What did Mumbai drink all summer?

Mugs of chilled beer Friendly banter A nailbiter T20 game in progress This visual seems to have reigned supreme all summer at most of Mumbairsquos pubs lounges and restaurants Clearly beer seems to be the most soughtafter alcohol in the city this season ldquoPeople have always come to Woodside Inn for beers but we see an increase in demand as those who have classic drinks such as whiskey and rum also change sides White Wine Sangrias come a close second as women who come in groups order Sangria pitchers or lemony cocktails such as Mojitos and Caprioskasrdquo says Pankil Shah partner Woodside InnPhoto illustration Amit BandreMihir Desai coowner at The Big Bang Bar and Cafe outlets in restaurantrich areas of Bandra and Oshiwara and Masala Zone Bandra and Dadar echoes the thought and tells us that men especially corporates prefer chilled beers and beers towers more so with the game season on People in the 30plus age group prefer fresh fruit Sangrias and MargaritasA lineup of some of the favourite customer picks this summer at Town House Cafe in Fort PicShadab KhanldquoThe summer season is a great time to kick back and relax with fresh fruit Margaritas and Sangrias Wines are a staple favourite with women in summer and a fresh fruit cocktail is the perfect antidote to the rising temperatures in our maximum cityrdquo reveals Desai Sunny Sara owner of Cheval Kala Ghoda confirms the move to beer ldquoTo beat the heat most people have been opting for chilled beer Keeping this in mind we are offering deals on beer for the full IPL season From collegians to corporates all are pro beerrdquoBeer has always drawn in crowds at Woodside Inn outlets though women prefer gulping down sangrias PicSameer MarkandeEdward Wang owner Ren Bandra tells us that guys prefer chilled beers while girls choose fruit cocktails Their highestselling option is the Frozen Lime MargaritaWhat women wantWomen have always loved cocktails and Caprioskas Mojitos and Long Island Ice Teas seem to be a huge hit with them ldquoSummers are a time when we see a lot of groups who visit bars together to have a chilled beer or cocktails Mostly corporate and males 25 to 35 years old prefer a chilled mug of beer or an icecold pint to turn down the heat and Monday blues Our summer special Coffee Shots coffee with whiskey this drink tastes very much like a spiked cold coffee priced at Rs 100 per shot sell extremely wellrdquo adds Apurva Padgaonkar partner Tight Pub and Bar VashiBeer Slushies at Olive Mahalaxmi offers something new to beer drinkersThough women seem to be giving a fight to let beer be called a manrsquos drink ldquoWith Mumbairsquos heat escalating we get a lot of officegoers male and female aged 25 to 40 years who love kicking back with Rock music and a chilled mug of beer or beerbased cocktails Pitchers draughts and pints mdash beer in all forms is a favouriterdquo shares Ravish Shetty cofounder Roadhouse Bluez Andheri Shetty tells us that fruity Sangrias Cosmopolitans and Fresh Watermelon Mojitos are a favourite with women aged 25 and aboveAuriga sees its customers ask for fresh fruit cocktails as a healthy optionCraft is the wayAnother Andheri eatery Jamjar Diner whose main clientele comprises expats corporates and people from creative professions gets orders mostly for Sangria pitchers sparking wine pitchers and champagne pitchers Locallybrewed craft beers they stock beers from Gateway Brewing Company are also asked forOff The Street Gola at Copa mixes Indian summer memories with alcohol Talking about the popularity of Sangrias Dharmesh Karmokar director of Nom Nom and Silver Beach Cafeacute tells us ldquoPatrons prefer Sangria when the weather is warmer because itrsquos served cold and has a light taste Although few also prefer Ricard mostly Europeansrdquo Nom Nom also sees orders for Sake Bombs that are made using beer and sakeCheers to health reallyThough downing drinks is not necessarily good for onersquos health people still prefer counting calories and ingredients to add a healthy edge to their night out tipple quotientldquoWatermelon Virgin Mojito is a part of most tables during summers It comprises of Vitamin C and A and comes with the right dose of salt and sweetness This is fairly popular among calorieconscious people since it has dietary fibre too Our Fruit Shots are draw too These shots are a blend of seasonal fruits such as strawberry melon kiwi and apple and will make one feel hydrated and freshrdquo says Saurabh Tendolkar lounge manager Auriga MahalaxmildquoAs awareness increases towards diet and health people have become cautious about their drinks they prefer it to be healthy and caloriefree Hence our summer coolers with exotic fruits are popularrdquo shares Harshal Lanje assistant general manager TAG South East Asian Cafe amp Bar Sanchos outlets in Bandra and Colaba too sell fresh fruit Margaritas made using mangoes watermelons and kiwi and are prepared in Mexican styleExpat favouriteOliversquos Bandra outlet sees several expats drop by for locallybrewed beer Popular favourites across the city like Sangrias Mojitos and Caprioskas mango is the seasonal favourite win the battle with this category as wellTheir outlet in Mahalaxmi is currently running the popup of Goan restaurant Thalassa and rather than just beer restaurant goers ask for their Beer Slushies Honey and Ginger Slush Peach Slush and Cranberry Slush deputy manager bar operations Ketan Thakkar tells usClassic cocktails such as Martinis too get an interesting summer twist and this is welcomed by tipple lovers the Cucumber and Fennel Martini and Raw Mango Martini are sought after by both women and corporates at Khar eatery NidoWinnersrsquo listWhile everyone agrees that beer sales rise during summers the spirit sells well throughout the year too But a marked difference witnessed in the ordering patterns has been with cocktails Mumbairsquos tipplers order cocktails especially fresh fruit cocktails the most in summers ldquoBeer sells all year but our fresh fruit cocktails such as Coconut Caprioska Malta Orange and Basil Margarita Watermelon Martini have sold a lot more this summer as compared to other months People who usually down straight drinks also order these cocktailsrdquo Anuja Jatkar and Avi Mittal owners of Town House Cafe Fort pitch inGaurav Dabrai director of Copa Juhu has seen a similar trend and it spans among orders by different age groups ldquoWhile beer sales jump every summer wersquove seen a marked increase in cocktail consumption Sangrias are consumed particularly by groups of women Our Fresh Tangerine Martini and the Cucumber Martini find favour among the slightly older crowd 25 to 40 years old such that we are serving it in pitchers since the last couple monthsrdquo Dabrai adds that Caprioskas and Mojitos as well as premium beers are popular with our corporate clientele ldquoOff The Street Gola and Fresh Tender Coconut Water are popular across all age groups On most days at Copa yoursquoll find one of these on almost every tablerdquo he vouches