Beer brewpubs are a thing of the past: Gin bars, whisky lounges, rum taverns are taking over Bengaluru

BENGALURU: If you think Bengaluru’s beer-guzzling crowd is averse to spirits, think again. Single spirit bars — gin bars, whisky lounges and rum taverns — are fast popping up in IT city, offering a variety of concoctions.

The Whiskey Bar at Radisson Blu Atria, for example, is a hot bed for business deals over single malts and whiskey cocktails. Entrepreneur Akash Gulati has had work meetings in brewpubs, but when it came to fund-raising, he didn’t want the casual vibe of a brewery. “We had people coming down from Japan and the UK. So, I decided to head to a more sophisticated space like a whiskey lounge.”

RumBah, a Caribbean-themed rum bar at Ritz Carlton, is making the most of this spirit’s versatility, serving rums from Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. “Rum is a robust spirit and the Indian palate is used to it. With innovative cocktails, we can offer patrons an exotic variety,” general manager Amitabh Rai says. However, don’t go expecting the good old rum and coke. Their signature drinks include ‘Evening Blossom’ (vanilla-infused rum, pomegranate saccharin, Drambuie, elderflower liqueur), ‘Bumble Bee’ (citrus-infused rum, honey, fresh orange and lime juice) and ‘Midnight Maitai’ (signature rum blend, Cointreau, orgeat, lime, edible charcoal, oleo saccharum, gold dust).

One could say that the gin revival started with Toast & Tonic, among the first bars to offer a wide variety of gins. It started the trend of house-made shrubs and bitters and an extensive selection of tonic waters in a variety of flavours. Now, Uru, a 42,000 sqft wide Brewpub, has incorporated a dedicated gin garden.

Contrary to expectations, single-spirit bars have an upper hand with variety, industry experts say. Regular bars are lost in the competition of having more number of spirits rather than making great cocktails out of a few, they say.

“Shining the spotlight on just one spirit is trending among bartenders. Guests are evolving and there is a certain ‘coming-of-age sensibility’ among Indian drinkers,” says Wilbur Tauro, assistant director of F&B at Four Seasons. The hotel also has a new whiskey bar, ‘The Collection’, offering a selection of single malts and a special tasting table to boot.