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After successfully launching BrewDog Midtown Mumbai, the Aloha International BrewPub brought BrewDog to Bandra in March 2022.

BrewDog Bandra is going to be the flagship outlet with the largest space and will host a variety of beers and dishes.

With the increasing demand for craft beer in the Indian market, BrewDog is the go-to brand for a lot of beer enthusiasts.

“BrewDog continues to bring a craft beer revolution to the world and we’re part of that. We intend to do the same in India. With a fast expansion plan, we want to educate the audience and promote good craft beer in the country. We’re excited to open the doors of the new BrewDog Bandra, the second bar in India,” shared Karan Jain, CEO, BrewDog.

With 20+ beers on tap, BrewDog has the ability to satisfy almost any particular beer craving one might have.

The 7000 sq. ft. space is spread across two floors with a bar and taps on each of them. The ambiance is perfect for a casual dining and drinking experience! With beautiful al-fresco dining on both floors, BrewDog Bandra has a lot more to offer than just its famous craft beers.

Known for its dog-friendly space, this one is going to be no different. Paw-parents are welcome with their dogs and the bar-crew at BrewDog will make sure that they have an equally good time. 

An epic range of food, ranging from freshly baked buns and breads, succulent burgers, all the way to a variety of wood-fired gourmet pizzas, delicious mains and sides!

With the massive expansion plan of opening several more outlets in the next coming months, the entire BrewDog India team is helmed by the duo Pratekk Chaturvedi, COO, and Gaurav Gidwani, F&B Director.

I started out by developing a love for whisky and I always had spirited debates with a close friend who introduced me to craft beer. These debates intrigued me enough to deep dive into the world of craft beer. This was the start of my journey and I have never looked back. My passion turned into a thirst for knowledge that got me to Brewlab in UK where I did my diploma to earn my brewing credentials. Work met passion when I came back to India and launched Effingut in 2014. From the initial brewery and brewpub to having 4 brewpubs and 4 retail stores, the Effingut journey has grown from being a loved city brand to creating a statewide presence and soon to be a national brand. Our goal has always been to create a safe, fun and unpretentious space for people to enjoy themselves while learning about craft beers along the way.

You were one of the first entrant in the craft brewery segment in Maharashtra. How have you seen the journey of craft beer in the region?

Since 2014, the craft beer industry has been on an upward growth trajectory not only in Maharashtra but around the country. When we first launched, I clearly remember patrons stepping into our brewpubs primarily for the easy drinking Apple Cider and the fruity German Hefeweizen. While these are the two best sellers for us even today, the growth of the industry has gone hand in hand with the evolution of our patrons’ palates. This has allowed us to expand our offerings on tap to a very diverse range of 12-16 beers at any time that also include more complex beers which are widely appreciated by everyone.

Effingut is known for its finest brews and handcrafted menu. What has  kept you going in all these years?

Even if it may sound like a cliché, it is genuinely the love that we have received from our customers that keeps us going. We started out with the mission of being the best craft beer brand of the country and this is our main driving force. We have seen some dark times (including the current pandemic), during which it is the love and support that we have received from our patrons that has kept us afloat. We thrive on constructive feedback and are thankful to each and every person who helps us with this. After all, craft beer is everything that commercial beer is not - it is inclusive, community led and relationship driven. You do not need to be a connoisseur to appreciate a well-made beer and this is why constructive feedback helps us understand our customers better and work on continuously improving ourselves.

Covid-19 has changed the complete ingredient of the restaurant sector. What impact has your business witnessed? How are you overcoming the same?

Our industry has faced a series of challenges since the lockdown that initially restricted us from doing what we do best - make people feel Effingut. The demand for our craft beer, however, outfought the quarantine. The pressure to re-invent was high, and the industry was bleeding. We had to rethink a business model that would be asset-light yet high on a consumer’s satisfaction index, whilst keeping their safety as our priority.

Moving forward, Effingut’s offerings will distinctly be placed in two categories - the larger full-service brewpubs with a more diverse offering & the retail-oriented Effingut 2 Go experience for when patrons just want to have a good pint and a quick meal at home.

You recently launched Effingut 2Go, marking your presence into the retail segment. What’s the whole idea behind it?

The establishment of the Effingut 2 Go vertical earmarks our foray into the retail segment. It brings a complete experience to our patrons’ homes with the goal being that Effingut is wherever they want us to be.

Hence, keeping in mind every aspect of a customer’s journey, the entire Effingut 2 Go concept revolves around distilling the Effingut experience into a 15-minute time frame, ensuring extended, dynamic safety protocols for social distancing. Within 4 months, we custom-designed proprietary growler fillers using the ‘counter-pressure filling technique’ to ensure full automation once the bottle is placed into a machine. The machine infuses each bottle with beer gas to remove all oxygen, whilst filling each pour in a closed, pressurized, and highly sanitized environment. Our high-caliber proprietary infrastructure thus allows for a minimum of 14 taps that can fill growlers both quickly and hygienically, in a matter of minutes, increasing its shelf life to a minimum of 7 days if kept unopened. This means that your Effingut beer stays fresh for longer, remains carbonated for longer & you assuringly get every flavour you want and remember from our beers.

What’s your plan expanding the same?

We have plans to further invest INR 100 million to aggressively expand Effingut 2 Go in Maharashtra. This move will reinforce our status as India’s first retail craft beer chain, with plans to immediately open 12 outlets across Mumbai and Pune in the next 6 months.As phase 2, key markets will include Nashik, Kolhapur, and Ahmednagar followed by other geographies, targeting a total of 40 stores by 2022.

Tell us something about your microbreweries. Any plan on expanding them?

We currently have our central craft brewery based out of Koregaon Park in Pune and 4 brewpubs - at Koregaon Park, Baner and Kharadi in Pune and at Colaba in Mumbai. Just before the pandemic hit, we were all set to launch Effingut Kolkata, a brewpub and craft brewery in the heart of Park Street. That plan is back in action now and we are very excited to announce our expansion at a national stage. Our latest Kolkata brewpub should be ready to open doors by January 2021.

Now that restaurants and bars are already back in business in the state. How has the response been?

The response has been good and we have seen a steady flow of customers to our pubs. However, I believe that people will take some more time before they start stepping out without a worry. It will take some time before we see the kind of footfall that we are used to.

What changes have you introduced at your bars?

We are taking all necessary precautions as mandated by government directives and have reduced our occupancy to 50% across all brewpubs.

What according to you will be the major trend that the food and nightlife industry would witness post covid?

One of the interesting developments to come out of what we all have experienced in 2020 will be the further integration of technology into the larger F&B experience. With advancements in in-house dining such as digital menus and contactless payments, there is a possibility that these will replace the age-old traditions of physical menus and bill folders. Restaurateurs would also have reconnected with utilizing the front of house space available to them in the best possible way along with seamless crowd control. Lastly, a valuable lesson we all have learned during these times is how less will be more going forward - expect a resurgence in smaller, satellite formats to large flagship restaurants and pubs.

In an e-mail conversation with Restaurant India, Abhinav Jindal, Founder and CEO at Kimaya Himalayan talked about his beer brands as new entrants in the market, how these brands are differentiating themselves from the established ones and what is the road ahead.

Edited excerpts

How has been the volume growth since the time it has entered into the market?

We entered the market in September 2019, which also meant the start of the off season of 2019. The growth has been very encouraging and both the brands have consistently performed across all the markets that we are present in. Currently the brand is available in the states of Delhi, UP and Uttarakhand. The brand ‘Bee young’ since the date of its launch has been the second highest selling beer in its category in Delhi. We expect Bee Young to be a formidable force in its category in the coming months. Since the launch on 12th of September we have now dispatched around hundred thousand cases to the market.

How has been the profit growth?

It is too early to determine profits as it has only been three months since the launch but for the first full year we expect to make minor losses on account of market entry costs. We expect to witness a decent profit on the capital employed by the second full year of operations.

In terms of its sales and profit growth, what is your target?

For the financial year 2020-21 we expect to touch about 1 million cases in sales across the markets of operations with a profit expectation of approximately Rs. 25 million.

How are you planning to expand it across the country?

We are presently available across the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. We are expected to enter the markets of Punjab and Haryana very soon. Our brand Yavirā shall be available in key markets like Mumbai, Bangalore, and Goa in the next financial year.

How many cases you sell monthly? How does it differ from place to place?

In the third month of launch we are currently selling around 30,000 cases across markets. As the season approaches in March we expect this number to rise rapidly to over 1,50,000 cases a month. We are currently seeing uniform consumer acceptance and response for both the brands, in all the three states that we are present in. It is again a resounding confirmation of our core belief that an honest and quality product will find consumer acceptance across markets irrespective of demographics or socio-economic conditions.

6. In this highly competitive market, how do you differentiate your offerings?

We believe that we are our first customers. These beers are made as per International draft standards; all while respecting and preserving the Indian tradition and history of brewing. We are here to create a legacy. Bee Young and Yavirā are crafted with utmost love – and the highest technical standards of quality and consistency. Finest imported premium malts, Noble hops, basmati rice (in case of Yavirā) brewed using an indigenous recipe with water sourced from the Himalayan heights sets us distinctively apart from any competition that is currently available in the Indian market.

All these coupled with the unique 500 ML bottles being launched for the first time in the country offers the consumer an unseen advantage of enjoying their beers in an absolutely right quantity and temperature. An important thing to note as per industry standards is that The industry calculates cases on the basis of 7.8 litres per case (650mlx12). However, we sell 1.5 times more per case as all our cases are 12 litres. 

Partnering with her husband in business, Sheetal Shah defines strength with a positive vision of success and innovation. Managing the BKC outlet of Drifters Breweries, she is a woman who is fascinated by the world of craft beers and the bubbles in each brew. The daily operations side of the brew bar is constant learning for Sheetal, who hopes to open other craft beer serving outlets in major cities in Maharashtra. Excitement and vigour are her cornerstones as she appreciates how locals today love to experiment with different types of craft beers.

In an interview with Restaurant India, Sheetal Shah, Managing Director at Drifters Tap Station, says Mumbai is a growing market for microbrewery business. 

About Drifters Tap Station 

Drifters Tap Station was founded by me and my husband Nayan Shah. Our company was born out of the need to bring Eastern European handcrafted beers to the city. Roaming in the streets of many western countries like Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia in search of the best beer led us to the doorsteps of Honza Kocka, our Brew Master, from Prague. Our journey led us to name the venture Drifters Tap Station which encapsulates everything the name stands for and more. 

Role as the Managing Director 

My role as the Managing Director of the company is to manage operations of retail outlets that come under the parent company - Drifters Breweries. Drifters Tap Station is the first venue opened recently in BKC and my role there involves managing all operations, maintaining the food and service quality and ensuring that all patrons who visit the venue leave with unique memories and come back for the quality product offered. 

Secret Recipe to Success

Hard work and efforts in right directions at the right time. 

Competition in the Industry Segment 

Mumbai is a growing market for microbreweries. Beer is a drink preferred by everyone be it a weekday drink with colleagues, the weekend with friends or a lazy Sunday brunch. Microbreweries have a wider audience to cater to, which means more competition joining in to capture the market but we don’t think that will make a lot of difference. We are confident of the brews we are offering. Only the best will survive. 

Also Read: This Restaurant Is The Only Microbrewery At 32nd Milestone In Gurugram

Marketing and Promotion Strategies by Drifters Tap Station to Counter the Competition

We are the first microbrewery in India to serve 24 handcrafted Eastern Europeans brews. We use all handcrafted malts and hops imported from the Czech Republic. Our brewmaster, Honza Kocka, is a Czech local and is a well-known Brewer globally who curates recipes that help us stay ahead in the competition. Even the processes used to create the beer are centuries old which have been passed down by the Czech through generations. There is lesser use of machinery and tasks, like picking barley husks manually amongst others. These are few things that go a long way in changing around the taste of the beers for the better. 

The Growth Potential of Drifters Tap Station in the Indian Marketplace

When we were in the planning phase of our business we, along with our brewmaster, travelled across the country and visited all the major cities like Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai, Gurugram to understand the palate of Indian consumers and the kind of unparalleled quality we were required to bring in. Honza then selected malt and hops from the Czech Republic as per our research and designed recipes in a way that Indian consumers would appreciate it. We wanted to have the potential to expand within all of Maharashtra and, eventually, across India which is why we have an extensive variety of brews that we serve. 

Pricing the Products

Given the location, we kept the price points such that it offers value for money. Corporates come in through the day for lunch or meetings and post-work hours to unwind while the lunch and weekend crowd comes in to enjoy the brews and the experience. The brews are available in 2-litre and 5-litre jars as well and are reasonably priced. The extravagant food menu that pairs perfectly with each brew is priced well and there’s a variety of Indian, Thai, European cuisines and more.

Expansion Plans of Drifters Tap Station

We are planning to open few more retail outlets in Mumbai and Pune and another microbrewery in Goa, so we can bottle our product and distribute it all across India. Drifters Tap Station is just a couple of months old but with the feedback for the brews we have received we have a lot planned. It is too nascent to speak about expansions currently. 

Founded by two childhood friends Rohan Rehani & Nitin Vishwas, Moonshine Meadery was born out of a curiosity for historical beverages. It is the oldest fermented beverage known to man, evidence of which goes back to 9000 years back with many mentions in culture through the ages.

Mead has found its place as a popular drink in the world of fiction as well, quaffed by various characters – Ron Weasley in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Gimli the dwarf in JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth and by the royalty in George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones.

They came across mead on their travels having only read about it before in books. While Rohan & Nitin were employees in their previous jobs, with extensive research on Mead, and the process of fermenting honey, they started this journey by applying for a license collectively.

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

It’s been a rollercoaster ride for Nitin and me, with the understanding that entrepreneurship immediately implies donning multiple hats simultaneously. Setting up a new business is not only incremental advances, but managing timelines and projects simultaneously. Between applying for the license and getting our bottles to market, we have had to liaison with the government, set up our equipment, work on our recipes, build the look and feel of the brand and develop a retail, restaurant and loyal customer network. When it came to licensing, the Maharashtra government was very helpful and progressive. It took us a bit of time but eventually got mead registered as a separate alcoholic beverage with its own license. We got our license in September last year and made some experimental batches with pop ups where people tried our product and gave their highly constructive feedback.

Our bottles hit the market in February. We currently have two different styles available -the Apple Cyder Mead &the Coffee Mead, in Mumbai and Pune. A third variant, the Traditional Mead, will be available in both markets soon.

Initial Trials &Tweaks in the Business

When we spoke about what we wanted to do, nobody had actually heard about it. It’s hard for a new player in an established space, but it’s another battle to establish a whole new category in the industry. Meads themselves have a wide range. They can be still like a wine or carbonated like a beer. They also range from 3% to up to 20% ABV. Our biggest trial phase was arriving at the right formula for the recipe and finalizing the product in a manner that stays true to the beverage and also delights the consumer.

The Response so Far

As with any new product, we were anxious that first day when the bottles hit the retail shelves, despite positive initial feedback. But, we were very happy with the initial response and the way our loyal customers connect with us today still amazes us. It’s been a little over3 months and we are now available in over 100 retailers and restaurants between Mumbai & Pune. It’s good to see our efforts bearing fruit but this is only the beginning. We will work continuously to bring a craft beverage from thousands of years ago to our modern consumer.

The Fermentation Process

Meads can be broadly placed as a new category between Beer & Wine. Our meads are made from 100% pure honey and do not contain any added flavours, colours or aroma. We ferment locally sourced honey procured directly from farmers and local apiaries and use the best ingredients possible, as should be the case with any craft beverage. The taste of the mead is completely dependent on the type of honey used. Some examples of honey varieties are lychee honey, ajwain honey, multi floral honey and berry honey. Our meads are filtered and have a declared life span of 10 years for every bottle. Trust me; they only get better with age!

Apple Cyder Mead: This is semi-dry, with apples on the nose and palate. The apples are sourced directly from Kashmir. Taste-wise, it resembles traditional cider, but the honey adds a layer of complexity with a refreshing, well-balanced taste.

Coffee Mead: The artisanal roasted beans from Karnataka lend an instant rush of familiar coffee notes on the nose, while the multi floral honey adds delicate floral notes. From what we’ve seen, coffee lovers can’t stay away from this one!

No Quality Compromise

The beauty of mead, according to Rehani, lies in the fact that the diversity of nature is reflected in the versatility of meads. The defining characteristic of the beverage is that all its fermentable sugars are naturally derived from honey and using that as a base, it can be paired with a variety of flavors that include fruits, spices, herbs and other natural ingredients. The meads can range from light and refreshing to rich and complex. Quality control in this setting is critical – there are no short cuts and even the idea of sub standard ingredients or ‘replacements’ are not entertained.

Expansion Plans

We are currently at a stage where we are about to double our current production capacity. As the category gets established and Moonshine Meadery grows, we will be very excited to enter new markets. Key among these will be Bangalore, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Delhi and Kolkata and maybe one day, our Indian meads will see rapid international consumption as well.