Big Pitcher (BP) is a structural beauty, what you get is six massive floors which covers everything from cow-boy theme to star lounge seating options, this place has got it all. Massive array of Food and Beverage options combined with superb hospitality and awestruck ambiance makes Big Pitcher the most sought after destination for all of your gastronomy needs. We were here for a special occasion – FBAB’s 25th Meetup, I was sure that it is going to be an awesome and fun-filled Sunday afternoon. Read on to know more about our culinary experience.

LOCATION – Approximately 100m before The Leela Palace when travelling away from Domlur (towards Old Airport), the superstructure can’t be missed if you keep looking for it on your left! Reason: Building stands out. Microbrewery is visible from outside and the white artifacts look good during the day and even better at night. It is a busy road and they do offer valet parking.

AMBIANCE – 6 floors have different set up and each meant for different purpose. Lot of efforts has been put to make the place look roomier. A lift is in place which takes care of movement across floors, health conscious folks can opt for staircase :P.

So each floor has its own uniqueness, we were seated in ‘Splitwood’ section which is at 2nd floor. Everything you see here has that got a rustic feel, does a good job at giving this place a nice old-school look. The setup here has wooden finish everywhere and the walls are adorned by Texas-inspired props in the form of air rifles, boots, cow-boy hats and so on.

Before we move on to Food and Beverage section I would like to mention the highlight of this event- it was the 25th meetup of Food Bloggers Association, Bangalore (FBAB), a silver jubilee event which I was lucky to be part of. The admins (Chef BB, Nameesh and Naveen) have put their heart and soul to build this platform from scratch to give us bloggers a great platform. The day was filled with loads of fun, socializing with new foodies and old friends, a trip to Big Pitcher’s brewery, lot of pictures of food and drinks along with candid shots. It was a day well spent!

BEVERAGES – Big Pitcher has got a extremely wide range of options when it comes to drinks. They have Cocktail Pitchers, Classic and Special Cocktails, Special Martini, Shooters, Vodka, Rum, Gin, Brandy, Tequila, Wine and Champagne and a host of options under Whiskey. Beer snobs can choose between 6 variants of freshly brewed beer, and if this does not work out, one can opt for bottled imported beer. Non alcoholics can quench their thirst by ordering from Mocktails and Refreshers section.

Lets begin with their USP- Beer!! BP takes pride in serving 6 variants:

• Kingslayer – Medieval Dark Wheat Ale
• Hop Witch – Single Hop Mutating Ale
• Adjust Maadi – Hop Twisted Dry Hefeweizen
• Czech Pilsner – Wild Cat Lager
• Sarava – Brazillian Witbier
• And a 6th one which is not yet named but is Dark ale matured in French Oaks (Thanks Hari Camala for reminding me about the 6th one!)
• Kingslayer is the strongest of the lot here with respect to alcohol percentage (6.8%), a perfect example of dark beer. This one is intense and has a moderate banana flavor.
• Hop Witch is an American styled, medium pale beer and is slightly on the bitter side. Every week a different hop is added, so you get different taste week after week.
• Adjust Maadi seems to have got its name from local Kannada terms, it is a unique preparation of Big Pitcher. Aroma scores more on clove along with fruity notes and it has a very light pale color.
• Pilsner was the best of the lot for me, the appearance was that of a typical bottled beer, probably slightly lighter, had a subtle aroma of Caramel. This one can be gulped easily, the safest option in case you are confused as to which craft beer to order.
• Sarava here has the least alcohol percentage (4.7%), by far the most easiest beer to chug on. It has a very light pale color and the aroma is infused with citrus flavors.

After bittering our taste buds we moved on to Cocktails which is a sweeter way to get high 😀 Here we witnessed a lot of classy and nicely presented cocktails.

• First up was Jungle Mary, it was bright red in color with the usual salt and spices sprinkled on the rim of the glass. It is a vodka based drink which has strawberry, guava and tomato juice in it. Was expecting it in a tall glass but instead was served on a whiskey glass!
  

  High Sea Adventure

• We then had a tray coming towards us which had many Matkis (small earthen pots), must say it does a good job at hiding your poison 😛 . Jokes apart, It was a cocktail called ‘High Sea Adventure‘. Another vanilla vodka based, but has coconut milk as secondary ingredient. The milk tries its best to hide the vodka flavor but failed in its attempt, Result- You get strong vodka taste, a little too much.

• Son of a Beach looks like it was wrapped up in colors all day long because of its vibrant appearance. It is a vodka and cranberry based drink which was easy to gulp as the vodka flavor was overcome by that of lemon and mint. A fresh kiwi sits proudly on top of the glass!
• Beach Bumm was bang on target with respect to presentation, the cocktail is housed in a coconut shell. You get Vodka, Hazelnut and tender coconut water. One can easily get lost in finding which ingredient is overpowering the other, personally I did not like the addition of hazelnut.

• Mojito is a perfect drink for summer. How to twist the very famous drink (mojito)? Combine it with sweetness of Fig.. and you get Fig Mojito! The final result of this Dark rum based cocktail was good. Sweetness level is enhanced a bit further by adding brown sugar and Cola.
• Strong Big Ice Tea according to me was the strongest of all in terms of alcohol content. It is an insane mix of Rum, Gin, Vodka and Brandy, no doubt it is classified under special cocktails. There is a cinnamon stick placed inside the cocktail glass which looks good, but it is wasted.

• Romantic Martini and ElderFlower Martini were the two selected beverages from Special Matini section. Elderflower being whiskey based and Romantic Martini a white wine based drink.
  

  Che Guevara

• Che Guevara was so good that I ended up having 2-3 rounds. It is consistent throughout, probably Gin goes well with honey and green chilly. Plus you also get a sliced green apple to much on 😛
  

  The Big Pitcher

• The Big Pitcher is a very interesting drink, the red and white wine is initially set on fire and poured on another huge glass over the freshly cut pineapples. The end taste is worth all the antics done before!!

FOOD – We were being served lot of appetizers and quick bites while getting liquored up. The main course dishes arrived once this binge session was done with. Pointer –  the staff did a good job at deciding the intervals. The food menu on first glance looks monumental,  the options available seem to be never ending, in a way does justice to the tag line which Big Pitcher carries – ‘Nothing small about it’ 😀 On a serious note, this strategy has both pros and cons. Good part about it is that folks can never get bored of dining here as every visit one can order different set of dishes. Patrons are spoilt for choice when in small groups, this being a negative one.

 

• Ultimate Blazing Chicken Nachos – Classified under Non Veg appetizers this one goes well with beer and casual conversations! Nachos were crunchy and properly salted. It was paired with melted cheese providing the ultimate blend of flavors. Served with cheese and meat sauce. Feedback – amount of lettuce topping can be reduced!
  

  Brawny Prawny

• Brawny Prawny – It is a must have for prawn lovers. The prawns are pan flashed in gazpacho sauce (which is made from tomatoes, peppers and other veggies).
  

  Bang Bang Tofu

• Bang Bang Tofu – In simple terms, it is Paneer quick fried with onions and trio peppers. I will mark this Thai preparation as the best vegetarian appetizer served because it scores full marks for taste and presentation.
  

  Angari Khatharnak Tikka

• Angari Katharnak Tikka – A typical Chicken Tikka served with mint chutney. Tender chicken with deeply induced flavors of curry leaves and green chilly give it a greenish appearance.
  

  Pazo Pazo

• Pazo Pazo – It is Big Pitcher’s signature pizza. Topped with numerous vegetables (corn, tomato, onions, broccoli etc), olives and mozzarella cheese. I was always a fan of thin crust pizzas and luckily this one was based on a thin crust.
  

  Subzi Ke Champ

• Subzi Ke Champ – All the veggies combined with herbs and prepared like champs. I could not try this dish but my vegetarian foodie friends appreciated the preparation.
  
  

  Gosht Rogan – e – Nishat

  

  Tandoori Roti
• Ghost Rogan-e-Nishat – Tender mutton curry cooked the Indian way for a change (compared to ambiance!). This one is slightly heavy on your pocket, but totally worth it. Best when savored with Indian breads, we had it with Tandoori Roti.
  

  Lacchu Singh Ki Subz Sitara

• Lacchu Singh Ki Subz Sitara – This one has lot of homely touch. You get dry Potatoes and Gobi along with sprinkled herbs. It is served on a platter which has caramelized onions and a lemon slice.
• Nawabs (Combo) – As the name suggests, it is a royal Biryani preparation coming from the kitchens of Big Pitcher. You get Chicken Biryani served with Salan and Raita, the Raita was exactly like how it is supposed to be- rich and thick (at-least I like it that way 😛 ). Gulab Jamoon at the end completes this wholesome combo on a sweet note.
  

  Pizza and Pasta Combo

• Pizza n Pasta (Combo) – For me this was the highlight of main course dishes. I have been to so many places in Bangalore and could never find one order which catered to Pizza, pasta, salad and a dessert. Suggestion – It can be shared by two as the quantity is massive.

DESSERTS –

• Trio Chocolate Mousse – It is a dark and white chocolate mousse with nuts and fruits scattered all over it. The presentation was top notch, texture was smooth and spongy, tasted good as it was not a sweet bomb!!

 

GRUBITIZER’s TAKE – Big Pitcher has a lot to offer in terms of options in Food and Beverage menu. This is one place where you can get 50 people with different tastes and please each one of them! Their beer is good, I would say a tad bit improvement on consistency would do wonders to the brewery section. The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable about the entire menu which is a good sign given the fact that the menu is huge. In simple terms, Big Pitcher is for people who need everything (Food and Beverage related) under one roof.