While Bangalore is often regarded as the IT hub of India, it is also the original pub city which now serves as a host to more than fifteen microbreweries. The city which had legends like Watsons, Pecos and Jimi's is now flooded with different types of ales, malt liquors and barley based crafted beers.

Big Pitcher

Spread over four floors, Big Pitcher, located on the Old Airport Road is one of the biggest microbreweries in the city. With a different ambience on each floor, the brewpub invites a rather mixed crowd be it the dance floor lovers or even folks who love to eat buffet food.

My favourite beer here is by far the Kingslayer which I find to be the perfect mix of flavour and hop. A dark concoction with a rich malt taste, the brew goes well with most of the spicy food that the brewpub has to offer. They also make some killer cocktails.

A must try at Big Pitcher is the Potato Patakha and Chicken Wings Buffalo Style. While Potato Patakha is just a fancy name for potato baskets available in most bars, the Chicken Wings deserves much praise. Batter fried chicken is served with spicy pepper sauce complementing the rich malty taste of the beer.

Big Pitcher, LR Arcade, HAL 2nd Stage, Ward 88,
Old Airport Road, Bangalore

Vapour

One of the most established microbreweries in India, Vapour has its presence in Gurgaon and Bangalore. Located in the heart of Indiranagar, Vapour's rooftop setting has got a beautiful view and ambience. On weekends, this place is generally packed so prior reservation is a must.

Their specialty lies in the home brewed wheat beers, especially the Vapour Basmati. The Basmati is quite flat and mild and easy to gulp down in a jiffy. Vapour Dark, the brewery's stout version is also a hit amongst many customers with its rich but brutal bitterness. Another common favourite at Vapour is their beer cocktails, which is more or less freshly brewed beer in different fruity flavours. Unlike most pubs, Vapour has the annoying habit of limiting entry on the basis of attire on weekends. While these rules might surely be based on some logic, it does cause an inconvenience for people looking to have fun.

Vapour, 773, 2nd Stage, HAL,
100 Feet Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore

Toit

A hub of breweries and restaurants galore, Indiranagar plays a host to one of the favourite breweries of the town, Toit. Spread over four floors with the rooftop being open for smoking, Toit has an arsenal of potent and freshly brewed beers. Save for the Dark Knight, which I find submissively bitter, most of the other drinks like Toit Weiss and Tintin Toit are instant hits.

Folks can also try their Whisky Sour which goes hand in hand with their pizza collection. From the finger food section, Toit's Special Nachos deserves a special mention. Made with the goodness of cheese and spiciness of the salsa, the nachos are often the first to be wiped off the plate, down to the last morsel .

Toit, 7298, Namma Metro Pillar 62,
100 Feet Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore

Murphy's

An Irish themed microbrewery, the Murphy's is located on the top floor of The Paul, Bangalore. My favourites here include the Holly Solly and the Blackbeard. I personally love the creamy bitter taste of the Blackbeard a bit more than the flatter Holly Solly but wheat beer fanatics would definitely like to differ. The brewed beer here is considerably stronger than the other brewpubs and drinking a pitcher will definitely make one tipsy. The best thing about Murphy's is that even if they are full, they serve beer anywhere in the hotel and hence the constraint of reaching earlier to grab tables is not necessary here.

Murphy's, The Paul Bangalore, 139/28,
Opposite Embassy Golf Links, Off Intermediate Ring Road,
Domlur, Bangalore

Soumabha is a passionate food enthusiast, whose wish is to try out as many different types of animal meat as possible. While his favourite cuisine still remains the Mishti Pulao and Kosha Mangsho of his homeland, he believes in trying out everything from the rich spices of the South to the semi-bland yet tasty cheese based Lasagnas of western Europe. He is one of the key contributors for Foodaholix, a multi author blog with accounts of their food addiction in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi and Kolkata.

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