From peanut candy (chikki) liquor cocktails to mushroom in a negroni, craft drinks have captured the taps, fridges, and hearts of Bengalureans.
Published Jul 05, 2023 | 12:00 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 05, 2023 | 12:25 PM
The plush interiors of Roxie. (Supplied)
Details may vary, but generally speaking, the Bengaluru bar journey started from man-bars (janta bars) like Ujjval, Shalimar, and Sathya’s. Drinks were cheap and you could get good regional cuisine to go with it. Those were the best bars in Bengaluru then!
In the 90s, rock pubs like The Pub World boomed with their draught beer, spearheaded by Kingfisher. Here you could munch on the iconic cheese-cherry-pineapple on sticks and loaded nachos.
The Conservatory. (Supplied)
But those times have shrivelled since. Microbreweries happened and then craft brews came along — a first in the country. It introduced drinkers to the glories of full-flavoured beer on tap and in a bottle.
Then came the pandemic and all these factors — and many more — conspired to give a boost to the city’s bar scene for entrepreneurs of two kinds: those with a passion for the craft, and those with capital to invest and growth to capture.
Let’s get up to speed. Today, there are 2,000-seater microbreweries that feel like a village. Then there are 30-seater pop-up-only dining concepts where a visiting chef takes over in collaboration with an alcobev brand and you eat and drink what the chef decides.
And then there is an eight-seater ramen bar where the food comes from the stove to your table in under three minutes.
Nothing in Bengaluru is more than what can be chewed.
Shashank Jayakumar and Sid Mewara are the cousins behind The Big Forkers, a hugely popular food and alcohol show on ZeeZest and all social media channels. “Bengaluru has more pubs than anywhere else,” the duo says in unison.
Season 3 of their drinking guide covers Bengaluru (after Mumbai and Goa) and they feel, “Bengaluru has some of the most beautiful breweries and some of the best beers one can find. The sheer number of craft beers and beer gardens is a testament to the city’s unique position as the Beer Capital of India.”
The Long Boat Brewing Co. is a Viking-themed brewery with a 25-foot waterfall. (Supplied)
It can be pinned to economics. Beer licences are cheaper here and once it hits the barrel, it only needs a simple pour. Kingfisher pushed this culture and now it’s ingrained in the city.
Given that there is space and affordability on the outskirts and that the sun is kinder in this part of the country, large outdoor microbreweries are a common feature.
Take, for instance, the latest Long Boat Brewing Co. It is a Viking-themed brewery with a 25-foot waterfall.
Owner Vinay Chandrashekar says, “We have an actual long boat hanging from the ceiling. Beer is not the only thing that helps you get buzzed here. Come for the experiential cocktails like Scandinavian Skies and pet therapy sessions for your fur babies.”
Talk about going great lengths for a good time and this checks all the boxes. The Big Forkers feel, “It is such a quintessentially Bengaluru thing to unwind at a local haunt over a few beers with friends.”
They add, “Bengaluru’s beer culture is almost a heritage at this point. But the way their drinking landscape has changed over the last few years is definitely a sign of bigger, better things to come.”
From bespoke cocktail experiences and pop-ups to plush cocktail bars, there is so much Bengaluru has to offer, they assert.
Edgy branding and sustainability are growing to be the front-runners. People today see the appeal in having tried craft drinks like they previously did with music cassettes.
Through digital as in Instagram feeds, they have a collectability and a good story — much like the cocktail “The Good Wife” at Byg Brewski Brewing Company, and “The Godfather” and “The Secret of Dumbledore” at Prequel, which is Amit Ahuja’s newest offering.
Entrepreneur Amit Ahuja’s Prequel. (Supplied)
Ahuja has spearheaded other star concepts like Misu, Brasa, and Lucky Chan. It dramatically screams, “What’s your story?”
Carrying forward the theme of stories, the bartenders at Copitas work with the precision of scientists and the nostalgia of a carefree childhood.
These childhood stories reflect in their cocktail programme and they ace the game.
Vikram Achanta, co-founder of 30 Best Bars India, says, “They (Copitas) have won 30 Best Bars over two consecutive years and also featured in the 50 best bars in Asia, which is a testament to their quality.”
An insider tip from mixologist Sarath Nair is to try any of the Seed-To-Fruit drinks from the Greener Future menu at Copitas, but pre-book for their special two-day aged Negroni, which is not on the menu.
At Lupa, Chef Manu Chandra’s much-awaited dreamy Tuscan launch in the heart of the city, nothing goes to waste. He says, “We have an in-house gelato zone and our own butchery. We use both in our cocktails and use the beverages in our food.” Lupa is a shining ambassador of exemplary wine and dine with even a secret wine cellar underground.
Another place in the heart of the city capturing the hearts of Bengalureans is Daysie.
When entrepreneur Anirudh Kheny pulled off an award-winning Japanese bar 1Q1, he didn’t know he started a wave of rapid upgrade in the way the city wines and dines. With his latest launch, Daysie, he has kept the momentum of a certain calibre experience going.
Adding magic with local ingredients and juggling bottles with dexterity, the cocktail program here is both serious and fun. Definitely try the haleem on toast.
Naru Noodle Bar is an eight-seater ramen bar that serves food from stove to table in under three minutes. It sees loyals from across the country. Chef Kavan Kuttappa, who runs it, says, “We are exclusive by design, not by attitude.”
Prep for the sit down 5-course meal by Chef Chris. (Supplied)
He highlights the challenges of the trade laws in the city. Alcohol licence or rental is the most expensive here. “Running a 30-seater bar in Goa is a possibility. Excise laws here make it a bit more challenging,” he informs. A 60-100 seater makes more financial sense.
Moving away from the understandable is Kuuraku, a Japanese resto-bar. “It is the smallest place at 1,300 sq ft serving alcohol. It remains to be seen how it fares,” Kutappa states.
Entrepreneur Akhila Srinivas runs The Conservatory which is a craft events space dedicated solely to F & B. She feels the reason for this new wave in the F&B scene is the exposure of its residents.
“Bengaluru was primed for something like this. I have been pleasantly surprised. The taste of the audiences has evolved. I invite chefs from all over the country and they all share the sentiment. The audience here is experimental,” says Srinivas.
Cravings by Chris, Misu, The Bombay Canteen and Chef Viraf Patel are some of the original industry leads to have partnered with The Conservatory, her 30-seater venue under a 100-year-old rain tree inspired by the Lalbagh Glasshouse It transforms into a symbol of fine taste and passion every other weekend. Patrons are ready to shell a minimum of ₹3,500 onwards for a plated meal here and the venue usually goes full.
Bar takeovers by companies like Moonshine, Greater Than, and Maka Zai help with educating the audiences too.
Bengaluru is also home to India’s first craft house, Roxie. It is F&B sector pedigree Pravesh Pandey’s new colonial mansion-themed and India’s first and largest craft house, with 16 craft beers on offer.
Led by mixologist Karthik Kumar, the drinks here are made to suit your mood and personality. There’s a lot of 1950s old-world charm with your old-fashioned bars, but they have been elevated to suit the Indian taste.
An insider tip is to try the Yuzu Shrub, Green Fairie Sorbet and Negroni Rosata while at Roxie.
India’s first physical NFT Gallery also finds its roots here in Social, BEL Road. Completely automated screens by artists and crowds who are ready to be educated and trade in NFT art throng the place. This Web 3-savvy audience of Bengaluru decides how and with whom to wield their drinking rupees.
Bengaluru’s, or rather India’s thirsty crowd are in for a rather distilled time.
