Say cheers to beer cocktails!

Beer infused with summery flavours is catching on in the city. Pubs are experimenting with beer cocktails and customers are open to the idea.

In the world of food and drinks, beer cocktails seem to be creating the latest fizz. Mixed with tequila, vodka or other beverages, this is a hot favourite when the temperature soars.

Mixologists in the city feel that beer cocktails come with their own challenges but are a top beverage choice since the last few months.

Many resto-bars in the city have also included beer cocktails on their menu. While some places are continually experimenting with flavours, other places have multiple choices to offer.

‘Beerita’ at Foxtrot

‘Beermosa’ and ‘Beerita’ are regular choices of customers at FoxTrot. Sumit Wahal, vice president (operations) explains, “While ‘Beermosa’ is a mix of vodka and beer with a dash of orange flavour, ‘Beerita’ is a mix of tequila and beer and sugar syrup. Beer cocktails are trending now because they are simple to understand and make. The only point is that the flavours should mix well else the cocktail could be a mess.”

Since Bengaluru is a beer capital, Sumit feels that experimentation with it is working well here. He adds, “We are working on more recipes, which will be slowly added to the menu.”

‘Two Lost Souls Swimming in a Fish Bowl’, is quite a peculiar name for a beer cocktail. Much like the name, this drink available at Social is quite a treat.

Served in a fishbowl, the cocktail is a mix of a margarita (tequila sweet and sour shaken) and a beer.

Jones Elish, a mixologist at Social says, “We did around 20 trials with different juices and syrups before we settled for this recipe. It’s a simple drink with the bowl having a salt rim. The drink is quite popular among Bengalureans.”

He adds that despite Bengaluru having more than 40 breweries, choices in beer is limited. “This is another reason beer cocktails are picking up fast. People here are ready to experiment,” he says.

Levitate Brewery has around 10 beer cocktails on its menu, of which ‘Strawberry and Lemon Radler’, ‘Spicy Chilli Lager’ and ‘Summer Hoedown’ are the most sought-after.

Jai Singh, a mixologist with Levitate, says that the beer aficionado appreciates the fruity and summery flavours that are added to the beer. “These drinks are refreshing and go great with Bengaluru’s climate, especially the hot temperatures now,” he says.

He adds that beer cocktails can be had with any food. “Anything from chicken starters to cheesy food will go great with it,” says Jai.

The ‘Ibiza Sunset’ at Hangover is another favourite among Bengalureans.

Mixologist Prabit Kumar Das details, “The drink includes fresh strawberry, jalapeno, lemon and sugar, ice and tequila, which is blended in well with Beck’s beer. The drink which was launched two months ago is quite popular among our customers.”

The sweet and sour flavours are added in the drink to balance the bitter taste of the beer, he adds. “The fish-bowl presentation is attractive. Most people are used to cocktails and beer mixes are different.”