely to avoid home food? 

Well, these frills are more than just gimmicks — they’re creative statements and creations. The world of mixology and bartending in India is taking quite a turn. We’re moving beyond calling the folks behind the bar “bhaiya” and seeing them as just servers — and we’re finally ready to experiment beyond the classics (not that there’s anything wrong with them). We’re beginning to see bartending for what it truly is — an art form. A craft. It’s like being a chef of liquids. And now that this realisation has kicked in, everyone wants to see and taste more. 

At the same time, bartenders want to say more too — to speak through their drinks. Some of them travel and pick up stories along the way. Some are chasing the taste of something their grandmother once made when they were twenty. And some just want to build a fun idea — or an entire world — of their own. After all, they’re artists. And with all these stories bubbling inside them, they’re ready to give more. And when both sides finally align — us, hungry for new experiences, and them, ready to express — that’s when the magic happens. Handcuffs, food-inspired drinks, even cocktails paired with QR codes that cue up the song they’re named after — are all perfect examples of that magic in action.

Cobbler & Crew in Pune has a cocktail menu called Life in the 90s — a nostalgic tribute to stories from that era. There’s CandyCashback, celebrating the pre-QR days when you got sweet treats as cashback, and Return Gift, a nod to those scented erasers we all received at birthday parties. These little archetypes turn the act of choosing your drink into something playful. You’re not just ordering a cocktail — you’re revisiting your childhood. You want to try more, see where you fit in, and have fun with your choices. Another reason these conceptualised mood-board menus are here to stay.

Ekaa, in Mumbai, launched a 12-course cocktail tasting menu called Dwādash. Each course is an entry point into the ingredients, recipes, and flavours of a different part of India. You’re in on the history, the geography, and the story behind what’s in your glass. So while you’re sipping alcohol, what you’re really consuming is India itself — stirred, and served in a coupe. That, to me, is an absolutely remarkable feat.

These concept-driven menus have also become a key differentiator between different bars across the country (and world). How does one stand out from the other? Taste, of course, comes first — but when it’s paired with a story, it can completely shift perceptions. This movement of conceptualising menus is a win for the larger world of mixology. It pushes experimentation, celebrates personality, and rewards storytelling — all while keeping the spirits high, quite literally. And perhaps most importantly, it’s helping India tell the international bar community one simple thing — we’re ready!

All this said and done, cocktails have existed for years — as a mix of some spirit (or spirits) with flavouring, but these new statements and theatrics take it beyond that. They explore the why and the how, not just the what — because just the what isn’t good enough, or fun enough, anymore. If there’s a drink that uses an ingredient from the mountains, people want to know the story behind it. And when that level of thought is stretched across ten or fifteen drinks, it becomes something bigger — a concept, a narrative, a performance. But one that’s authentic. The bartenders are the actors. The patrons, the audience. The menu, the script. The theatre opens every day from 5 PM to 1 AM — and it’s delightfully interactive. The audience decides what to consume, and every exchange with the actor shifts the story. It’s beautiful — a performance like no other.

It’s about time we give these liquid chefs the respect they deserve. It’s a hard craft to master, a harder one to innovate, and hardest of all — to be vulnerable enough to pour a piece of your story into every glass you serve. These menus aren’t just lists of drinks. They’re living diaries — reflections of the people and passions behind the bar. And that, perhaps, is the real art that gets us tipsy.