Millennials are always looking for new tastes and new things to try out. Beer, one of the most popular drinks amongst the lot, presents the perfect opportunity for this experiment. People love beer in India; it is evident from existing data. The Indian alcohol market is the fastest-growing market in the world. It is estimated to grow by 25 percent to the US 41 billion dollars by 2022 end, and beer is the second most popular drink. 

So with the rise in the working class disposable income and changing taste, beer and microbreweries have become a great trend! People have started paying attention to the taste and craft of beer making. The concept of microbreweries in India is already a burgeoning market. But microbrewery these days are more than just craft beers and is moving fast as popular eating-out hub for the youth. 

“Consumers tending to go out for beer and even more for finding a new spot each time is what has increased the demand. Many of the outlets that are coming up now are looking at changing their format from being just a café or a casual dining restaurant to ones that serve craft brews. Bangalore has always had a reputation for having this brewery culture and this is really spreading quite aggressively now,” Ajish Menon, EAM Food and Beverage at JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru commented. 

Eating Out? Head to Microbrewery

The All India Brewers Association estimates sales of craft beers to grow at 20 percent y-o-y, which is higher than five to seven percent y-o-y growth in the beer market. Over 30 percent of India’s population lives in the urban regions that have witnessed steady growth in restaurants, pubs, and a more recent phenomenon, the brewpubs. Growth is driven by millennials who find craft beer more authentic and premium, compared to regular lagers. Interestingly the profitability of microbreweries is largely dependent on food sales as the population tends to choose microbreweries while eating out. 

An increasing number of brewery restaurants across the country are stepping up their kitchen game and offering unexpected and expectedly good cuisine options for pairing with their craft beers. “Microbreweries still see the major income coming in through food sales and as a result, they are always up to the task of having the latest culinary trends on their offer along with classic favorites, Rajat Singh Rawat, general manager of Fox in the Field commented. 

Most breweries are resto-bars now where food is given equal importance. Hence, they have come up as great places for even families to hang out and catch up with their friends. “The atmosphere is casual, most in Bangalore have an open space, the produce is fresh, and all these go a long way to pushing these breweries up in the list of options when it comes to eating out,” Menon further added.

Serving World Cuisine

As their market is not particularly tilted towards a particular cuisine, most microbreweries feature dishes from across the globe and India. What is truly remarkable is that the visual appeal and the built-up of quite a few dishes is probably at-par with some of the best fine-dining eateries around considering the volume of guests that some of them cater to.

Most breweries have some sort of food in their taprooms, even if it's just a bucket of stale pretzels. But food isn't always an afterthought at breweries: take, for example, these spots that put almost as much love into their food menus as they do to their tap offerings.

When heading to a craft brewery in India, veterans are probably not just looking for a tall glass. One of the best part about India’s breweries and brewpubs is that they offer an experience: a chance to hang out in a beautiful taproom or sunny beer garden with family and friends, listen to live music, play games and, potentially best of all, enjoy some of the scrumptious food. 

“Our food and beer orders are almost in 40-60 ratio. People earlier thought microbreweries are only drinking spots but the mentality has changed drastically in the past few years. Our weekends are as full as any other bar or club in the vicinity. As people’s assumption about microbrewery has changed, the demand for good food here has changed too. We have started launching a new menu, offers, and combos as we see a surge in demand. We cannot compromise on the fact of quality and quantity of food we are serving,” the manager of the Ministry of Beer commented. 

Projecting the Future

With the recent surge in the beer business across India, it is stunningly noticeable that the home-brewing community is taking the lead and how! Most of these breweries are backed by venture capitalists and driven by passion. 

The government’s change in excise policy will also throw a major impact on the overall microbrewery business. Delhi government for instance has recently allowed resto-bars to open microbreweries. Four microbreweries serving draught beer started operations in Delhi in September. Earlier, two microbreweries operated in Delhi, one in Connaught Place and another at a five-star hotel on Janpath Road. Those were, however, closed over a year ago.

In the Excise Policy 2021-22, microbreweries were allowed along with takeaway facilities for beer lovers. However, no new microbreweries could open in the city due to various reasons, including the requirement of multi-agency approvals.

"We have permitted three to four microbreweries that will start operations from the first week of September. They are awaiting licenses due to some pending approvals by different agencies," said a senior Excise Department officer. This will provide more options to the capital patrons for hangout. 

On the other hand, the liquor laws in Haryana lean on the lighter side that extends to the production of alcohol as well. It’s no surprise, then, that Gurgaon has recently seen the emergence of a significant number of spots brewing canisters full of light and dark beers all over the city. More the microbrewery pops across the nation, the eating and drinking out culture will be magnetic to the new breweries. It may be soon the next and more preferred hanging spot combined best with scrumptious food.