Beer. That innocuous four letter word usually conjures up images of a cold, pale golden brew being consumed on a hot summer’s day with friends with much mirth all around or a prominently positioned six pack on the table during a football game with buddies. Aside from being the world’s oldest documented alcoholic beverage, and third most popular drink (after water and tea), beer holds a special place in our hearts. It is a social phenomenon – an unpretentious drink that’s easygoing and speaks to everyone the world over. A drink brewed by monks and commoners, by big behemoths and small microbrewers, beer does not discriminate.
The mention of beer in India until most recently also conjured up images of a green bottle with a bird on it (perhaps a prophesy that one day the owner of the company would take flight). This changed about eight years ago when the first micro brewing licenses were handed out to enthusiasts in Bengaluru, thereby ushering in the age of the microbrewery. From Biere Club to India, beer enthusiasts were finally given a taste of the locally brewed rich Weisens, crisp Pilsners, bitter Darks and innovative IPA’s. With microbreweries mushrooming all over Bengaluru, the day of the beer had truly arrived. Beer was no longer a drink to be consumed at Permit Rooms over a plate of spicy chicken 65. It had become a hip drink that friends could consume at high end, yet accessible places after work, and even places where many a first date happened.
The erstwhile unified state of Andhra Pradesh was consistently ranked as the highest consumer of beer in the country. It thus came as a surprise to many of us, that the microbreweries weren’t allowed to operate here for the longest time. All that changed a couple of years when Hyderabad was given its first license to open a microbrewery. Today, Hyderabad has as over half a dozen breweries vying for the top spot with many more waiting to open up.
Celebrating this, we went around the city to put together some of the nicest breweries around to help you make your decision easier…
Text: Anahita Ahuja
Place: Heart Cup Coffee
Owned by: Heart Cup Cafe and Restaurants Pvt Ltd
Brewed by: We have partnered with Froid to brew our beer. They are exclusively partnered with us and have a very experienced team, headed by Brew master Martin Bernard who hails from Quebec.
Most selling beer: Our Belgian Witbier is the most moving item on the brewery front, but we were surprised how people accepted the dark beer, Lourde Noir which is our Stout.
Specialise in: As cliche this may sound, all our beers are our specialties
Hops and water used: We use hops from all around the world, but mostly from New Zealand, France, Germany, USA and Japan. For Belgium beer and German beer we use very soft water with not much mineral and for the UK or American beer we create a water profile with a huge concentration of mineral to fallow the style of beer.
Brew a fresh batch: We sell very well so we have to brew 4 times a week.
Indians’ favourite beer: The Witbier and the Pilsner.
Price of a glass/pitcher: Rs. 189/819
Address: Heart Cup Coffee, Jubilee Hills, Plot 1179, Road 45, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.
