If you have spent enough time sitting around the communal tables at your favorite local spots in Bangalore, you have probably noticed a subtle shift in what people are drinking. We are a city completely obsessed with fresh pours. After a long week of navigating the Outer Ring Road traffic, dealing with endless tech park meetings, and staring at a laptop screen until your eyes hurt, grabbing a cold drink is basically mandatory. But recently, a lot of regulars are stepping away from their usual heavy stouts and bitter IPAs to try something completely different. If you have been looking at the menus lately and wondering what is cider, you are definitely not alone.
This crisp, highly refreshing alternative is quickly taking over the local tables, especially during those warm Bangalore Sunday afternoons. As we celebrate our massive ten year anniversary at Biergarten and introduce bold new flavors to our community, we wanted to break down exactly why this specific beverage is gaining so much popularity. If you want to switch up your usual weekend order and try something new, this comprehensive guide will tell you absolutely everything you need to know about the drink that is changing the local pub scene.
Understanding the Basics From Branch to Glass
Let us start with the most common question we get asked at the bar, which is quite simply what is cider exactly? In its absolute purest form, an apple cider is just raw, unfiltered juice extracted directly from pressed apples. It is the kind of sweet, cloudy juice you might find at a local farm stand. However, when you see the word printed on a pub menu sitting right next to the lagers and wheat beers, we are actually talking about alcoholic cider.
The process of making this drink is surprisingly much closer to the art of making wine than it is to brewing beer. Brewers take that freshly pressed apple cider and introduce a specific strain of yeast. Over a period of several weeks, this yeast slowly consumes the natural sugars present in the fruit and converts them into alcohol. The final result of this fermentation process is commonly known as hard cider. Depending on how long it ferments and the specific types of apples used, the final product can range from being completely bone dry to pleasantly sweet.
A lot of people walk up to our bar and ask the staff for a cider beer, but that phrasing is actually a slight misunderstanding of the brewing process. Standard beer is always brewed from malted grains like barley or wheat, which are boiled with hops and then fermented. Because a genuine cider drink is made entirely from fermented fruit juice with absolutely zero grains involved in the recipe, it is completely gluten free. It sits in a unique category all its own. It does not carry the heavy, lingering bitter hop profile of a traditional IPA, nor does it have the heavy roasted malt notes of a stout. Instead, it offers a bright, clean, and highly acidic finish that goes down incredibly easy.
Why the Local Crowd is Making the Switch
Why is this specific drink suddenly popping up everywhere across Bangalore? The answer lies entirely in our unpredictable weather and our unique local pub culture. We live in a city where the afternoon sun can get incredibly warm, and sometimes a heavy dark beer is just not what you want when you are sitting outside under the trees.
A chilled, well crafted sparkling cider hits the palate completely differently. The natural carbonation makes it bubbly and light, wiping out the afternoon heat instantly. It acts as the perfect bridge for people who might find traditional craft beers a bit too bitter, but who still want something highly complex and carefully crafted.
Furthermore, the brewing process allows for a massive amount of creativity. While apples act as the traditional base, many brewers love to experiment by blending in other local fruits to create a totally unique fruit cider. By introducing ingredients like fresh berries, pears, or even tropical fruits during the fermentation stage, brewers can add entirely new layers of tartness or sweetness. This means that even if you have a massive group of friends with completely different tastes, there is a flavor profile out there for literally everyone at the table.
The Difference Between Craft and Commercial
Just like the local beer scene, the actual quality of what is in your glass depends entirely on who is making it and how much they care about the process. Mass produced, commercial brands often cut corners. They pump their drinks full of artificial fruit syrups and refined sugars to speed up the process, resulting in a drink that tastes more like a cheap, overly sweet soda than a proper fermented beverage.
Real craft cider is a totally different, highly elevated experience. It relies entirely on the natural sweetness, tannins, and acidity of the fruit itself. True craft brewers take their time with the fermentation process, often seeking out specific heritage apples that provide a much deeper, richer flavor profile than standard grocery store apples. They allow the natural characteristics of the orchard to shine through without masking them under a mountain of fake sugar.
This intense dedication to authentic, high quality ingredients is exactly the same philosophy we have applied to our own brewing process over the last ten years. Whether we are pouring our signature Oopsie Daisy Hefeweizen, rolling out our new anniversary Trial and Error batches, or exploring fresh new community favorites, our focus is always on doing things the right way.
Pairing Your Drink with the Perfect Meal
One of the absolute best things about this specific beverage is how incredibly versatile it is when it comes to food pairings. Because it is naturally crisp and slightly acidic, it acts as the ultimate palate cleanser, resetting your taste buds after every single bite.
If you are visiting us for a long, lazy weekend lunch, pairing a light, bubbly pour with the right dish completely elevates the entire meal.
- Cutting Through the Spice: The slight, natural sweetness of the fruit completely cuts through the heavy heat of our local Mangalorean style curries, instantly cooling your mouth down between bites.
- Balancing the Richness: If you are sharing a massive smoky tandoori platter or ordering our authentic, house made German sausages, the bright carbonation cuts right through the richness of the meat, preventing the meal from feeling too heavy.
- Elevating the Bar Snacks: It pairs flawlessly with salty, crispy bar bites and fresh house made pastas, making it the ultimate companion for a casual afternoon catch up.
Since everyone in your group will definitely crave something completely different, you can easily view our entire food and drink lineup online to figure out the absolute perfect pairing before you even leave your apartment.
Bringing the Whole Office Together
Because this drink is so approachable, incredibly refreshing, and very easy to enjoy, it is quickly becoming a massive favorite for large group events and corporate office mixers. We host countless corporate teams from the surrounding tech parks in Whitefield, Bellandur, and Manyata. We know firsthand that organizing food and drinks for a large group can be a total nightmare when everyone has wildly different preferences.
Having a crisp, fruit forward alternative on hand ensures that the people who do not enjoy bitter beers or heavy spirits still have a fantastic, thoughtfully crafted option to enjoy. If your company is planning a massive milestone celebration, an end of quarter party, or just needs to get the team away from their laptops for a casual Friday evening, our expansive open air venues are built perfectly for it.
You can explore our dedicated corporate packages online. We will handle all the stressful details, from organizing the seating layout under the trees to managing the food and the drinks, ensuring that absolutely everyone on your team has something great in their glass.
Pull Up a Chair and Try Something New
The local drinking culture in Bangalore is constantly evolving, but the core reason we all go out remains exactly the same today as it was ten years ago. We want a relaxed space, great conversations, and a high quality drink in our hand. Whether you are a dedicated regular who has been drinking with us since we first opened our doors in 2016, or someone just looking for a new spot to spend your Saturday afternoon, branching out and trying something new is always a good idea.
The next time you pull up a chair at our communal tables, skip your usual order for just one round and try something crisp and fruit forward. We keep our doors open from Monday to Friday between 12 PM and 12 AM, and we keep the weekend energy going strong on Saturday and Sunday from 12 PM to 1 AM.
Our outdoor tables are incredibly popular, especially when the afternoon weather cools down and the breeze kicks in. Because the tables get snatched up so quickly, we highly recommend using our reservations link to secure your spot and skip the wait entirely. Step out of the relentless city traffic, grab a fresh, cold glass, and stay a while.
