Mumbai Food: City bars are whipping up unique beer concoctions

Reventon Punch

How could anyone drink this at will?" were the thoughts that accompanied the cringe the first time we tasted beer. But soon enough, it became our go-to on sultry evenings. For those who are still trying to develop this acquired taste, these beer concoctions Mumbai bars are whipping up are a must try. But though it's a fun drink, beer needs more understanding than spirits to be worked with.

"Factors like temperature, hops and the pressure of carbon dioxide it is brewed in, all lend to the beer's flavour, aroma, texture and fizz," informs mixologist Sean Pereira from Woodside Inn, Colaba, adding that they recently tried infusing beer with multiple ingredients. "We tried the champa flower, which was a bad idea as the flower was overpowering, then jackfruit that was just ripe, which didn't give any flavour! But our infusi­o­ns with mogra, jamun, be­etle leaf and chocolate went very well," Pereira confesses. And you can try their coffee beer for the next three days. The Guide's Top six picks.

Hic, hic, hurray
What's the one drink that most people will drink? Beer. And so, when this Khar outlet wanted to make a drink to go with the nachos on their menu that easily serves a group of people, in a typical Mexican fashion, Sancho's made one with gin, tequila, homemade pimms, fresh fruits, key lime, agave and Mexican beer.

Jeet Rana

"Reventon is used to define a large party wi­th music and danci­ng. As the re­v­e­nton pu­nch is a la­rge bo­wl of alcohol, filled with fresh fruits and serves four people, it se­emed to apt to call it that," says Jeet Rana, beverage manager Sancho's.

Time 12 pm to 1.30 am
At 21, Pali Hill Road, Union Park, Khar West.
Call 9833373888
Cost RS 1,400

Caffeine love
Think Gilmore Girls at a frat party' - that's the best way to describe this coffee beer that Woodside Inn, Colaba is offering. Made using a beer-infusing device called Randall that adds external flavours to the beer, the idea was born from the growing love for coffee in the country. "Beer has always been a staple. But with the booming popularity of variants of cold brews, we now understand how the chemicals in it work, and can finally infuse the two," says Pereira.

Randall x Dope Coffee at Woodside Inn, Colaba

But the task was to get the beer with the right hops that lend their bitterness to the drink, and bitterness in the coffee that match. "If the two can't co-exist, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth," he adds.

Sean Pereira and Rizwan Amlani

After pairing nine types from coffees - from the North East to Chikmagalur - with beer, Pereira and Rizwan Amlani, CEO and co-founder of Dope Coffee-Roasted, ended up settling for a light German beer and a blend of Arabica and Robusta coffee, which has a buttery and caramel effect. "Coffee and beer require roasting beans or grains and offer after-effects. The aroma, flavour profile and finish are common parameters in both, which we've used to make this drink," says Amlani.

Till January 20; 12 noon to 1 am
At Indian Mercantile Mansion, Wodehouse Road, Colaba.
Call 22875752
Cost Rs 325

Tribute to Pink Floyd
They were one of the first ones to mix up beer with anything more than coke. And Social's ‘two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl' - a mix of chilled margarita (tequila, triple sec and lime juice) served with a bottle of beer placed upside down in a glass bowl - derives its name from Pink Floyd's iconic number Wish You Were Here.

Two Lost Souls Swimming in a Fish Bowl

"The idea was to serve two of the crowd's favourite drinks together in a combination that no one can say no to. It mixes tequila and beer in a way which has your evening sorted," says Nilesh Patel, beverage head.

Nilesh Patel

Time 11 am to 1 am
At All Social outlets and Flea Bazaar Cafe.
Cost Rs 595 onwards

Bittersweet symphony
Watermelon is our favourite summer fruit, so when we heard that D:OH All Day Dining & Bar had managed to concoct a drink with watermelon and beer, we were curious. Called the red eye, it infuses beer with watermelon juice, making it a bittersweet refreshing drink.

Red Eye

"The ubiquitous presence of cocktails in the market today is pushing us to experiment with unconventional ingredients. And when craft beers and ciders are getting increasingly popular, it's impossible to not incorporate them in cocktails," says Pawan Raina, business head.

Pawan Raina

Time 11 am to 1 am AT Lower Parel, Andheri West and Thane West.
Call 62372830 (Lower Parel)
Cost Rs 200

Cool as a cucumber
Need a refreshing drink, sans any hard liquor? If you live near Powai, then you're in luck. For this bar is serving a cucumber lager, which offers the aroma of the gourd, a bittersweet taste from the sweetness of the malt and the crispness of the cucumber.

Cucumber Lager

"We are continuously trying to push the envelope when it comes to our beers. The cucumber flavour profile makes it a refreshing drink for a warm afternoon as well as a great palate cleanser. The fact that it is a lager makes it a very seasonal beer," says Prashant Madke, head brewer, Crafters Tap House.

Prashant Madke

Time 12 pm to 1.30 am
At Level 1, Haiko Mall, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai.
Call 30151675
Cost Rs 400

Touch of tamarind
If sour is how you like your drink, the tamarind wit beer at this BKC bar should be on your list. Especially given the effort it's taken to come to fruition. "We tried making this beer in small batches but always fell short.

Tamrind Wit

It was just not right. We did not have the yeast, the malts and even the technique," says Navin Mittal, co-founder, The Gateway Taproom. Many attempts later, they zeroed in on a neutral yeast, added tamarind for a touch of sourness to complement the light, refreshing nature of the beer and infused it with coriander seeds and orange peel.

Navin Mittal

Time 12 noon to 1.30 am
At Unit number 3, G Block, BKC.
Call 8104590734
Cost Rs 295

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