An Andheri brewery is turning nostalgic childhood candies into inventive craft beers

We spent our Thursday afternoon chugging beers and reminiscing about lost love in the company of restaurateur Bhavishya Pratap For the record neither of us are heartbroken romantics The sweet old loves in question are the Phantom sweet cigarettes Rola Cola candy and Boomer bubblegum that have been revived in the form of beers at Prataprsquos Sthamba Global Brewery in Andheri WestBhavishya PratapldquoIf you grew up in the 1990s yoursquoll remember calling dibs on your favourite colour when a pack of Poppins was opened or holding a sweet cigarette between pursed lips The children who did this are still alive inside us they just sit across the bar nowrdquo Pratap tells us as he swiftly smacks the back of his hand ldquoDid you ever apply one of those free tattoos from bubblegum packs like thisrdquo the 30yearold chucklesNearly 70 kms away in Karjat these new beers came to life last month through a brainstorming session with brewer Abhishek Chinchalkar ldquoWe went through multiple iterations to get the flavours right Patrons remember these flavours too wellrdquo Pratap shares The mint lager on the menu for instance was brewed with natural crushed mint Similarly the cardamom lager a tribute to Kismi toffees were spiced during the initial stages in the brewing process For the indecisive ones the beers are available in 60 ml pours standard pints popsicle and ice pop formsldquoThe idea is to draw in people who donrsquot usually enjoy beer and give the drinks a second chancerdquo Pratap explains While wersquore there we spot a menu coming fresh off the press An upcoming Christmasspecial menu includes Rudolfrsquos Red Nose Snowman Cookie and Santarsquos Chimney ldquoWersquore also experimenting with a glutenfree beer made with black rice sourced from Northeast Indiardquo the restaurateur reveals Watch this space for more heady updates Time 12 pm to 1 amAt Sthamba Global Brewery Morya Landmark II opposite Infinity Mall Link Road Andheri WestLog on to sthambabreweryThe Guidersquos top picks1 Bubblegum Sour This Boomerinspired beer comes in a deep shade of pink True to its name the tartness under the sugar is unmissable and possibly saves the beer from being too saccharine or syrupy for beer lovers Wersquoll call this an experiment that shouldnrsquot have worked but somehow did2 Mint Lager We were warned that this one might not suit a regular beer junkiersquos palate First sip in and we can almost taste the crushed mint that hopped into the brewing kettle in Karjat We love the minty freshness this Phantom cigaretteinspired lager brings to the table but it does leave a bittersweet aftertaste which you might or might not love3 Key Lime Sour We opted out of sipping this beer because we could bite into it instead Served in the form of ice popsicles this Sour Punk flavoured beer had us slurping the tangy beer like a child Unlike the distinct acidic punch of the lime our table manners were nowhere to be seen4 Chocolate Stout If stouts are not your jam we recommend you call for a 60ml pour of this dark stout that borrows its flavour from the Melody toffee bites The creamy head heavy body and aromatic hints of caramel and cocoa make this our pick for the perfect dessert beerCost Rs 50 60 ml pour Rs 395 standard 330ml pint Rs 200 ice pops