The mango madness isn’t about to abate in a hurry! Since my last column, where I spoke about a handful of mango beers, the reactions and requests have been pouring in! And, to add, the buzz has led to a whole bunch of new mango beers that have now been released for this season.
For a quick run-through of the new mango brews that you must check out in namma uru: Red Rhino, which recently served up a mango wheat, is now brewing a magnificent Mango Cream Ale that will go on tap in a couple of weeks from now. Can hardly wait for that! The Mango Ale at both 153 Biere Street and The Biere Club is finally ready, and goes on tap the day you read this. I got a sneak peek of this beer, and I absolutely loved it!
Brew and BBQ, meanwhile, are also set to release a fresh Mango Wheat next week. And, I’m informed that Yellow Submarine on Bannerghatta Road is putting out a luscious Mango Wit on tap, whereas Arbor Brewing Company has recently announced their new Mango Maibock. For a couple of more options, 3 Monkeys has a lovely Mango Cider on offer at the moment, while I also expect Toit to release their usual Aam Aadmi ale very soon as well.
Out of town, Zero40 in Hyderabad just finished their sparkling Mango Wheat batch, and have now put on a new Mango Ale, which uses Alphonsos. The Hoppery, also in Hyderabad, has also launched a Mango beer, which they call the Tropical Wheat.
Didn’t I say, we brewers are going nuts with mangoes this year? Well, there you go! This about wraps up the best beer options around this summer, but don’t delay that drink, as you can’t expect these beers to last very long at the brewpubs.
When you do get out there and get down to tasting, keep in mind what I said last week about the beers not necessarily tasting like Mango Bombs. Each brewer has his own person style, and the beers are likely to vary from just that subtle hint of mango, all the way to being almost a mango juice! As always, you get to be your own best judge...
Hip Hoppery hits
A shout-out to Hyderabad, a city that I’ve been visiting quite often recently. In the last few days, I got to visit the Hoppery, to try out their beers on offer. And, I must say, I am hooked! Their Tropical Wheat has a teasing hint of mango on the nose, with a lovely silky mouthfeel, a very mellow bitterness, a slight grainy or bready character, and medium carbonation. (That’s the technical talk sorted.) For a personal note, I went through a number of pints on my first evening, and I fully intend go back there every time I get the chance!
I also popped across to Vijayawada earlier this week, and marveled at how clean and neatly that city is maintained. There, I visited the Ironhill Brewery, a franchise of Prost, where I settled on their Red Ale as the best of the lot. Quite a decent amount of caramel and roast, very hazy, and high in carbonation - that’s the best I can do to describe the beer. For a note, the property itself is quite nice, and the food is excellent.
Closer home, last Wednesday, Bengaluru hosted another Brewtalks event at Biere Street in Whitefield, but before I bore you to sleep with theory, I’ll save the sagely advice until next time. For now, I’m headed back to the Hoppery for a few more pints. Happy drinking folks!
George Jacob is the Founder of The Beer Chronicles.