Where to drink this weekend in Bengaluru: IPA

IPA is the beer that rewards drinking it fresh

American IPA took the English idea of a strong, well hopped pale ale and rebuilt it around American hops such as Cascade, Centennial, Simcoe and Citra. Those hops smell of grapefruit, orange peel, pine and resin. Brewers add them in the kettle and again after fermentation.

It should be gold to light amber and clear. The malt is a backdrop of bread and light caramel. Bitterness is firm and the finish dry, which is what pulls you back for the next sip. The West Coast version is the driest and most bitter. A hazy New England IPA sits at the other end of the range.

Freshness is the whole game. Hop aroma fades within weeks at room temperature. An Indian summer warehouse can flatten an IPA long before it reaches a shop fridge. A tired one smells of cardboard and onion. That is the strongest argument for drinking it on tap at the brewpub that made it. Ask for it at 6 to 9 °C in a tulip glass. Our American IPA style page has the full profile.

Six brewpubs with an IPA on tap

All six are listed as open in our brewery directory, which we last checked in September 2026. Taps rotate, so call ahead.

• Toit, Indiranagar. Open since 2010. The IPA is Indian Pale Ale, with Banger Lager and Nitro Stout on the same list. Toit ORR East in Mahadevapura pours it too.
• Chin Lung Brewery, Indiranagar. Brown Mundae is the beer our directory files as its IPA. Temple Haze and a Guava Chilli Gose are also on the list.
• Arbor Brewing Company, Ashok Nagar / MG Road. Open since 2012, with two IPAs: Beach Shack IPA and Raging Elephant. The Mango Maibock and Michael Faricy Stout are there too.
• 33&Brew, Brookefield. Opened in April 2026, the newest on this list. Ask for Needle Drop IPA, then try the High Fidelity Belgian Tripel.
• Geist Brewing Co., Hennur / Thanisandra. Geist Kamacitra is the IPA, with Geist James Blond and Geist Stouter Space alongside. The group also has a brewery on Old Madras Road and a taproom in Rajajinagar.
• Tropika Brewing Co, Marathahalli / Panathur. Hoppy Sunset is the IPA. Coral Wit and Forever Tropical are on the list as well.

Arbor is the one place here where you can put two IPAs from the same brewhouse side by side. Do it and you will notice the hops are not doing the same thing in each. Saying exactly what is different, citrus or pine, bitterness or dryness, is a skill that gets sharper with guided practice.

Bengaluru is lucky here. With this many brewpubs pouring their own beer, you rarely need to drink an IPA that has spent weeks in a warehouse. If a glass smells dull rather than of grapefruit and pine, it is fair to ask how long the keg has been on.

Amritsari fish and galouti kebab suit the bitterness

Bitterness amplifies chilli heat, so choose your plates with a little care.

• Amritsari fish. The citrus hops pick up the ajwain and lemon. Bitterness slices through the gram flour batter.
• Mutton galouti kebab. Rich and smooth. The beer cuts it rather than cools it.
• Aged gouda. Nutty, salty and easy to find in Bengaluru. It softens the bitterness and draws the malt forward.

For the vegetarians, a mushroom and onion uttapam works: a mild, savoury plate that bread malt and grapefruit hops brighten.

Indiranagar makes a two-stop evening

Toit and Chin Lung are both in Indiranagar. Taste Toit's Indian Pale Ale at one and Brown Mundae at the other, with food at the first stop. If you would rather stay put, Arbor's two IPAs make a single-stop comparison in Ashok Nagar.

Order tasters, not pints. Drink water between beers. Take a cab or the metro home. Leave the car keys with someone who is not drinking: never drive after a session.

Start with the style page

Open the IPA style page before Friday and read the aroma notes. Our West Coast IPA guide covers the driest end of the style in more depth. For more food ideas, Indian food and beer pairing picks up where this list ends.