International Beer Month is celebrated in August, and before this month could end, we decided to get over beer bottles and sip some freshly brewed craft beers. We stepped into The Beer Cafe, said to be India’s largest beer chain, located near the Churchgate railway station, Mumbai to enjoy a beer night. During our visit to this bar, we learned about their exciting celebration campaign aimed to enjoy the beer month at its best.
Exploring Drinks With Beer Pass
As we stepped into the bar and got seated atop, outlet manager Niranjan Bhandare greeted us and welcomed us to the world of beers. We collected our beer passes from him and started exploring the wide range of beers they had to offer alongside a few crispy monsoon munchies. The beer pass allowed us to pick any four craft beers from their menu, 330 ml each, and order them to our table for a price of Rs. 1,099.
|Beer Pass |
A Look Into Wide Range Of Craft Beer Offerings
“Mango Lassi Ale, Hefeweizen, Pilsner, West Coast IPA, German Wheat, Amber Ale, and Apple Cider are some of our fresh craft beer offerings,” said Yuvraj Patil while informing us about the beer varieties we could choose from. Kiran served us our set of beers and pointed out the mango ale as something that most people fall in love with. But, we preferred to embrace the classic taste of the beer. So, we started our beer party by enjoying a glass of Hefeweizen. We would say it is one of the go-to drinks any beer lover can ask for.
|Kiran serving us craft beers |
Next from the bar, we tasted beer made from roasted amber. Its flavour was dominated by the notes of coffee which was brewed with a touch of alcohol, but this drink didn’t really impress us due its strong decoction-like aftertaste. To soothen our palate, we then asked for the much-praised ale offering, and at the very first sip itself, we understood what made it lovable. The fruity aroma and the subtle flavour of mango gave the beer its unique hit. It sweetly kissed us with a fruit punch and finished with a wheaty factor. The drink served as a great blend of fruity sweetness and the complementing bitterness of a beer.
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| Tasting craft beers |
Hitting The Monsoon Vibe
While we were sipping our drink, Patil introduced us to the monsoon menu at the bar which had a promising list of snacks one would want to have to enjoy the rainy weather along with a mug of beer. As we browsed through the menu, we asked for a plate of crispy Palak Patta Chaat, leaving behind the much-loved Onion Pakodas, Chicken 65, Chicken Pakodas, Pan-Seared Butter Garlic Sausages, Kurkure Spicy Chicken Wings and much more.
| Hitting The Monsoon Vibe |
While we celebrated the night with only vegetarian cuisine, non-veg lovers could consider feasting on Chef Ashish Chavan’s recommendation “Chicken 65” during your visit at The Beer Cafe. Following his chicken-based snack suggestion, we asked him whether non-veg dishes go better with alcohol and he replied by immediately nodding and saying “Yes!” “Veg dishes can to an extent enhance the flavour of an alcoholic drink, but I strongly believe non-veg snacks can do wonders. Drink ke sath non-veg nahi khaaya toh kaise?” the chef said.
|Palak Patta Chaat |
Soon, we were served with our chakna dish which was a desi palak pakoda twisted and spiced up into something interesting. The pakodas were made into a chaat dish blending the goodness of sweet and spicy chutneys, mashed potato, sev, and pomegranate seeds. We were truly delighted by this dish which went well with most of the beers we tried so far, especially with the amber beer as it brought down its strong flavour with its chatpata factor.
For The Love Of Nachos
| Fully Loaded Nachos |
Impressed with their palak chaat, we wanted to explore their food menu a little more. For the love of nachos, which are often described as one of the classic side dishes, we ordered a Fully Loaded Nachos. The dish was topped with sour cream and cheese and garnished with a set of veggies. The baked nachos blended well with the mix of sweet and spicy chutneys and the seasonings. It was a cheesy treat romanced with healthy tomatoes, jalapeños and spring onions.
|For The Love Of Nachos |
Cheers To More Beers!
The last of the four beers we claimed on our beer pass was a drink crafted by infusing coconut water into it. The drink’s consistency was thicker than a usual wheat beer and the thickness came from its key ingredient, the coconut water. It left us with a refreshing feeling.
| Celebrating craft beers |
Before we could finish the last drink, we were served with a glass of the India pale ale (IPA). As we tried it, we felt like this was the best of all, something that everyone visiting here must give a try. IPAs are known for their longer fermentation procedure which often risks the drink to get too bitter, however, the West Coast style of beer we tasted here happened to be a balanced blend of bitterness and sweetness. From the pungent smell of tart fruits to the subtle notes of citrus-pressed beer and a fruity sweet aftertaste, it was a drink we enjoyed trying.
Take Your Beer Home
Understanding our admiration for craft beers, Bhandare told us that The Beer Cafe has recently launched their takeaway Beer Growlers, allowing beer aficionados to take these finely-crafted beers home. He noted that these growler versions would facilitate beer enthusiasts to enjoy the drink at the comfort of their homes and also elevate the mood of a house party.
Beer Growlers |
Pasta Pyaar Hai!
Having sipped a whole lot of beers, we were hungry for some more food. We picked two delicacies from their main course - penne pomodoro pasta and fried rice with chilli paneer. The pasta was served with slices of garlic bread. The flavourful taste of pasta was best enjoyed alone, but when we tried it with garlic bread it complemented its subtle pungent and buttery taste. The pomodoro, which we customized into a penne style, carried the tanginess of tomatoes and the spiciness of chilli. The dish was also touched and tickled with cream sauce, grated cheese and basil leaves.
|Pasta with garlic bread |
We enjoyed the pasta with a refreshing beer mojito which ditched the usual soda to welcome the bitterness of a beer. The strong flavour of the pudina leaves touched us on the palate and dominated the drink.
|Yuvraj offers us a beer mojito |
The fried rice was served with a bowl of paneer and onion gravy. It was a desi dish which came as a tribute to Indian masalas and our love for paneer. The rice carried an impressive aroma suggesting it was well cooked. Every spoon of rice, dipped with the moderately spicy paneer chilli gravy was a delightful treat.
|Fried rice with paneer chilli |
Ending Sober
| Enjoying a mocktail |
Lastly, we sipped a mocktail infused with a smoked cinnamon stick. It was a flavoured iced tea that introduced the subtly spicy notes of cinnamon to sweetened water. So, that’s how we ended on a sober note.
