Oktoberfest 2022: How Mumbaikars have warmed up to Indian-flavoured craft beers

Oktoberfest may have ended in Munich but it has only just started in Mumbai and will continue for the rest of the month in most restaurants in the city. Interestingly, the festival which is marked by food and German beer has been through a journey in Mumbai as the city has witnessed a huge change in the craft beer drinking space in the last 10 years. It has in fact taken a life of its own leading to many breweries experimenting with Indian flavours to appeal to the palates of locals. While flavours were earlier safer options, the experiments in the last seven years have flavours ranging from fragrant floral to fruit-inspired brews that hint towards the city's ever-evolving palate and need to try out something new.

‘Second phase of craft beer in India'

Pankil Shah, director and co-founder, Neighbourhood Hospitality Pvt. Ltd., the hospitality venture that runs Woodside Inn has been in the midst of this ongoing change in the last decade. He explains, "You can call this the second phase for craft beer in India. In the first phase of its evolution, consumers in Mumbai were still learning about the fundamental styles and varieties of craft beer. In this second phase, both breweries and consumers have opened up to trying experimental styles of craft beers." So, when Shah says the gastropub took note of this change and has been catering to the diverse and experimental palate, we are not surprised because the initiative has been noticed personally by this writer.

In 2017, Shah had brought in Randall, India's first beer infuser at the time, to experiment with flavours in craft beers. At the time, this writer had tasted a delicious jasmine, rosemary and basil, paan and dagad phool flavours too and there was definitely a consensus in the room about the refreshing flavours that were infused into Gateway Brewing Company's beers. It was the initial days and the craft beer world has only opened up since then.

Over the years, Shah says people have not only taken to different kinds of flavours but also craft beer styles, which shows a clear intent by the modern diner to go beyond the regular and lager and maybe try a stout or ale, even though both of them can be considered to be for those who have acquired a taste. "Citrus and coriander (which are natural flavour profiles to most wheat beers) are quite well appreciated by the Indian palate. Hence, the usage of these ingredients has created a huge demand for wheat beers made with Indian citrus and/or coriander," he adds.

Flavours of India

It is also fitting that the city-based restauranteur says it is the very familiarity and comfort of soaking in these notes that makes them ideal for Mumbaikars, and Indians at large. "When translated to beers, we can see these flavour notes like - Orange, Lemon, Mango, Coriander and even some floral notes like hibiscus or mangosteen are quite easily understood by the majority of Indian beer drinkers," he explains. The restaurant has collaborated with breweries to make the likes of refreshing Chilli Stout, Mangosteen Sour, Karvanda Gose and a fruity Passionfruit IPA.

Elsewhere in the city, Igloo Beers has also adopted the very same approach. In fact, they have created a beer as local as the Konkan Rice Lager, which is a light and crisp beer brewed with locally sourced organic rice; it has been made to cater to the hot dry climate in the city, and has an overpowering rice aroma. The response, says Chaitanya Khanapure, owner of the craft brew brand, even surprised them. "We weren't expecting the kind of response we received for it. We thought about doing the beer as a seasonal beer but the overwhelming response has made this beer our highest-selling product and something that quite a few consumers identify Igloo Craft Beers with," he explains.

Their adoption of local flavours isn't limited to the lager but also to Dabble Dubble, a Belgian-style beer that is usually made with dark candied sugar, but the brewery decided to use locally produced organic liquid jaggery and unsurprisingly, like Shah says, the familiarity kicked in, and made it another beer that people want to experiment with, according to Khanapure. Such interesting and unique variations are also what gets the latter excited as a brewer. "The variance in flavours as you see through the seasons always has something unique either in the spices or fruits and Mumbaikars being exposed to global flavours allows us to bring a touch of that to our beers as well," he adds.

Keeping in mind the challenges

While Khanapure is working on ancestral rice varieties, Karan Jain, CEO of BrewDog India, says they are working on fruit flavours, one that Shah has rightfully pointed out. Specialising in Indian Pale Ales, Jain says they have experimented in many ways with it and their most popular one is hardly a surprise, given India's love for fruits. "We brewed a unique variety of mango IPA that was a big hit in Mumbai. We are currently working on varieties like peach, mango, litchi and guava that will be out in the market soon."

However, he does admit that playing with flavours of the region does come with its own challenge. Even though these fruits are familiar to the maker, the very same quality makes the consumer the most important element, because if they don't connect with it, then it isn't a success. "It's crucial to meet the expectation of the palette when we speak of Indian flavours. For example, if you do a mango flavour, it has to justify the nature of mangoes found in the region. It takes a lot of tweaking to get it right," says Jain, who believes they have perfected the taste.

So, are craft beers an acquired taste? Jain says more than a taste that is acquired he would say that there are beers for every kind of palette. Khanapure is also of the same opinion and he believes that the perception of craft beer should move beyond wheat beers and stouts as is prevalent today. Shah, who reiterates it, explains, "The world of craft beer is continuously expanding and even though it could be intimidating at the beginning, it's quite casual and approachable as a beverage. It's definitely not an acquired taste but as you experiment with more varieties and styles of craft beer, you will surely land upon a few that you enjoy more than others and this is perfectly normal. As long as you find your style - you're good." Taking the conversation about Indian-inspired beers later this month, Shah says the gastropub is doing a three-way collaboration with Locavore (by chef Thomas Zacharias) and Bombay Duck Brewing Company to release a limited-edition lager made by using local rice varieties. It will certainly give beer drinkers a reason to rejoice not only for the flavours but one that celebrates India.

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