First published in Bangalore Mirror quite a while back! I delayed posting it here because I thought I’d be able to taste the brew soon. Last I heard, they still hadn’t solved the brew problem, and it’s almost a year now!
Usually when there’s talk of something brewing in south Bangalore, the reference is to coffee, and when names such as Giltasura or Kamacitra are brought up, you’d be pardoned for thinking that it’s about some new play at Rangashankara. That probably explains the open jaws, quickly followed by excitement, when I mentioned that a microbrewery had opened in JP Nagar. (map) Spread across two floors for now, it goes by the name of Brewsky, and though they ran out of brew samples by the time we visited – and that was a real pity, because they really sounded interesting on paper – there was no shortage of sky.
On one side, the bar stools lining the wall on the lower floor offer a wonderful view of South Bangalore’s skyline – one of the best I’ve seen. On the other side one can view the brewery itself, glowing blue at night, with graphics of the brew characters. The upper floor is alfresco and would be perfect for a brunch. Another floor is planned below soon, with space for live performances – we got a preview and the Viking helmet lampshades and ‘chandeliers’ made of beer bottles all pointed to a hangout with character. Watch out for a few interesting elements of a biker theme too! They plan to serve the full-fledged beer menu in about a month, for now you’ll have to make do with a standard alcohol menu.
The menu is fairly standard pub grub with a few unique dishes. It seems to be a revamped version now. Since the house brews were not available, we decided to begin with a couple of drinks from the limited bar menu. The Green Apple Martini had just the right amount of alcohol and fruity flavour to be a refreshing drink. The Curry Caipiroska added a desi flavour to the standard cocktail using curry leaves, and was quite good. The Puree of mushroom with poached chicken soup was mildly spicy, flavourful, and they were generous with the chicken. The Chicken stuffed with pickled chillies actually turned out to be a description in reverse – it was a chilli bajji with a chicken stuffing – but this was our favourite dish anyway! The Paneer Tiranga Rubiyat Soola had fresh cottage cheese but the flavours were really mild. The prawn dish wasn’t available so we decided to try the Crispy Zatar Calamari, which was a tad greasy but had well-cooked succulent squid and a dip that complemented it very well. The Five Spices Roasted Pork Ribs was a replacement for a lamb dish, but found favour thanks to its well cooked meat and spicy flavours.
Pizzas, burgers, pasta and a few assorted steaks make up the main course menu. The Asian Chicken Pizza arrived first, and we wondered what was Asian about the chicken other than its location. But if one ignored that, the thin crust pizza was quite good. The Vodka Cream pasta sounded a very interesting combination on paper, but it was too bitter! The chicken they served with it was not bad though. We then tried the One Way ticket Chicken Burger, which had two mildly spicy patties. Not the best we’ve had, but reasonably good. The Brewsky fish ‘n’ chips was our favourite main course dish with excellent battered fish, though the fries could have been better. The Stuffed Breast of Chicken was also very good – excellent sauce and a mushroom filling.
Three options for desserts, and the Dual Soufflé wasn’t available, but a Honey Walnut Tart took its place. The Chocolate Cigars with a chocolate sauce was the best of the lot, closely followed by the Madras Kaapi mousse, which fully lived up to its name in flavour and texture, and also featured a creamy, fruity dip. The Honey Walnut tart was also not bad, though not in the same league as the other two.
The service was prompt and friendly. For about Rs.1800, you could share a cocktail, a non veg starter, a non veg main course dish and a dessert. (Inclusive of taxes and service charge) Brewsky has a unique proposition to offer, especially given its location. Superb ambiance, a view that one can go on and on about, good music, and food that will not disappoint, Brewsky has everything going for it, though it doesn’t come cheap. The brew will obviously be a major factor, and if that works out fine, South Bangalore will have every reason to grin and beer!
Brewsky, #55, 15th Cross, 19th Main, Sarakki Extension, JP Nagar 2nd Phase, Ph: 9663300869
One thought on “Brewsky”