It’s a joyous time for beer drinkers as a slew of breweries has mushroomed in Bandra, Mumbai and the common term we get to hear is ‘craft’ beer. How is it different from regular beer, one may ask? Microbreweries are independently owned and they produce beer in small quantities, which allows them to have a richer and more unique taste than the ‘watered-down’ mass-produced domestic beer. Microbreweries like Drifters Tap Station in Linking Road happen to be hugely popular for their Drunch (a portmanteau of drinks+ lunch) of unlimited craft beer namely kokum cider with a sweet fizzy punch or Sunny Bavaria with a dash of citrus zest and more.
While Doolally Taproom in Khar has its specialties like Oatmeal Stout, Brut IPA and Helles Lager with burger, grills and pizza, Gateway Taproom in BKC has added two new beers — Bohemian Pilsner (Czech) and Belgian Dubbel malty sweetness with hints of raisins and subtle spiciness with European dishes and seafood pairings. Just as Effingut has shut down its dine-in, with only take-away and home-delivery, yet another microbrewery Hapi Brewing Co. opens the hallowed doors of Hapi Beer to woo enthusiasts with its distinctive flavours, texture, bar bites and mains. Guests can be assured of handcrafted freshness and artisan beer with no preservatives.
Nestled in the upmarket suburb of Bandra, the interiors of Hapi are that of an elegant taproom with art from young artists on one wall (that you can purchase) and another where the images and story of their master brewers are displayed. Hapi has a range of growler stations at their restaurant.
Schezwan combination Fried Rice | SUMEDH_PATIL
For the unversed, growler stations are prevalent abroad where tipplers select fresh craft beer against preservative-loaded bottled beer.
Ale, porter and lager, the bartender serves an array of beers on our table — Hapi Wit (Belgian wheat beer), Hapi Rize (lager), Hapi Red (Irish red ale), Hapi Haze (hazelnut porter) and limited-edition seasonal flavours and new global flavours too. It is delightful to observe that some brews engage local produce to highlight Indian flavours to cater to local tastebuds and other hops stick to traditional recipes of handcrafted beers and ciders. A few sips are enough to realise the freshest fruits and herbs have been dispensed into Hapi.
Mongolian balls |
It is not just the variety of ales to lure the guests here but a wonderful presentation of food that gets perfectly paired with the beers, enlivening the dining experience. Ranging from their beer bites such as mezze platters, tacos, Mongolian balls to burgers, pizzas, succulent steaks, lamb shanks, pad Thai noodles one can enjoy beer gastronomy to the core. We walked out happy after chugging down an assortment of beers with delicious food!
