Simba Hosts Inaugural "Brew Off" Competition in Mumbai

Simba, a prominent name in India's craft beer industry, recently held its first "Brew Off" competition on August 27, 2024, at Woodside Inn in Mumbai. The event attracted several microbreweries, each showcasing their finest brews in a bid to win the competition.

The "Brew Off" offered a grand prize of Rs 3 lakhs and an exclusive collaboration opportunity with Simba for the winning brewery. Participating breweries were invited to present up to two of their top beers, competing for recognition from a panel of industry experts.

The judging panel included a diverse group of professionals: Ishwaraj Bhatia, Co-Founder of Simba Beers; Aneesh Bhasin, Co-Founder of Svami Drinks; Pankil Shah, Co-Founder of Woodside Inn; Anudeep Reddy, an Advanced Cicerone and beer educator; and Alcobev expert Karina Aggarwal. Their combined expertise added depth to the evaluation process, ensuring that each beer was assessed from multiple perspectives.

Ishwaraj Bhatia, Co-Founder of Simba Beers stated, “Brew Off is the beginning of something truly exceptional and unprecedented in India. We’re thrilled to have the chance to contribute to the brewing community in this way and co-create great brews. Honestly, that has always been our goal– to make good goddamn beers. We hope that the first edition of Brew Off is only the beginning of our deeper engagement with the craft community, and that it paves the way for us to create more experimental beers that will be loved by people everywhere.”

The competition featured a range of distinctive beers, such as Rolling Mills Brewery's Mexican lager and West Coast IPA, Bombay Duck Brewing's farmhouse ale Rice and Shine and 50 Days Märzen, and 2 Down Beers Co.'s hibiscus cream ale Pretty Please. Each beer showcased the creativity and diversity of India's brewing scene.

Rolling Mills Brewery emerged as the winner with their Mexican Lager, earning the top prize and an opportunity to collaborate with Simba. This limited-edition brew is set to be released exclusively in Goa by the end of the year.

Pratik Kansara, Founder and Brewer at Rolling Mills Brewery shared, “The Simba Brew Off challenge has been nothing short of exhilarating. Right from the get-go, we were super enthusiastic about participating, as this seemed like a rare opportunity to showcase our beers on a much larger platform. The entire two-month drill boiled down to the 30-minute presentation that we had to pitch to the panelists, and we enjoyed every second of it. In the end, our Mexican lager took the top spot, and we couldn’t be happier. The Simba Brew Off has arguably been one of the most exciting challenges our brewery has taken up since its inception, and we look forward to our collaboration with Simba for a Good Goddamn Beer!”

Founded in 2016, Simba has expanded its distribution to over 17 states and established itself as India’s first family-run craft brewery. With its flagship brewery in Durg, Chhattisgarh, Simba continues to focus on producing small batches to maintain high quality and consistency.

The success of the Brew Off competition marks the beginning of what Simba plans to make an annual event, celebrating the craft of brewing and fostering greater collaboration within the industry.