Culture Cravings: Say cheers to beers!

On the various Whatsapp groups that I’m a part of, there was one thing common on August 5 – loads of videos of many parts of Mumbai submerged under water or messages about local trains running late, or worse, stopped completely. Was I worried? Not one bit! For at that moment, I was on the Mumbai Pune Expressway, enjoying the rains and the absolutely breath-taking view on my way to Four Points by Sheraton, Pune.

What a view!

As we drove past numerous waterfalls and mountains barely visible through the fog, I couldn’t help but get a good feeling about this two-day getaway from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai.

It was International Beer Day and the hotel had invited a bunch of us to try out some of their cool beer cocktails and the new Olympics special menu. Not only was I curious about the beer cocktails (having never tried one before), I also wanted to experience their hospitality, something I had heard positive things about. On reaching the hotel and settling in my room, we were given a quick tour of the venue.

A comfortable bed is an assurance of a happy stay

The hotel, with its tastefully-done lobby, comfortable and neat service apartments and a variety of restaurants to cater to everyone’s taste, was impressive. With their promise of comfortable beds ensuring a good night’s sleep, free internet, fresh coffee and cold beer, I could see why this hotel has some great ratings on most travel sites.

Happy International Beer Day!

But what I was looking most forward to, was the evening when all the action at Best Brews – their signature bar started. Vijayan Gangadharan, the hotel’s General Manager kickstarted the evening’s program with a small speech and invited us all to try their Olympics special menu, comprising beer cocktails and beer appetisers. In-house Beerista Aniket quickly got behind the bar to conjure some really cool drinks. While The London Sour Beer Cocktail was an absolutely refreshing mix of lime, orange juice and mint, the Mexican Michelada was our favourite, reminding us of a tangier Bloody Mary, but with beer!

Beerista Aniket with the London Sour Beer cocktail

The Marshmallow Beer too was spot on, with the sweet taste of marshamallows perfectly complimenting the taste of the beer. Paired with some interesting bar snacks, the beer cocktails really got everyone in the mood to have a great time.

Plenty of beer cocktails to choose from

And what a time we had! From beer quizzes to beer pong and even a competition on which group would gulp down the most number of beers the quickest, everyone had a blast. The extended Late Night Happy Hours between 11 pm and midnight added to the revelry.

Getting ready for beer pong!

A deep sleep courtesy the hotel’s comfortable beds, a wholesome breakfast in the morning, followed by a quick dash to the famous Kayani Bakery to get our fill of their famous mawa cakes and we were back on the highway heading to Mumbai.