Ministry of Crab celebrates its first anniversary in India with a special cocktail menu

Pooja Patel

Mumbai’s suburban seafood joint Ministry of Crab, known for serving Indian mud crabs, is celebrating its first anniversary with a limited-edition cocktail menu. The special menu 1st Pour has been created by 11 mixologists and gives a fun twist to classic cocktails.

A few of the many intoxicating cocktails on the menu are Yang’s Old Fashioned by Yangdup Lama of Sidecar Delhi, a cocktail made from betel nut-infused bourbon, date cordial and aromatic bitters, garnished with an apple slice; Grape Gibson by Dimi Lezinska of Stranger & Sons Gin has pickled grape brine stirred with this gin and garnished with a slice of a pickled grape slice; and O Toro Negro by Karl Fernades, brand ambassador for Cazulo (premium feni), has a mix of Ketel One vodka infused with Sarsaparilla combined with espresso, mint and coffee liqueur.

Mixologist Varun Sudhakar, who is also the Head of Innovation & Operation (beverage) at this Sri Lankan restaurant, too, has prepared a concoction called The Plantation. A cocktail which takes the base structure of a classic whisky sour, but without egg white. He drew inspiration from the local plantation farms of India. “The use of cinnamon is a representation of a Sri Lankan spice. This drink is based on bourbon, which is generally dry and sharp in flavour. The addition of raw banana mellows down the spirit and complements the dryness of the cocktail,” explains Sudhakar. He adds that the pineapple juice gives texture and body to the drink while cinnamon gives an aroma towards the end.

Popular for its Avocado Crab Salad, Garlic Chilli Crab and Baked Crab, the joint’s mixologist is quite content with the response so far. “We have sold over 250 cocktails in a very short span of time. The drinks in the list can satisfy all taste profiles—bitter, sweet, citrus, herb, strong and mild,” says Sudhakar. Complementing the bar menu is their new nibbles menu, which includes Prawn Crakers, Devilled Eggs, Spiced Okra and more.

The first year has been an exciting one and Sudhakar has learnt a lot on the way, like the need to educate himself about what’s happening in the market and to always stand by the core values in terms of quality, technique and value for money. “I’ve realised that bar collaboration like this one is something we should do time and again,” he says.

1st Pour, the limited-edition cocktail menu is available till March 31, 2020.

Ministry of Crab,
Zaveri House, Chitrakar Dhurandar Marg,
14th Road, Khar,
Mumbai.