Craft beers are finally pouring from Park Street’s craft beer hotspot Effingut. Located at Celica Park, the cocktail pub and bar that opened in December 2021 has got its license to serve craft beers.
They have launched seven craft beers — Hefeweizen, Very Berry Pop, Football Bloody Hell, In-cider Ale, Gondhoraj Wit, Kolsch and Jowar Pilsner — that have been brewed by master brewers under the supervision of Manu Gulati, founder and master brewer of Effingut. What is interesting is each brew has a distinct taste and characteristics and some of them are also award-winning sips.
Manu Gulati, founder, master brewer and MD, Effingut
“Effingut’s journey has always been a passionate labour of love about mastering the art of brewing. Our beers are always crafted in small batches of locally sourced ingredients, ensuring absolute freshness and purity. We take pride in keeping our creations free from preservatives, chemicals and artificial additives, delivering beer the way it was meant to be: ‘True to craft ’. It sure has been a long wait. And I am now prepared to raise my glass once more in this joyous city and cheer with excitement as we make a comeback with the taste of true craft. Calcutta’s vibrant and diverse culture has provided us with endless inspiration and we are thrilled that now it will be able to enjoy our craft beers just like our other brewpub. Cheers to a new chapter in Calcutta,” said Manu Gulati, founder, master brewer and MD, Effingut.
Craft beers aside, there’s more reason to visit the chill spot, which has also launched a fine food menu that will immediately hit the right note with foodies. Dim sums to sliders, pizzas to delectable sushis, the menu packs in flavours from across the globe.
t2 dropped by for an exclusive review and here’s what we loved...
Packed with flavours, Very Berry Pop is for anyone who is beginning to try craft beer. It's sans the bitterness and instead packs perfectly the sweetness of ripe apples combined with berries, all expertly blended with hops, giving it a rich colour and taste.
Pair it with: Savour this with Effingut's delicious Beer Bratwurst, a creamy German Bratwurst sausage simmered in in-house beer, topped with onions and peppers. Piping hot dim sums go well too, call for Prawn Hargow or Beetroot and Water Chestnut dim sums.
Football Bloody Hell blends football and beer craze. This English lager is made in collaboration with the Mumbai Manchester United Supporters Club. Made with Fuggle hops (known for its aromatic and bitter traits) and English ale malt. The name echoes the fervour of the game, while Fuggle hops bring a moderate bitterness to this lager and premium English ale malt balances the beer perfectly.
Pair it with: Burrata Arugula Pizza that has fresh and soft burrata, arugula, cherry tomatoes and pine nuts.
When you are launching craft beer in Calcutta, you cannot miss adding a local touch and what's better than the famed and loved gondhoraj as an ingredient?! Effingut's Gondhoraj Wit is a unique offering on the menu. "Our Gondhoraj Wit takes from the traditional Belgian Wit, a 400-year-old beer style, revived by Pierre Celis in the late 1960s. This style of beer fuses the rich aroma of gondhoraj lemon which is native to the rich flavours of Bengali cuisine to create an elegant and refreshing taste," said Manu Gulati.
Pair it with: Bring out your chopsticks and tuck in Yasai Veg Maki, a simple yet delicious maki roll made with asparagus, cucumber and bell peppers. Non-vegetarians can call for Rainbow Roll made with Crab stick, salmon, tuna, avocado and spicy Japanese mayo. Yum!
In-Cider Ale has a refreshing taste with each sip. Made with sweet apples sourced from Kashmir, this malt-based ale is a must-try for its tartness and champagne-like carbonation.
Pair it with: Sweet, tangy and succulent golden fried Dynamite Prawns and Mathania Chicken Tikka, a poultry delicacy made with marinated hung curd, red chillies sourced from the villages in Mathania, Rajasthan, that has a unique kick.