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The Hindu
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
How the beers at Indian Craft Brewery in Bengaluru are a tribute to India and its history
According to some historians, India has a long history of brewing beer. Vedic texts mention the brewing of an alcoholic drink made from fermented grains, called sura. Even older than that, pots from the Indus Vallery civilisation indicate they were brewing rice beers. Indian Craft Brewery (ICB) in Bengaluru's Nagawara takes inspiration from this slice of our history and heritage. The brewery's emblem is called vari, a water bearer, and is stylised after the seals and inscriptions found in the Indus Valley. 'We wanted to set our craft beer offerings within the narrative of our rich heritage, says GopiChand Cherukuri, the founder. 'We did not want to be lost in the westernised world of beers.' Master brewer Antonio Rodriguez-Giralt, takes us through their beer programme. The expansive 1,500-seater brewery is located close to the business district of Manyata Tech Park. Red brick walls and sculptures like the dancing girl from Indus Valley cement the theme. ICB has an indoor sitting area that is split over two floors, and an al fresco area flanked by waterfalls. Antonio hails from Costa Rica and has more than a decade of experience in brewing industry. He has worked in several countries and is a certified cicerone (like a sommelier, but for beer). In a tour of the brewery, among the vats he tells us, 'We are doing research with KU Leuven University in Belgium. With the help of their research and development labs, we work on beer innovations.' Bengaluru style brews ICB has nine beers on tap. El Chamraj is a Mexican style lager, think Corona, named after Chamrajpet, an area in Bengaluru. It is refreshing and light. The Nandi nectar, one of my favourites, is a unique creation by ICB. 'We get honey from Nagaland for this brew,' Antonio says. It is a sweet witbeer. The red raja, is a red ale, and a tribute to Auto Raja, the 1980 movie starring actor Shankar Nag. It has notes of caramel and roasted malts. The rowdy stout is a chocolate milk stout, a rich and creamy beer. It uses Indian chocolate and lactose, giving it a richer mouthfeel. Two beers that stand out for me are the Malgudi special and their signature creation, Ramanujan. The former is a seasonal mango beer. It is yellow in colour and tastes distinctly of the fruit. This is their best seller this month, I am told. Ramanujan is a non-alcoholic beer. Depending on the season, they will offer different flavours of non-alcoholic beers. Earlier in the year it was a stout. When I visit, the one on tap is a jamun beer. The light pink shade and tangy taste are interesting. The drink tastes like a regular beer but has less than 0.5 percent ABV. 'Jamun is so Indian, and we wanted to give it a very Indian taste,' Antonio adds. Apart from the beers, ICB has a menu of signature cocktails that use Indian flavours. The food menu spans dishes from Asia, North and South India, and Italy. I do not stay for lunch, but pair my drinks with a crispy Indo-Chinese bhel; fried noodles tossed with a tamarind and jaggery glaze. In the lab, Antonio says he is experimenting with flavours such as masala chai, oranges and millets for his next batch of brews. The uniqueness of the flavours makes ICB stand out from the crowd. Cost for two ₹2,000. At Nagawara, Bengaluru. For more details, call 8065209999
The Hindu
11-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Talk science over a pint of beer or cup of coffee
Pint of Science, an annual science festival which brings researchers to share and discuss their findings with people in their local pub, bar, cafe or public spaces is being held for the first time in India in three cities: Bengaluru, Pune and New Delhi. The event is being held between May 19 and 21 and in Bengaluru the Indian Craft Brewery at Manyata Tech Park in Nagawara and Café Azzure on MG Road are the venues. The organisers have chosen six themes for the three day event which are : Lights on May 19, Atoms to Applications on May 20, The Wild Balance on May 21 which will be hosted at Café Azzure, and Cues, Clues, & Camouflage on May 19, Highs, Lows and Happy Hours: The Brain and its Behavior on May 20 and Flows of Life on May 21 at Indian Craft Brewery. The speakers are Ph.D. students and early career faculty from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Ashoka Trust For Research In Ecology And The Environment (ATREE), National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences NIMHANS, St. Joseph's University Christ University among others. Originating in the U.K. in 2013, this festival has spread to more than 500 cities in 27 countries. The event happens over three weeknights in May. 'This is the first time the Pint of Science festival is happening in India. Simultaneously the events are being held in Bengaluru, Pune and Delhi. We have chosen one cafe and one brewery where the event will be held,' Bindu B.S., Bengaluru Coordinator for Pint of Science India 2025 said. She added that in order to accommodate attendees below the age of 18 years one of the venues chosen is a cafe and another one is a brewery where the participants above 21 years can take part. 'The name of the event is Pint of Science and as the title suggests it is to encourage people to engage with science in a causal setting. The speakers would engage them in a non-traditional way using memes, GIFs, making use of their models in a fun and casual way,' she added. 'This unique event provides a wonderful opportunity to put young Indian scientists on the world map by showcasing their cutting-edge research in multidisciplinary domains. It will also help to make science more fun and attractive to young doctoral and postdoctoral students by helping them engage with a general audience,' said Debarati Chatterjee, associate professor, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA, Pune) and Director, Pint of Science India.
