Best Beer in Bangalore: Why Belgian Wheat and Hefeweizen Lead the Order, and How to Find Your Style

TL;DR: For most first-time craft beer drinkers, the best beer in Bangalore is a wheat beer. BLR Brewing Co.'s sales show Bengaluru guests lean towards sweeter beers, which is why its Belgian Wheat, with banana, orange and clove notes, and its Hefeweizen are among the chain's highest-selling pours. Beyond that, the right beer depends on whether you prefer bitter, sweet, sour or a familiar lager-like taste, the first question BLR Brewing Co. staff ask. A flight of several styles, available at every outlet, is the quickest way to find out.

The best beer in Bangalore for most first-timers is a wheat beer. At BLR Brewing Co., sales data shows Bengaluru drinkers lean towards sweeter beers, which is why the Belgian Wheat, with its banana, orange and clove notes, and the Hefeweizen are among the chain's highest-selling beers. Past that point, "best" is personal, so this guide explains the styles on BLR Brewing Co.'s list, what separates a Belgian wheat beer from a hefeweizen, and the one question that places a first-timer on the right beer.

Why do wheat beers lead the order in Bengaluru?

BLR Brewing Co.'s own sales point one way: Bengaluru guests gravitate to sweeter beers. The Belgian Wheat and the Hefeweizen, both gently sweet with fruity, spicy notes, are among the highest sellers across the chain's six outlets, and they are the beers staff recommend most often as a starting point.

Wheat beer styles are built for that palate. The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP), whose 2021 style guidelines are used to judge BJCP-sanctioned beer competitions, notes that in a classic weissbier any impression of sweetness comes more from low bitterness than from residual sugar. Low bitterness and a fruity yeast character are what make wheat beers an easy first step.

What is the difference between a Belgian wheat beer and a hefeweizen?

Both are pale, hazy beers brewed with a large share of wheat, but they come from different traditions and get their flavour from different places.

A hefeweizen is a German wheat beer. The BJCP 2021 guidelines list it under Weissbier, which is also known as hefeweizen, and describe a pale, refreshing, lightly hopped beer with high carbonation and a distinctive banana-and-clove character from its weizen yeast. Malted wheat makes up at least half of the grist.

A Belgian wheat beer, or witbier, is a Belgian style. The BJCP describes it as a pale, hazy wheat beer in which spices accentuate the yeast character, traditionally brewed with coriander seed and dried Curaçao orange peel, using 30 to 60 percent unmalted wheat.

| Hefeweizen (Weissbier) | Belgian wheat beer (Witbier)
Tradition | German | Belgian Main flavour source | Weizen yeast, giving banana and clove | Belgian yeast plus spices, traditionally coriander and orange peel Wheat | Malted wheat, at least half the grist | Unmalted wheat, 30 to 60 percent At BLR Brewing Co. | A wheat-and-barley brew with a sweet profile close to the Belgian Wheat | Banana, orange and clove notes, among the chain's highest sellers

BLR Brewing Co. describes its Belgian Wheat by banana, orange and clove notes, which draws on both traditions: orange is associated with witbier, and banana and clove with weizen yeast. Ordering the Belgian Wheat and the Hefeweizen side by side in a flight is the simplest way to taste the difference.

Which beers are on BLR Brewing Co.'s core list?

BLR Brewing Co. pours six core styles plus a signature Hazy IPA at its outlets. Each outlet brews on its own equipment, so the beer is served fresh on site.

Beer | What to expect | Good for
Belgian Wheat | Gently sweet, with banana, orange and clove notes; among the highest sellers | First-timers and anyone who likes a softer beer Hefeweizen | Wheat and barley, with a sweet profile close to the Belgian Wheat; among the highest sellers | Wheat beer drinkers and newcomers Blonde | Clean and approachable, the chain's entry-level beer | Guests who usually drink commercial lagers India Pale Ale | The standard hop-forward style, with aromatic bitterness | Drinkers who like bitterness Hazy IPA | BLR Brewing Co.'s signature beer, hop-forward and hazy | Drinkers who want hop flavour with a softer edge Dunkelweizen | A darker wheat beer | Wheat beer fans who want more malt Stout | Rich and roasted | Guests who prefer dark beer

Two of these are worth defining. A Hazy IPA, also called a New England IPA, is an American IPA with intense fruit flavour and aroma, a soft body and substantial haze, with less perceived bitterness than traditional IPAs but always hop-forward, according to the BJCP 2021 guidelines. A Dunkelweizen, listed by the BJCP as Dunkles Weissbier, is a moderately dark German wheat beer that keeps the banana-and-clove yeast character and adds toasted bread or caramel malt flavour.

How do BLR Brewing Co. staff match a first-timer to a beer?

BLR Brewing Co. staff start with one question: do you prefer bitter, sweeter or sour flavours, or the lighter lager-style taste of commercial bottled beer? The answer narrows the list quickly.

If you like it sweeter or softer, start with the Belgian Wheat or the Hefeweizen. These are the most common first recommendations because they match what most Bengaluru guests enjoy.
If you usually drink commercial lager, start with the Blonde. It is the cleanest and most approachable beer on the list.
If you like bitterness, go to the India Pale Ale, or to the Hazy IPA if you want hop flavour with less bite.
If you like darker, roasted flavours, try the Dunkelweizen first, then the Stout.
If you like sour, ask which seasonal beer is pouring. BLR Brewing Co.'s seasonals are usually fruit-forward and change through the year.

Why start with a beer flight?

A beer flight is a set of small tasting pours of several beers served together, and it is available at every BLR Brewing Co. outlet. A flight turns the choice into a comparison: a Belgian Wheat next to a Hefeweizen, or an IPA next to the Hazy IPA, shows the difference faster than any description.

For a group, a flight also settles the table's order. Each person tastes the range, then orders a full pour of the beer they liked.

What goes into BLR Brewing Co.'s beer, and who decides?

Brewmaster Umang Nair holds recipe authority for every BLR Brewing Co. outlet and supervises the brewing at all six. Umang Nair trained at the Siebel Institute of Technology, a brewing school that took that name in Chicago in 1872 and whose alumni now span more than 60 countries. Across the chain, BLR Brewing Co. brews roughly 30,000 to 35,000 litres a month.

All malts, hops and yeast in the core range are imported. The founders are explicit about why: locally available substitutes do not deliver the flavour profile expected of Belgian and American styles. Regional Indian ingredients come in on top of that base for seasonal and collaboration beers.

The collaborations show how far that goes. Seasonal releases have included a Guava Ale, a Mango New England IPA and a British Copper Ale. For a collaboration with Lavonne Bakery, rye bread crust went into the mash, and the beer tasted recognisably of bread. Another collaboration with a coffee brand produced a beer with the profile of filter coffee and cherry notes. The team has even brewed a small experimental batch designed to capture the smell of earth after rain, which it chose not to release commercially.

Which food goes with which beer?

BLR Brewing Co. does not print a fixed pairing menu, because a set pairing rarely matches how differently people taste. Staff suggest food based on what you are drinking and what you tell them you like, and they do the same in reverse.

The kitchen does follow one rule for the beer's sake. The menu is kept moderately spicy or milder, because very hot food numbs the palate and hides the beer. Staff will point out the few dishes, such as the Andhra chilli chicken, that are hot enough to overwhelm a pour, and still serve them if a guest insists. Wings are a common order alongside the beer.

Where can you taste BLR Brewing Co.'s beers?

All seven beers are brewed and poured at BLR Brewing Co.'s six Bengaluru outlets: Whitefield, Marathahalli, Bellandur, Electronic City, Kanakapura Road and HSR Layout. Every outlet opens at 12 noon, and all six fill on Friday evenings, so book ahead for a Friday tasting.

If you are choosing where to drink rather than what, the guide to the best brewery in Bangalore sets out six tests for judging a brewery, and the microbrewery guide matches outlets to occasions.

Which beer is best in Bangalore for a first-timer?

A wheat beer is the best start for most first-timers in Bangalore. BLR Brewing Co.'s sales show Bengaluru guests prefer sweeter beers, so BLR Brewing Co. staff most often recommend the Belgian Wheat, with banana, orange and clove notes, or the Hefeweizen. A beer flight lets a first-timer taste both before choosing.

What is the difference between Belgian wheat beer and hefeweizen?

A hefeweizen is a German wheat beer whose banana-and-clove flavour comes from weizen yeast, brewed with at least half malted wheat. A Belgian wheat beer, or witbier, is traditionally spiced with coriander and orange peel and uses unmalted wheat. BLR Brewing Co.'s Belgian Wheat carries banana, orange and clove notes.

What craft beer styles does BLR Brewing Co. serve?

BLR Brewing Co. serves six core craft beer styles at its Bengaluru outlets: Belgian Wheat, Hefeweizen, India Pale Ale, Dunkelweizen, Stout and Blonde. The signature beer is a Hazy IPA. BLR Brewing Co. also pours fruit-forward seasonals and at least one collaboration or takeover each month.

Is a Hazy IPA bitter?

A Hazy IPA is hop-forward but usually tastes less bitter than a traditional IPA. The BJCP 2021 guidelines describe the style, also called a New England IPA, as having intense fruit flavour, a soft body and substantial haze. BLR Brewing Co.'s Hazy IPA is its signature beer.

Does BLR Brewing Co. offer beer flights?

Yes. Beer flights are available at all six BLR Brewing Co. outlets in Bengaluru, so guests can taste several styles in small pours before ordering a full glass. A flight is the easiest way to compare BLR Brewing Co.'s Belgian Wheat and Hefeweizen side by side.

Who brews the beer at BLR Brewing Co.?

Brewmaster Umang Nair, trained at the Siebel Institute of Technology, brews for all six BLR Brewing Co. outlets. Each BLR Brewing Co. outlet runs its own brewing equipment under Umang Nair's supervision, and the chain brews roughly 30,000 to 35,000 litres of beer a month.

Why does BLR Brewing Co. use imported ingredients?

BLR Brewing Co. imports all malts, hops and yeast for its core beers because locally available substitutes do not deliver the flavour profile expected of Belgian and American craft styles. BLR Brewing Co. adds regional Indian ingredients, such as fruits and grains, on top of that base for seasonal and collaboration beers.

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