Delhi’s Connaught Clubhouse, which offers in-house brewed beer, is a perfect place to look forward to this summer

SUMMER IS around the corner and the surest way to beat the blues is with a pint of chilled beer. And we found a place that makes its own, which only makes things sweeter. Connaught Clubhouse located in Janpath has barrels filled with 1,000 litres of beer which take 25 days to make.

As befits a brewery from Germany, the first thing we tried was the beer. First the wheat beer, which is creamy and frothy — exactly as it should be. In combination with banana and cloves, it gives the beer a fresh flavour and one that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.

Next, it was the Pilsner, and Land beer, both lagers made of barley. The Land beer was definitely nicer, one that can go down easily, while Pilsner is a light lager.

Dark Knight, a dark stout made with roasted barley, has a hint of coffee flavour. The drink though tastes surprisingly light and is not as strong in flavour or frothiness as a Guinness, but is a good option.

We then moved on to cocktails, starting with Zombie and Basil Smash, from their signature cocktails. Basil Smash has gin, elderflower cordial, basil, cucumber and citrus, all beautifully served in a tall glass.

It’s very refreshing and one of our favourites. For the ones who like their alcohol, a fruity punch Zombie is the drink for you.

It’s a mixture of trio rum, absinth, cassia bark, grenadine, grapefruit juice, guava juice, and lime juice.

We were urged to taste their Changezi Chicken Tikka. It is not high in spice, like most restaurants that serve this dish, so it was a complete win for us. The chicken was tender and though low in masala, a very flavourful dish. It was well complemented by their green chutney served alongside it. On a side note, their chutneys are a must have.

Next, we chose the Honey Chilly Lotus Stem which was quite sweet, almost like a dessert, with a hint of spice. It was served with a yoghurt dip giving it a papri chaat- esque vibe, especially as the lotus stems were crunchy. But the crunchiness was a total win for us.

Another dish which was slightly too sweet for us was the Sweet Mango Pickled Prawns. The mango pickle, though sweet, complemented, the prawn very well. And we should add that the prawns tasted juicy and fresh, with a slightly crispy texture on top and nice and tender when you bite into it.

We then moved on to dimsums. As dimsum fiends, we just had to order a plate; so we got their Chicken Ginger Scallion Dimsums. Despite a perfectly thin coating, the inside was not as juicy as we would have liked. But this lack was made up with their chilly chutneys served alongside it.

Our drinks were done by then and with an extensive range of cocktails we had to try more. We went for the Black Cuban and Victoria.

On a side note, Piyush Das the curator of the drinks — who has worked with PCO bar for six years — said the inspiration for Victoria was from Japan’s love for blue tea.

The cocktail is a floral aromatic and herbal flavoured concoction along with Blue Tea Gin and egg white.

His favourite and the best-seller here is the Black Cuban, served in a dauntingly huge glass; the drink gets its black hue from activated charcoal (safe to drink). The alcohol content is good with a generous amount of rum, and has a lemony flavour.

Next, we ordered from their maincourse, the Chilean Sea Bass with Leek Sauce. The creaminess of the sauce was delicious and went excellently well with the Sea Bass.

We finished this up with crème Brulee. It has a very homely feel, something your mum would whip up on a Sunday afternoon, so we are not complaining. It was creamy and all shades of a hearty dessert.

It’s a great place to hang out in the heart of the city, with a good amount of space and a bright and lively atmosphere. One can choose from their high chairs or more comfortable couches for bigger groups.

The music is not too loud, so conversations are easy, although this maybe because we visited in the afternoon. All in all, a must visit for those who like their beers and cocktails.

Review on invite

Connaught Clubhouse

Address: Ground Floor 54, Tolstoy Rd, Janpath, New Delhi, Delhi 110001