Wort goes into beer?

Yes may I get a glass of Belgian wit and could you please scrape the froth off before you serve it Thats what we would often elucidate with a silver tongue and the confidence of a seasoned sommelier It has taken a lot of talking asking questions listening and drinking to understand that we were far from being right mdash the froth in essence should never be scraped offAnd damaging as it may be to our notions of awareness about food and drink we are eager to learn more So when we hear that a craft bar in Lower Parel is ready to kick off tours of their brewery mdash offering an insight into the process of making beers and tasting and pairing them with fare that complements the flavour profiles of each drink mdash we sign upSaison of lovers with baked goat cheese on crusty bread with beetroot and tangerineIts thus that we chance upon the history behind Indian Pale Ale or IPA a favourite among this countrys beer drinkers When the British were here during the Raj they always brought beer with them But the most popular one at the time was a beer called the porter However it wasnt exactly very thirstquenching In the 1700s in the UK they were just developing a beer pale ale which in comparison to porter was much more refreshing So they started shipping that to India But the problem was that the beer wasnt robust enough to last the journey and in those days the only way that they knew how to make a beer last longer was to make it stronger in terms of alcohol content by adding more hops to it because that kills bugs Alex Barlow master brewer at Thirsty City 127 tells usThe head of a brewery pours a glass of freshly made beerWe are at the back end of the main bar having been initiated into the brewing process through an immersive video that we were shown at the space also used for events before proceeding to get the lowdown on how grains are transformed into delicious beers We learn that there is a lot of science behind itBarlow takes us through the factorylike interiors explaining the role of each vessel and condiment stepbystep He says for example how it is crucial to ensure the purity of the water referred to as liquor in brewing used in the process For this the liquor is purified and rid of all salts and minerals to ensure theres no contamination and then it is boiled Thereafter malt kernels that are made from barley by specialist malsters are crushed inside a vesselIndustrially this process is known as milling which is followed by mashing which involves a steeping process where hot water is used to hydrate the malt and convert the grain starch into fermentable sugars Then lautering helps separate the mash from the clear liquid which at this stage is called wort This liquid is then boiled chilled aerated and fermented with the help of yeast to create beer that is then matured and carbonatedNow after coming up to speed with the science behind making beer we are redirected to the main bar where Barlow takes us through the logic behind pairing the beverage with different dishes A fruity brew like Simona for example can be paired with chicken satay skewers that have complex flavours and a creamy texture that complements the effervescent brew whereas a dark and bitter brew like the black jamun porter can be enjoyed with a chocolate cakeWe listen intently as the master brewer takes us through eight pairings while speaking with the informed acumen of a scientist as we relish good grub and drinks like we would be in a manner of speaking inside the chocolate factory that Charlie visited in Roald Dahls book had it been meant for adultsAt Thirsty City 127 Todi Mills Lower Parel On May 16 to July 26 5 pm Thursdays and Fridays Call 68493243 max six people per batch and only one batch each day Log on to insiderin Cost Rs 2000 to Rs 2500Catch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get the latest updates