What’s a Goa vacation that isn’t spent guzzling down beer? And now with local brews overflowing from the proverbial pitcher, the state has not one, but three microbreweries doing epic craft beers. One of them being Susegado and the folks behind the brand recently opened a shiny new brewpub called Baga Beer Garden. Located at the spot where Habanero once was, you can walk in and get your fill of not just freshly-brewed Susegado but also other craft beers on tap. Hello, beer garden!
A brewpub meets sports bar, Baga Beer Garden stands out for its stark vibe. There’s none of the usual kitsch that comes with a regular Goa bar and they’ve got you sorted from day to night. Hoping to become ‘the’ hangout space for craft beer lovers, they’ve been around for barely a month and still adding, tweaking and doing up the bar at their signature susegad pace.
Thank them for an air-conditioned section where you can spend your time sampling any of Susegado’s six patiently, lovingly and expertly made home brews. Or there’s the deck area that Aditya, the man behind Susegado beer tells us, is more popular with small groups and couples. To complement the beer and chill vibe, there are massive screens to organise Formula 1, EPL and live match screenings.
So, walk in and get yourself a pint or two to cool off. The menu is a clever mix of South Indian, Goan and fusion bar food. Thankfully for us, it doesn’t run into 8 pages either. With about 50 options to choose from including some desserts and main course. They have dishes like Prawn Ghee Roast, Schezuan Chicken Wings, Pork Sausages to Veg stew with dosa. They’ve got the perfect hangover fix in the form of big, hearty English and Goan breakfast platters! While it’s hard to explain this refreshing menu, the Suegado folks have managed to squeeze in all our favourites including wedges and nuggets (which are none of those frozen variety but made from scratch) and Paneer Achari & Kingfish tava fry!
If you’re a craft beer purist and cannot just end your day at the brewpub without a peek inside the brewery, do ask the Susegado folks and they might take you for a tour. Even for bigger groups keen on seeing how all that hoppy beer is made, Aditya and his small team of brewers are happy to do tours if/when given a bit of an advance notice.
