Expanding from the West – for instance, the trends from European and American countries are unfurling in the orient too – the millennials of today look for fresh flavours, as though they are exploring new cuisine and refreshing taste profiles – thanks to craft beers for pushing the envelope. Somewhere during the Industrial Revolution or even earlier, modern brewing endeavours have been witnessing a boom. To go further back in history, the Celtic folk were fairly proficient at making beer – and today, the creativity has spread like a gospel here, with brewing moulding into a jazz-like art form.
Speaking of beers, the city’s 25,000 square feet Ironhill brewery attracted visitors from all walks of life, from beer aesthetes to those just beginning their expedition into craft beer. Its cosy corner transported us to a picturesque roadside view above the PNR Empire – people hoped to let loose, have a good time, or simply enjoy a quiet evening with a glass or two of their favourite craft beer. We initially considered sipping some of their trademark craft beers and cocktails as the sunlight glistened through the Venetian blinds on a wintry afternoon.
We began our bon viveur tavern venture with the Refreshing Destiny – we took a few gulps of this gin-based cocktail or what people refer to as the ‘Ironhill special’, with fresh cucumber slices and mint springs. Likewise, the Spiced and Smokey Old-fashioned lent us the fondness of blended whiskey mingled with vanilla syrup, apple juice, and nutmeg. We poured the drink from the cocktail jar into a whiskey glass on ice, with fruit notes of apples, apricot and cherry for a healthy balance of spice and saccharinity. We also realised that we would not have been able to fulfil and illuminate our bar experience if we had not tried out their craft beers. We took calming breaths, taking in a few taste notes of the Blueberry Cider, Cream Ale and Rice Lager – from the dominance of blueberry interspersed with floral scent to malted barley – the impressions of hedonism kept us from concentrating on anything else.
As the long afternoon faded into twilight and dusk fell on the city, warmth and fluorescence lit up the space. Rock classics enlivened the outdoor and indoor aesthetics as more guests started coming in, probably after working hours. We had Chipotle Mushroom Tacos for starters. As the salsa and micro greens garnished the savoury, the sautéed mushrooms, fresh coriander and soft tortilla added every sense of zest in our mouths. Likewise, served with French fries, the hint of mixed veggies, salt, pepper and house-special mayo infused in the buttery Perri Perri Veg Sandwich immersed us in a lip-smacking escapade.
From the main courses, we sampled a Crusted Fish. “For this, we use bass fish marinated with mustard and horseradish sauce. To give it a crisp, we make a mixture of bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and parsley,” Shyamal Raj, the head chef, shares some secrets behind perfecting the platter. Served with broken wheat and spicy creamy sauce, we suppressed our urge to ask for another plate of the delectable to relish for later. We entered an ideal food coma after having the Polakova Samosa for dessert. Topped with caramel sauce served with peanut chikki and vanilla ice cream, we felt like we were living in the moment when we devoured it.
₹1,200 for two including liquor. At Kukatpally.
E-mail: chokita@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @PaulChokita