The recent explosion of options in beer in India is unprecedented. What’s more, people are responding positively to the improved range, quality and variety of beers on offer. – By Mini Ribeiro
Not so long ago, Indians sipped the amber fluid, mostly a lager, from Kingfisher bottles or Carlsberg cans purchased from wine shops or at best, in a hotel on a hot lazy afternoon! That has not changed, but the repertoire of beers and quality has.
Several new varieties of beers have come into India over the last few years. One no longer needs to be abroad to sip an Amstel or a Corona or even a Hoegaarden on tap. International beers have invaded the Indian market. And that’s not all. Beer lovers are also drinking unique ales, stouts and ciders made by smaller breweries right here in India.
Young and hip urban consumers with expandable high incomes, now consider it trendy to experiment with beers. From international brands to customised brews, beer on tap, they are open to trying out all these and thus, the beer market is expanding.
Even though, the cost of beer is much higher in India, than all other emerging markets when compared to the average income of consumers, crafts, artisanal beers, have clearly caught the fancy of people here. Not surprising thus, that the market share of beer has gone upto 15% from a measly 5% that it was a few years ago. In fact a 13 % growth in volume is forecast in 2016.
Rohan Sable, GM Novotel Goa Resorts & Spa, opines, “Beer has definitely grown in India. Gone are the one brand, generic beer days. Today, availability of local, International beers across major cities, plus opening of many artisanal beer cafés in Delhi and Mumbai, has fuelled both the curiosity and consumption. This trend will stay, as beer provides a lot of opportunity to innovate and experiment.”
Navin Mittal, partner, The Gateway Brewing Co. Mumbai, is nonchalant. “The way people view and drink beer is changing.” And adds, “This is not only a trend, but a boon for the beer drinking consumer. For very long, we have been drinking ‘yellow’ fizzy water and have been made to believe that it is beer. Sadly, it is not. Beer is made with 100% barley or wheat malt and perhaps some small additions of adjuncts, but most of the commercial beers rarely have over 40% of barley or wheat malt. World over, commercially produced flavourless beer is on a decline and craft beer is the choice of consumers and is slowly the case in India too.”
Craft beers, like Pale Ale, Bombay Blonde, Halcyon, Oatmeal stout, apple cider, are gaining popularity owing to their freshness. Unless they are of higher gravity, these typically expire in 21 days, as there is no preservative or anything artificial added to it and that’s what enhances their taste and wider appeal. Small wonder then, that craft and artisanal beers are something, more people are settling for.
The 45-plus microbreweries, the first of which was launched in 2009 in India, offer over 500 varieties of craft beer between them and even supply to hotels. These microbreweries spread over Pune, Gurgaon, Bangalore and Mumbai, produce between 1,320 and 13,208 gallons of beer per day.
Pune-headquartered Doolally, India’s first microbrewery, has launched over 60 new beers, several unique ones. The Gateway Brewing Company offers a distinctive German wheat beer, White Zen. For microbreweries, the right brew master equipped with knowledge and technical knowhow is crucial. Brewbot in Mumbai has roped in Julie Baggett, a US-based brewer to get their artisanal beers right, while Daniel Wambua at the Biere Club Bengaluru makes 500 litres a day. These brew masters tinker with recipes, experiment with flavours and that’s what makes these craft beers so sought after.
Dinesh Verma, EAM F&B, The Leela Gurgaon, explains, “Craft beer has become popular with most young corporates. Microbreweries producing these have given a boost to the indigenous market. These beers are fresh and have not been exposed to extreme temperatures and unhealthy storage. Rather than having the same old classic brewed pint of beer, youngsters are now looking for something new and appreciate innovation. The fact that by the time the bottled beer hits the supply chain it loses its freshness, has popularised fresh Craft beer.”
Craft beers may have become the flavour of the season, but these microbreweries still face several challenges including stringent state liquor laws, licensing issues, shortage of funds and lack of skilled labour for the highly technical job of brewing.
The going has never been so good for beer ever before. Beer cafes and Brew pubs are fast mushrooming all over and gaining wide acceptance. Both, The Pint Room and The Beer Cafe in Delhi offer around 40 brands, from local ones such as Kingfisher to imported premium ones such as Chimay from Belgium and Estrella Damm Inedit from Spain. Striker and 7 Barrel Brewpub in Gurgaon, are equally popular. Woodside Mumbai offers Belgian Wit Beer, Ryan Pale Ale and the most intriguing Four Grain Saison, crafted from barley, wheat, oats and rye from Independence Brewing Company Pune.
Given the vast interest in this beverage, the portfolio of beers being served at hotels, too, has increased. “The beer at our hotel consists of imported beers such as Corona (Mexico), Stella Artois (Belgium) Hoegaarden (Belgium) and Schneider Weisse (Germany) along with the local Kingfisher, Kingfisher Ultra and the Indian made foreign beers such as Heineken (Holland), Peroni (Italy), Budweiser (America) Tuborg and Carlsberg (Denmark). However it’s our selection of Indian craft beers, which includes White Zen (wheat beer), Doppleganger (dark beer) and Summersault (Indian pale ale) which is served from the tap, that remains most popular amongst all beers,” informs Pavithran Nambiar, GM, JW Marriott Hotel, Mumbai, Juhu.
Mohammed Khan, director F&B, Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway, adds, “We offer a variety of beers from imported, IMFL to hand crafted beer like Bira, a Belgian hand-crafted beer, which is in demand at our hotel. It has a really light, crisp body and pairs well with appetizers. In fact, we have also crafted a menu called “Paired” at our lobby lounge where various such beverages are paired with small plate dishes. Nothing can be better than the combination of a Calamari fritti and a pint of Bira blonde.”
Guzzling a variety of beers in a hotel may be an exciting prospect, but beer festivals and promotions and Sunday Brunches with beers, are even more attractive and gaining popularity. Nambiar elaborates, “Beer and brunch make for a winning combination, since beer goes with the relaxed mood that a great brunch creates. A relaxed ambience with a chilled beer and great food make for a great way to unwind on a Sunday.”
Verma adds, “Beer prompts F&B promotions in hotels. At The Leela Gurgaon; Spectra, we hosted a Beer & Burger Promotion during dinner. Targeting the guests who come back from their work exhausted, it was a hit and we sold about an average of 12 to 15 promotions per meal period. It consisted of 25% of the total covers sold during the meal period.”
Sable informs, “At our La Brise Seaside restaurant, we have our very popular B & B, R & B Sunday brunches (which stands for Beer, Barbecues and R & B music). At the property, we serve the artisanal beer ‘Bira’ by the tap at the CHY lobby bar & lounge along with a traditional Goan hi-tea.”
Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel, too, runs an Italian brunch every Sunday at their signature Italian restaurant Bene, where the dishes are paired with the famous Italian beer Peroni.
If crafts are creating a buzz, so are imported beers. Mahou India, a subsidiary of Mahou San Miguel of Spain has a brewery in Rajasthan. With their latest technology and hand-picked ingredients, popular beers like Dare Devil, Mahou 5 Star, are being created. Cerana Beverages has launched its craft beer brand, Bira 91 in two variants, Bira 91 White and Bira 91 Blonde. These handcrafted and specialty craft beers with natural ingredients are easily available compared to both domestic and imported brands.
Hotels, too, want to serve the best. Sable quips, “Today, the restrictive prospects of serving imported beers has reduced. Import duties have come down, but in a few states it still remains prohibitive. Basically, from the hotel perspective, beers are one of the lowest profitability beverage items. However, it is crucial for hotels to have a large selection to meet the needs of our guests. Hotels make higher margins on serving Indian beers rather than imported.”
Mittal reiterates, “Imported beers are expensive and give a smaller margin to the hotel or bar. Locally produced craft beers provide a better margin and are hence more viable. If the bar has a mix of both, they can’t go wrong.”
With Kaapi stout now been brewed in India, it is not long before, Chilli Oyster stout and oatmeal cookie stout, are what, we Indians will be sipping soon. But it might not be the end of bottled beers yet.
