Rise of The Brew Pubs

What is a Brew Pub?  Literally it means a pub or a bar that makes its own beer or any spirit and is licensed to sell it on its premises.

 As a concept, it has been present in the western culture for quite some time now but in India it is still at a very grass root level.. So let’s get some basics clear about these brew pubs by understanding their operation outside India.

In the United States, it refers to breweries that produce not more than 15,000 barrels of beer annually (1 Barrel is roughly 120-160 lts.) . Brew Pubs or micro brewing is now being seen as a popular approach amongst the new generation who like to experiment and prefer customized service.

The term came to be used in the 1970s in the UK to imply individual pubs that create their own traditional cask ale or beer.

You may ask that when we have such fantastic International brands dishing out some really iconic beers then why we need these so called brew pubs selling their own brands of beer?

Well the answer lies in the very product that is beer… you see, Beer often loses its flavor and freshness due to excessive storage, just imagine that a bottle of beer might take anywhere upto 3-4 months to reach your refrigerator from the factory,  during which time it sadly loses its freshness and the hoppy flavor, these are the things that made it famous in the first place. That is why hundreds and thousands of beer lovers from around the globe have come to love the taste and feel of the beer brewed in microbreweries mainly due to their unique touches and freshness.

Internationally microbreweries do not pose any real competition or an alarming threat to major beer brewing companies as they claim a very dismal market share when compared to these giants. Still, their influence and uniqueness has caused these major market players to open their own microbreweries based on their brand name. In some cases, these companies have been forced to buy the local microbreweries outright.

Comparatively, India has woken up to this brew-pub business rather late. In a country where beer consumption is very high, it is surprising to see very few entrepreneurs wanting to take a plunge into this lucrative business. There are only a handful places today in the country where you can enjoy the vibrant and crisp taste of a freshly brewed beer.

Today the beer loving Indian has matured, he has travelled the world and has tasted different styles of beer available, and he now knows that beer is not just lager. He also has acquired a taste for ales, stouts and porters. He is truly ready to experiment with different flavours of beer and enjoy it with the fusion of Indo-Asian cuisine. This according to me is rather a great time for business opportunities in a new sector called brew-pubs.  

Cheers!

The Great ‘Indian Beer’ Belly

Watched Delhi Belly the other day… what a mad mad movie!! It was simply hilarious to the core. I in fact, was very happy to see a few stereotypes in the Hindi cinema being broken.

I mean, in Bollywood mainstream cinema when was the last time you saw characters mouthing such bold dialogues, when was the last time the reality of a bachelor’s accommodation was showcased in such cruel detail & when was the last time you saw your on-screen heroes enjoying beer after a hard fought battle. (yes Of course many Bollywood movies have shown beer being served or drunk, but not in the recent past due to some new censor rules).  

The thing is, I tried hard to get the name of the beer used in the movie but couldn’t identify the brand, also knowing Amir Khan’s professionalism & attention to detail in keeping with the storyline I am sure he must have used some local beer brand, which in turn got me thinking… in the past few years with the Indian market flooding with international beer brands where have those old beer brands disappeared. 

Discounting the big players like kingfisher & Hayward’s what happened to those lesser known yet equally loved brands which used to enjoy the same shelf in wine shops along with the kingfishers & Hayward’s. Today their place has been taken by the Budweisers, the Tuborgs, Heinekens Carlsbergs & many more, not that these aren't great beers, but I miss the nostalgia, the excitement, the drama that was associated with those beers   Few of the beers I enjoyed were

Sand Piper beer.. a super smooth beer. This beer looked great in those days due to the silver covering and was the least bitter of the lot.

Royal challenge (RC Beer) another light and smooth beer.

London Pilsner (LP). This is the beer I still enjoy for its light aromas and smooth flavor, This is the closest to sand piper in terms of taste. Also it was the least expensive.

Khajuraho: This beer was a bit stronger than the ones listed above and was a favorite among friends due to its exotic name.

Some stronger beers were

Knock out

Canon 10000

Zingaro 

These beers really had that punch to knock out one's brains.

Lion beer that was made by Mohan Meakin (the same company that makes XXX Old Monk Rum) was one of the first lager beers of Asia.

The golden eagle is another beer that they used to make. few years back they supplied only to the Indian army. Recently its made a comeback in the market.

I know a few of you hate beer because of the way it tastes, but the rest of you would surely agree with me that we Indians just love ‘our’ beer.

The way it was showcased in Delhi belly just endorses the fact that its an ultimate way to relax after a hard day’s work. 

So the next time you buy beer spare a thought for those Indian beers and if you get a chance, try them, enjoy them before they completely vanish behind the heavy marketing of international giants. 

Cheers!!!