Top chilled beer picks in Mumbai by industry experts

Craft callingGaurish Rangnekar restaurateurYes the popular choice remains lagers in the style of a pilsner Indians are introduced to beer through pilsners and it remains the conventional choice There is a niche audience that is growing and favouring craft beers I have seen the trend increase quite rapidlyBeers made with rice and infused with kokum and India Pale Ales IPAs are on the rise Microbreweries particularly focus on Hefeweizen seasonal pale ales and others These do well in the summersIndians travel well now and are well versed with beers like Singha in Thailand or Coors in the US Consequently they are more experimental and open to different beers This will diversify the bar menu Strong beers are also picking up in a big way This is a potentially growing market in the futureLager lovePankil Shah cofounder Woodside InnAs Indians we have been brought up on lagers like Kingfisher They are also well suited for the summer These macro breweries also sometimes use rice in the brewing process which adds to the lightness in the body of the lager Personally I can tell you that summers always see a rise in Hefeweizen Belgian whit beers These are light and easy to consumeAs an option a small percentage does prefer ciders although they are not beers Their fruitiness makes them easily potable I have noticed a good movement of mango and pineappleinfused ales this season As for the use of grains breweries are turning to local grains like millet But their consumers are limited to aficionados It is still at a nascent stageAlersquos wellGagan Sharma sommelierOver the last five or six years witbiers and lagers remain the most preferred beer in the country In recent summers however there has been a shift towards exploring IPAsSince 2016 the trend of drinking coffee sans milk or sugar has grown This has influenced the global palate leaning towards a slightly bitter flavour Hence you see a boom in negroni consumption There is a commonality of language being spoken among consumers even in beer So the percentage of IPA sales have gone up and the trend is likely to continueFor the future fruity beers are here to stay Many brewers are also experimenting with local grains such as millet and poha But those are preferred by connoisseurs and are limited Fruits spices floral beers are growing It can be an easy route for brewers to use familiar flavours such as mango or rose to introduce new brews So Hefeweizens IPAs and fruity beers are to look forGuzzle awayIndependenceBrewing CompanyAT Akshay Villa opposite JP Road Versova Andheri WestCALL 9156182337 Doolally TaproomAT Multilink House Road No 3 Khar WestCALL 9167860275 TOITAT Mathuradas Mill Compound Senapati Bapat Marg Lower ParelCALL 9324555223 EffingutAT Dhanraj Mahal ColabaCALL 8657440663 Royal Oak BreweryAT Palm Beach Road Sector 19 VashiCALL 7304699866 Finch Brewhouse ThaneAT Upper ground floor Lodha Amara Manpada Thane WestCALL 9321944495 MH04 The DrunkyardAT Kothari Compound Manpada Thane WestCALL 8698030404 The Beer GardenAT Shop S07 Seawoods Grand Central Mall NerulCALL 8828306300