What: Towhead
Origin: Germany
Colour: Deep amber to copper
Bitterness: Mild
Body: Malty and smoky
Clarity: Natural and unfiltered
Pair it with: Carbonara Pasta with bacon, pork sausages or Pepperoni pizzas. It also balances well with cigars.
Pocket pinch: Rs 330 (half pint) and Rs 490 (full pint) 

Smoky and flavourful — that’s what Towhead, The Grid’s newest craft beer, tastes like. The Topsia brewery has introduced a Rauchbier that is made with hops, malt, water and yeast but it will leave an aroma of corn on the cob roasted on charcoal or bacon. 

The mouth feel is a toasty, sweet, malty and smoky wood note. So what lends the smokiness? “First get a smoker and smoke the malt. Then use this malt to brew beer but one must choose the right wood. Ensure the malt has low moisture content. The heat from smoking shouldn’t reach the malt. The speciality of this beer is you have to follow the German purity law Reinheitsgebot and not add anything besides water, malt, hops and yeast. This ensures the beer is as natural as it can be,” explained Koushika Viswanath, brewmaster, The Grid. 

Text: Pramita Ghosh
Pictures: Rashbehari Das