Bangalore’s micro-breweries: thank you very much!

This post is also available in: French

In India when you want to drink a beer, the choice is very limited : Kingfisher should have around 95% of market shares. Even if, in addition to their traditionnal “Premium” (a classic, but not that good lager), they sell 3 more recipes (Blue, Ultra and Strong) which are still almost the same but badder. So we’re extremely attentive to everything that could refresh ourselves with a better taste.
We also have to admit that we are sensitive of that particular topic cause we’ve tried to brew our own beer in France (without any success) after having worked in a micro-brewery in Australia…

Actually we’re pretty lucky concerning the micro-brewery scene in Bangalore as they have been authorized since 2 years in the Karnataka state. The first one to open, the Bière Club serves very nice beers and they have new ones very often. Nothing to say about the drink but we just don’t really like the atmosphere, a bit too posh maybe…

An other safe bet very near from our place, the Toit offers beers a bit less good as the one above but the place is very cool (when music allows us to speak !).

Until last winter they were the only 2 options (well there is also the Punjabi by Nature which is brewing his our beer, but they are a bit too light and it’s definitely more a restaurant than a brewery). Since that, it’s crazy time, as three new micro-breweries have opened (or almost) in Bangalore.

We went first to Windmills Craftworks. The only disadvantage is that it’s very far in Whitefield. Otherwise, the place is wonderful ,very comfortable, full of books. The night we’ve been to this cosy place, there was a Jazz concert. It’s the perfect bar for a quiet night while drinking really excellent beers (they even try some ‘local recipes”, there is one with coconut for example).

Last week we were very lucky to be invited to the pre-opening of Arbor Brewing Company closer from our place. Moreover the story is nice to tell end we like stories ! Gaurav, a guy from Bangalore, was studying in the US, at the Michigan University and convince Matt and René (Arbor Brewing Company) to open a branch of their micro-brewery in India. The result is very well-made. The place is superb, like an Oktoberfest atmosphere with big wood tables and 7 different beers brewed on the spot, all really good.
We have to admit that we are lucky to enjoy the English beer most (Ale) which are the ones most brewed here.

Finally, we’re waiting for the Barleyz to open which is still hoping to get his licence to serve something else than Kingfisher.

Of course all this places close, as all bars in Bangalore, at 11.30 pm (due to a Karnataka law) but on that particular topic, the micro-breweries, we’re ahead of the other Indian cities. Maybe Bangalore can get its “pub city” nickname back? So whose’s around tonight ? 😉

And of course we do not forget Thierry, a friend who has launched the first micro-brewery in Paris since this winter la Brasserie de la Goutte d’Or !