Brew Logic

As the entire city gets drowned in high spirits with restaurants and pubs hosting beer festivals,it was only a matter of time that somebody decided to stand out. For Hops ‘n’ Grains,a microbrewery in Panchkula,the occasion came on International Beer Day,when they decided to host an extended two-week,Beery Festival,which apart from offering a host of brews,comprised a range of dishes simmered in beer.

The highlight of this micro-brewery wedged in the basement,is definitely their variety of beer,which is brewed fresh daily in a combination of German hops,Australian barley and yeast from France. But the food at the festival is the real McCoy. The menu is loaded with dishes with intoxicating names like Drunk Vegetables,Beery Wings,Drunk Fish,Beer Sausages,and Beer marinated Chicken Roulad. Even on a rain swept afternoon we found the place buzzing. The music was surprisingly good with a soft rock feel to it and the subtle lighting at the brewery set the mood for a long night of beer gastronomy. The Drunk Fish is not for the faint hearted. Besides the fish being cooked in a broth of beer,it was a fiery preparation that made us ironically guzzle on our beer. On the other hand,the addition of a range of hand-tossed thin-crust pizzas are a welcome relief. The smoked chicken pizza arrived hot and the toppings were generously put,something that most restaurants ignore. We paired our pizza with a mug of Vanilla beer,brewed specially for the festival. While the name suggests the beer might be sweet,surprisingly it retains its robust character and the vanilla pods used in the brew only add a subtle aftertaste of vanilla. We recommend it for the not so hard beer drinkers. The vanilla beer also pairs with the tandoori chicken pizza. Besides this festival,Hops ‘n’ Grains,informed owner Amritanshu Agrawal,would continue to serve its usual fare of pastas,risottos,Mezze platters.

Meal for two: Rs 2,000,Location: SCO 358,Sector 9,Panchkula,Contact: 4026666