Wednesday

Ale or Lager? Delhi has come a long way baby!



Last weekend in Delhi was not just a rich sports filled day with Monte Carlo becoming a good hunting ground for the prancing horse (Ferrari yes!) who finally made it to a 3rd on the podium closely followed by Massa at 4, but also the T20 finals between Hyderabad and Bangalore giving enough respite to what could have been an otherwise tension filled evening between old rivals Delhi and Bombay were they to come face to face in this seasons IPL.

I found myself in Delhi's cool(!) Sports Bar enjoying the race with friends amidst lively conversation. And soon after the race we moved to a Bavarian beer bar where we were joined by more friends given the popularity of IPL and the finals. This place promised very fresh beer…and the music blasting from within was enough to set us all on our feet!

And so pitcher after pitcher, the evening had begun in true earnest. The beer was indeed fresh. Retaining the original taste from the tap right till the serving mug reached the halfway mark. Unlike the bottled or canned beer which loses much of its original character. There’s this issue of varying temperatures and a host of other factors like the quantity produced and the way in which it is transported etc. so is my guess. Which is why the bar was thronging with ex-pats and Indians alike all rubbing shoulders and exchanging smiles with strangers as the beer went down smoothly and the music was electric! And by now Kumble’s men had restricted Gillys boys for inside 150!

The evening was setting firmly in place for all of us, amidst loud chatter, food plates being passed around, with difficulty being able to hear ones own voice forget hearing the others we still were chatting with one another and communicating with the giant screens pushing the adrenalin even higher ball after ball , and all this was taken farenhites further with the romance of beer ... at that a fresh one right at the source:)

There was lots to experience - endless variety of brews made from just four ingredients: water, malt, hops and yeast. One could choose from a selection of draft beers (made from rice or wheat or germ flour) or even a glass of ale or lager or dark beer or wine or mixed drink of your choice We were nicely settled at a vantage point to view the screen and the game, and the taste of pumped up music and the microbreweries, craft beer or brewpubs all added the right dosage of magic to an evening which was anyways glorious given the high of betting on the right team or the right score or the right batsman! Nothing can replace a great live performance – and we all loved the great show that Gillys boys put up in the second innings!

From the frosty mug to the dark long-necked glass different folks were enjoying the most tasteful journey of this sunset yellow or dark brewed indulgence. But naturally, it occurs to me, to popularize a new concept such as fresh beer brew the beerbar management rightly combined cricket frenzy with the merriment of beer. It generated a lot of buzz in this outsourcing and software hub, dotted by malls and shopping plazas.

Kumbles men crumbled, the DJ went many notches louder on his music rack, the beer was smooth and quite tasty. The calorie content, I’m told, was lower than bottled beer. The ambience was great. The friends were a riot to be with. What else could one ask for after the grunge of a work filled week?

14 comments:

Smita Dhall said...

Wow!! That's my kind of place. Though I'm not a keen fan of bottled beer, this seems like a must-try, must-visit kinda thing.

And a great post too, it seemed like I was right there!

Unknown said...

Whoa Mee. Where is this Bavarian beer bar....quick tell me.

Anon said...

So long as they keep their mouths shut:)

NM

Anon said...

Loved it:)

Deepali

melinda said...

Hey Mee How would you have pegged their service as?

As far as my ltd experience goes for the 3-4 times I have been to Beer bars across, service has been pretty good. Each time I have chatted with the bartenders, who seemed pretty knowledgeable about there beer. I can see how some people may be put off by the service when the place gets a little more crowded.

And yea one more thing- the food. What I have had is typical bar food. Decent burgers and sandwiches. Nothing outstanding, but does its job. Plus you come to a beer bar for the beer anyways:)

ashish said...

I been to rocklands - Overall a kickass place to hang out, play some old school video games, and kick back some good beer, easy to reach too.

RavneetSingh said...

This is about the coolest place in town. Great little neighborhood pub atmosphere, bar regulars abound, and the folks behind the bar are friendly.

Great beers on tap, I give the food high marks, square bar with high stools all around and rightly the bar is always the spotlight, the chalkboard menu over the bar has some specials so make sure you read it before ordering, and an eclectic mix of music. Just a cool place to hang out.

Check it out all you guys who haven't been there...you'll be glad you did.

Mike said...

Well I live in NYC and we have some cool Beer bars here and one of them-Andy's- was an equal surprise to me. Walking in for the first time last week I simply didn't expect such good atmosphere. By the time I sat down I was introduced to George/owner and Rich/regular. By the time I was half done with my 1st spectacular beer (a Cupp. Stout on tap) I knew I would be coming
back. I don't know if discovering Andy's was good or bad since I can just tell I probably will spend too much time and money drinking good beer and having a good time. I'm new to the world of macro? beer and having such a great place so close by is like hitting the jackpot. Yep I share your sentiment completely.

Mile

Pharma Pharmer said...

hi,

u were in delhi for a week!...we could have met...some other time

good post...well described

three cheers!

Jim said...

The first thing I got to understand was about brewing - that basically, it's cooking. The brewer is a chef, the brewery is his kitchen, and the brew kettle no more than a pot. Granted, at 1,500 liters, it is a very, very large pot.

che said...

This site contains an article which compare Ale and Lager, your readers might be interested in the article.

Andrew said...

I appreciate the labor you have put in developing this blog. Nice and informative.

ALLEX said...

hey, though i am not a lover of beer but Just your writings made me feel that your words are enough to entice me. Thats like a perfect marketer.

Mee said...

@Smita- glad you enjoyed it

@Neelu - In Gurgaon

@Nihar- tuff luck mee thinks:)

@Deepali- glad u liked it

@Mel- honestly was so busy watching the match didnt figure how good or average the service was...

@Ashish- cheerland huh?:)

@RS- goodtimes huh:)

@Mike- cheers!

@anil- did try to meet, our locations were too apart for Delhi/Gurgaon I guess:(

@Jimmy- hehehehehe

@che- thankyou:)

@Andrew, Allex- ty