Bira 91, the world’s fastest-growing beer company known for its quirky topical activations, has rolled out yet another exciting initiative embodying the festive spirit. Riding high on the celebratory vibe and staying true to its brand ethos, the beer brand unveiled its ‘Christmas BIRAcle’ in the city of Bangalore. Building on everyone’s favourite part of the holidays – Santa and gifts, Bira 91 took over the city of Bangalore with its rendition of Santa and his elves to give out Christmas goodies.

In a remarkable physical and digital activation, the campaign saw the Bira 91 monkey mascot take to the streets of Bangalore dressed up as Santa and visit prominent spots across the city to hand out exciting goodies along with his team of two elves. They also created high-energy flash mobs in popular locations and offices in the heart of the city.

As part of this activity, Bira 91’s Christmas trio interacted with 100s of consumers as they visited marketplaces like MG Road and Lavelle Road, corporate offices like MyGate and Quikr, and multiple other locations including Bira 91 Limited Release Taproom, House of Commons, and more. Starting with social media banter between the brands on what they wanted as part of their ‘Christmas Miracle,’ the activation culminated with Bira 91 throwing a fun party on the ground at each of their office spaces in the city. Replete with food, dance, music, and exciting festive merchandise, the Christmas BIRAcle saw Bira 91 put its spin on the festivities for the employees of these companies.

Commenting on the activation, Ankur Jain, Founder, and CEO, Bira 91, said, “This time of the year is all about celebrating with friends and family, so we wanted to add a little extra cheer to the mix, in our style and make this Christmas a ‘Flavourful Christmas for everyone. At Bira 91, we work hard and play harder and saw this as an opportunity to create a unique, never-done-before experience for our consumers to bring a smile to their faces. We are beyond excited at the love this initiative has garnered and are pumped to present more such activities that inspire creativity, innovation, and playfulness to have a good time, going into the new year.”

Imagined in India, Bira 91 aspires to bring flavourful beers to the new world. As one of the fastest-growing brands globally, it has built a diverse portfolio of award-winning beers, one for every occasion, and aims to drive the global shift in beer towards more colour and flavour.

Bira 91 is now enjoyed in over 500 towns and cities spread across 15 countries and brews its beers across four breweries in India. It also offers branded merchandise across categories such as glassware, apparel, and gifts, making daily a lot more playful. Adding to this collection now, we collaborate with boAt as well!

Established in 2015, this beer brand is driven by a dynamic team of over 550 passionate beer lovers.

The post Bira 91 Spreads Festive Cheer With Christmas BIRAcle first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post Bira 91 Spreads Festive Cheer With Christmas BIRAcle appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

BeeYoung beer is affable and relatable as everyone can find a story that connects them to the spirit of BeeYoung. The taste of the beer is marked by “Vibrancy“. A brew that starts with a crisp attack, is refreshing and mouth-tickling while each sip gives a smooth flavourful mouth-filling sensation. It follows a finish that is accentuated by Columbus and Styrian Golding hops, is lasting, gently bitter and with a citrusy twist making it an ideal sip for a sultry day. With crisp, enduring and invigorating flavours, BeeYoung is extremely gentle in profile and has been made to find an appeal with all sorts of beer lovers.

There is no right time to pop a beer open. This sessionable beer is perfect for those ‘sessions’ and get-togethers which involve banter and camaraderie over pints. Our beers come in unique 500ml bottles, as this is just the quantity to ensure proper delight of every sip at the right temperature. Nothing ruins a good beer like incorrect temperature and having a small pour ensures that the beer tastes right till the last sip. The 330ml pints are too small to share while others at 650ml are too big and lose temperature halfway through. To bridge this gap, Kimaya team has ideated to bring the perfect size of 500 ml – a size that is an answer to the problem of the right temperature and is sufficient for sharing with friends too.

BeeYoung is a perfect fit for a vibrant, buzzy, spirited, adventurous setting.

Price & Availability

• Uttar Pradesh – INR 130
• Delhi – INR 100
• Uttarakhand – INR 150

Follow them on Instagram and Facebook at : @beeyoungbeer

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1. Carlsberg Was Established in the 18^th Century

Carlsberg was founded over 170 years ago by J.C. Jacobsen outside Copenhagen, Denmark. Jacobsen named the brewery after his son, Carl and ‘’bjerg”, the Danish word for ‘hill’.

2. Carlsberg is About More Than Just Brew

In 1875, Jacobsen set up the Carlsberg Laboratory to study, analyse and perform in-depth research on various stages of brewing. In 1876, he established the Carlsberg Foundation in Denmark to manage and support the lab, as well as the scientific researches, carried out there.

3. Carlsberg Revolutionised the Brewing Industry

In 1883, Emil Christian Hansen successfully isolated the pure strains of Saccharomyces Carlsbergensis (lager yeast) in the Carlsberg lab. J.C. Jacobsen freely shared the discovery with other brewers to help enhance the quality of beer worldwide. Hansen’s discovery and Jacobsen’s initiative to share the discovery of yeast strain revolutionised the beer industry. Today, Saccharomyces Carlsbergensis is the most widely used lager yeast in the world.

4. Carlsberg’s Extraordinary Brew Innovations

In 2016, Calsberg’s research team succeeded in extracting a 133-year old living lager yeast cells. They then used the cells to rebrew the first lager that used pure yeast. But Carlsberg didn’t stop there. For the 2018 Wold Cup, Carlsberg created artificial caviar from its beer in honour of the brand’s status as the Danish national team’s official sponsor.

5. Carlsberg’s Sustainability Initiatives

Though Carlsberg is a world-popular beer brand, it is serious when it comes to sustainability. Carlsberg cares deeply about the planet and life, so they ensure to do their part in sustaining both. Their ‘Together Towards Zero’ initiative aims to eliminate carbon footprint, conserve water, promote responsible drinking and nullify the possibility of accidents.

6. Carlsberg’s Posthumous TEDx Talk

In 2017, Carlsberg hosted a TEDx in Copenhagen with the theme ‘Trust Uncertainty’. The event turned out to be quiet the uncertainty when J.C. Jacobsen, Carlsberg’s founder, was brought back to life through hologram. The pinnacle of the event was when this unexpected speaker interacted with the audience and answered all their questions.

7. Carlsberg’s Contribution to the Brewing Culture in Sweden

Carlsberg, in 2014, partnered with Brooklyn Brewery to launch a sister brewery in Stockholm – Nya Carnegiebryggeriet which means ‘New Carnegie Brewery’. As the name suggests, the brewery is a homage to D. Carnegie – Sweden’s oldest brew till date.

8. Carlsberg Today

What started as a simple brewery with a lab in Denmark centuries ago has expanded to a Carlsberg Group, a research laboratory, 3 foundations and 2 museums. It is one of the leading beer brands for Pilsners and Lagers. The company also manufactures fruit beers, soft drinks and alcohol-free beverages across the globe.

Brand-lover or beer-lover, you’ve got to appreciate Carlsberg’s huge role in transforming the beer and brewing industry as seen today. So spread a more of that Carlsberg-love by sharing chilled beer and these 8 facts with your brew-buddies.

The post 8 Things You Didn’t Know About Carlsberg first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

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Disappointing, isn’t it?

Keeping this in mind, a San Francisco-based startup has taken it upon themselves to build a smart tap system for the draft beer industry – one that promises to pour the perfect pint every time.

“As you might know, draft beer systems have existed in bars for almost 40 years now and they haven’t changed since then,” says  Can Algül, CEO and co-founder of Pubinno. “They are semi-industrial and work in suboptimal conditions most of the time. In theory, draft beer is much better than canned or bottled beer because it’s just fresher and tastes much better. So naturally, it’s a great option for pubs or breweries to have as part of their business model to improve overall profitability.

However, in reality, many markets are forced to shift to bottled beer from draft beer to avoid multiple issues like quality standardization, KPI tracking and wastage problems. Therefore, on a quest to disrupt the beer industry, we came up with the world’s first AI-Powered Smart Taps to help provide end-to-end smart solutions for the entire draft beer ecosystem.”

The journey for Pubinno, however, hasn’t been a short one.

“First, we collaborated with DigiPubs, to build sensors and screens into pub tables that would allow consumers to order directly from their seats. We even raised funds for DigiPubs, but the introduction of new alcohol regulations pretty much ended things for us there,” explains Can. “We didn’t want to give up just yet, so we then moved on to the concept of BeerPoints, which were basically vending machines for draft beer that worked on a prepaid card system. Consumers loved BeerPoints, but we felt like we could do so much more. It was around this time that we started noticing all the problems related to dispensing beer such as lack of standardization, loss from taps, etc. There are 20 million beer taps around the world and beer is the third most-consumed beverage — and we saw a big opportunity there. That’s how we finally arrived at a decision to build a smart beer tap system.”

So how does it work?

The perfect beer, minus the extra foam

Essentially, Pubinno’s Smart Taps System is meant to replace the manual taps in today’s pubs and bars with these intelligent taps. The bartender uses the touchscreen to select the amount of beer that needs to be dispensed. Once the service is initiated, the real-time conditions of the draft beer system (such as keg freshness, pressure, temperature, etc.) are gathered and combined with the service data (such as sales frequency, beer type, etc.). What the Smart Tap finally dispenses, is the perfect pint with the ideal beer to foam ratio at the ideal temperature and pressure – depending on what style of beer it is, of course.

Specially developed for bartenders

The smart system keeps learning from the bartender’s behaviour and gathers this information as feedback – to help it understand how to improve the flow profile generation algorithm. So the more you use it, the smarter it gets!

This way, multiple perfect pints can be poured out one after the other using precise measures.

Meaningful data for maximised profitability and efficiency

Pubinno’s patented technology is an impressive combination of AI, IoT, Robotics and Automation that represents the future of draft beer, or what they have fondly nicknamed –  the “Internet of Beer”. The platform converts sales and quality data into useful business insights, allowing Pubinno to do a bunch of other things like increase keg yield by up to 20 percent and minimise waste using special AI algorithms. It can even set off instant alarms to alert bartenders about the current status of the draft system, which plays an important role in improving and stabilising both service and beer quality, thereby allowing bars and pubs to run smoothly and efficiently.

“There is an estimated 40M USD beer wastage per year in the world,” Can says. “There’s also sustainability to think about. The total amount of water that’s wasted globally in running beer business is equivalent to that of Manchester Lake.

We believe in our disruptive technology and have full faith that this is an invention that will change history and make a significant contribution towards the overall sustainability and profitability of the beer industry,” Algul tells us proudly. “While our Smart Taps currently serve more than 3M litres of perfect beer in Mexico, Cyprus, Israel, Turkey and Spain, we are also working with other beer brands and partners to expand the brand further. Our main goal is serving the best beer to the world while focusing heavily on two main values: craft and quality. With our smart beer tap and AI-powered platform keeping quality intact right from brewery to bar to the customer – we truly believe that this is the innovation the draft beer industry has been waiting for.”

The post Nothing is Perfect. Unless It’s Draft Beer Served By Pubinno’s Smart Taps first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

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With its vibrant history, dazzling cultural traditions and mouth-watering food, India, to outsiders, is like an effervescent dream – bursting with a thousand colours, flavours and smells. To us Hindustanis, it is simply home – one that doesn’t compare to any other place in the world. That’s precisely why the possibilities are endless with Indian craft beer. And one such brand that’s tapping into these possibilities is Kadak.

Written as “कड़क” in Hindi, Kadak is not just a super cool word from our local lingo dictionary. Usually uttered in a fresh, loud tone that can be modified swaganusaar (depending on how much swag you can exude), it’s an attitude that’s very unique to Indians, particularly those who from Mumbai, one of the country’s largest metropolitan cities that’s acknowledged globally for its invincible spirit and zest for life. It is an expression that evokes a spirit of immense happiness and satisfaction. Think Unforgettable. Mind-blowing. Solid.

Take a close look at the logo. You’ll see the letter “क” (the alphabet K in English) in a bold, type faced font, formed by a colourful mosaic of bright contrasting colours. “We wanted a logo that represents the beautiful chaos that India is and its colourful diversity, “explains Ishan Grover, a Delhi-based brewmaster who is also one of the co-founders of the brand. “At the same time, the word Kadak is usually uttered with a lot of swag and is used popularly by desi youngsters across the country, which is where the attitude part comes from. And I think our logo has done a wonderful job of reflecting all of that.” In other words, once you come face to face with Kadak, it will never leave your mind.

Incidentally, Kadak also reflects the attitude that the founding team of the brand carries. Decade-old friends and brewers, Ishan and Amit Mishra, who studied together in Scotland joined hands with Mayank Shekhar, CEO of Lemp Brewpub in Gurgaon to actively start many brewing ventures across India. “It was therefore, natural for us to start our own brand,” says Ishan in a matter-of-fact way. “While we had many suggestions for names from both friends and agencies, the name “Kadak” stuck on with me. Yes, I take full credit for coming up with the name myself,” he adds, happily.

A product of quality ingredients, reverence for traditional methods and a spirit for innovation, Kadak beer currently comes in a variety of styles. “From Bavaria to Bengaluru, Germany to Gurgaon, Munich to Mumbai – we have adapted signature old world styles of brewing to our modern-day, delightfully kitschy, Indian craft beer scene,” elaborates Ishan.

“We have the Kadak Hefewiezen, an iconic German style wheat beer that’s inspired by summer afternoons enjoyed under the trees, regardless of whether you’re sitting inside a Bavarian beer garden or sprawled out on a Peepal-shaded rooftop, taking a siesta. It’s a a unique blend of banana, clove, the mildest hints of bubble gum and notes of freshly-baked bread.  The Kadak Kölsch, on the other hand, is a crisp, clean beer whose lively citrus fragrant hops and malt aromas will tickle your nose while leaving a smooth, fruity and biscuity flavour in your mouth.

But our flagship beer is the Kadak Session Pale Ale, a style that’s highly cherished in the craft beer scene, worldwide. Our version delivers aromas and fresh flavours of citrus, pine, tropical fruits and biscuity malt, and toasted grains.”

When asked about where he would like to see Kadak in the next 10 years, Ishan tells us: “We want to be available in every Indian state in addition to making a name for ourselves in the international markets. It is our dream to with the World Beer Cup with Kadak, and we can’t wait to wave the Indian flag on an international platform!”

As of today, Kadak is available in Mumbai through draught. As far as the immediate future is concerned, Kadak also has plans of covering Pune and Nashik in the coming months. The brand will soon be launched in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa in 330ml bottles.

The post “क ” se “Kadak”: Where Craft Beer Meets Desi Swag first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

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What’s the first thing that comes to your mind?

Corona, the laid-back beer that wants us all to find our beach.

Even if your reality is sitting in your living room after a long day of work, there’s always that feeling you get while taking the very first sip – the kind of feeling that makes you kick back and relax, as if you were really in vacay mode. The only requisite? A lime wedge.

Corona is a brand that has dared to take the “imagine yourself there” route. Their clever campaigns take what their consumers are already thinking, and amplify it as a reminder to hit the pause button on life and disconnect from real-life drama. To not sweat the small stuff and to live in the moment.

And as a brand, Corona does a wonderful job when it comes to leading by example.

“Log off. Lime in.”

Unperturbed by the current “Corona beer virus” scare situation, where netizens across the world confused the world-famous Mexican-born lager to be a cause of the lethal coronavirus outbreak, Corona told Business Insider that it trusts its customers not to link its beer to the deadly Wuhan microorganism. After nonchalantly shrugging off misinformation spread by social media users, Maggie Bowman, senior communications director at Constellation Brands, Corona’s producer, told Business Insider on Wednesday: “We believe, by and large, that consumers understand there’s no linkage between the virus and our business.”

It has been about 3 days since Google Trends reported the spike in search results of Corona as well as “beer virus” and “corona beer virus”. Clearly, it has failed to shake the beer brand’s cool as it confidently continues to post pictures of breathtaking seascapes that make you want to book the next flight to the closest beach.

When you share the same name, but can’t belong to the same hood.

The word “corona” literally translates to “crown” in Latin and Spanish. Coronavirus has been reported to have distinct “crown-like” spikes, which explains the name.

The tropical-stye pilsner, on the other hand, is named “Corona” as an acknowledgment to the crown on top of the Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe, located in the Mexican town of Puerto Vallarta, according to Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine. Some sources like Vinepair also say that the beer has been named after the sun’s corona –  the outermost part of the Sun’s atmosphere that also happens to look like the gleaming circumference of the giant ball of fire.

“You win some. You win some.”

While the unfortunate case of word association may have temporarily caused people to panic about drinking Corona, the beer has got plenty of exposure (albeit for the wrong reasons, but still, a silver lining nonetheless in today’s day and age of social media).

As Boing Boing reported in a post titled “No, coronavirus has nothing to do with Corona beer,” Google Trends reported an increase in search interest in “corona beer virus,” “beer virus” and “beer coronavirus” since January 18th. In the case of “corona beer virus,” searches have since surged by 2,300 percent while interest in “beer coronavirus” has increased by 3,233 percent.

Not only that, sites like Instagram and Reddit have been exploding with multiple Coronavirus-Corona memes that are spreading faster than the virus. While some make fun of the brand, others seem to be only too happy to use this as an excuse to drink more Corona.

P.S.: (Don’t) Find Your B(l)each.

On a serious note, Corona beer has nothing to do with the virus. Also, as the infection claims more lives across the world, there’s another conspiracy theory that’s making the rounds on the Internet – on how drinking a bleach concoction can prevent people from contracting the virus.

Unlike the previous confusion, this one is actually dangerous and could have “potentially life-threatening side effects” as described by the Food and Drug Administration. There is no scientific evidence to prove that drinking bleach will help cure or prevent disease and health officials warn that it could cause severe vomiting, diarrhea and acute liver failure.

Sources:

Business Insider

Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine

ZME Science

PolitiFact

The post Log Off, lime In-Mexican Beer Brand Corona, Leads By Example first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post Log Off, lime In-Mexican Beer Brand Corona, Leads By Example appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

Simba Wit:

A full-bodied Belgian wit, with a hint of orange peel, coriander and lemongrass, this beer has a crisp, refreshing mouthfeel – the perfect choice of drink for hot, lazy summers!

ABV: 5%

Simba Stout:

Unknown to many, the Simba Stout is actually India’s first bottled craft stout. A deep ebony coloured-beer, with a voluptuous mahogany head, this beer boasts of bold, roasty flavours of rich espresso, caramel/toffee and dark chocolate: staying true to the signature stout style.

ABV: 5%

Simba Light

One of the brands latest additions to its portfolio, this is the first lager from Simba. A beer brewed true to its style, this lager is both crisp and smooth on the palate, which makes it ideal for easy drinking, especially when you want to beat the heat.

ABV: 4.8&

What’s your favourite Simba beer? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Simba Beers Variants and Flavour Profiles first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post Simba Beers Variants and Flavour Profiles appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

That’s Ginsberg, in a nutshell.

A name inspired by the German word for “environment” or “surroundings”, Ginsberg is a beer that’s not just powerfully strong, but also deliciously smooth on your tastebuds. It comes in two packages: emerald green, embossed bottles (330 ml and 650 ml), and warm golden-coloured cans (500 ml)  fronted by a majestic lion, gazing at you from behind the brand’s crimson logo.

Unlike in the West, where beer is mostly a refreshment drink, Indians have garnered a steadfast fondness for strong beer. Blame it on our decades-long whiskey-drinking heritage, or on the immense spending power of our society today, but we consumers in one of the world’s fastest-growing beer markets prefer an extra kick when it comes to our alcohol.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that our tastebuds aren’t well developed. Over the last decade, craft beer has made a home for itself in India, with metropolitan cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi championing its cause. This revolution, along with the debut of more and more premium imported brands on retail and MRP liquor store shelves, has introduced Indians to the rich world of beer. As a result,  Indians have developed a more refined palate and a very personal, unique sense of awareness of what one likes and what one doesn’t.

This is where Ginsberg steps in. A blend of strong character and effortlessly smooth flavour, Ginsberg breaks the stereotypical image that has been associated with “strong” beer for so long.

“It doesn’t pinch your tongue, and has a rich fullness in flavour that exudes freshness with every sip,” said Ishan Chopra, founder and director of the brand. “We use the best of malt and hops imported from Belgium and Argentina while our rice and sugar are sourced from the leading mills of India. We use only two-row malt which has a far greater extract value and our barley too, is completely organic, grown without any pesticides. Since water makes up for 70 percent of any beer’s composition, we wanted to ensure this was of best quality as well. We source our water exclusively from the natural pure Bhakra canal that runs alongside the Patiala district in Punjab,  Right now, we are the only brewery in Punjab to have been granted permission to draw water from this canal. This is further converted to Reverse Osmosis (RO) water.”

A recipe that’s made better after a lot of research by an experienced team of brewers and an intensive fermentation process that lends the beer its refreshing taste, Ginsberg is on its way to becoming an accepted beer by both strong and light beer lovers. On the subject of pairing this beer with food, Ishan comments: “Since I’m a Punjabi, I’d definitely marry a Ginsberg with succulent smokey-flavoured tandoori chicken. However, the crisp, refreshing taste of this beer also makes it great to wash down pretty much any Indian curry with. I recommend experimenting with a mix of red and white sauce – that’s a good pairing too.”

Not-so-surprisingly enough, the heavy, well-bodied Ginsberg is currently available in the cold, northern hilly states of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The brand plans to enter into the markets of Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan very soon too.

“In addition to penetrating the Northern and parts of Central Indian markets this year, we are also working on overseas markets and will start exporting to parts of Africa and Dubai soon, “ elaborates Ishan. “Ginsberg as a brand has been accepted very well by the Indian audience and we are confident of playing a huge, influential role in the Indian beer industry.”

The post Ginsberg-Strong on the Alcohol, Smooth on the Taste first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post Ginsberg-Strong on the Alcohol, Smooth on the Taste appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

Speaking of personalities, the brewery dropped a new craft beer early October, last year – one that instantly caught the attention of craft beer fanatics thanks to its bright “forget-me-not” blue, ceramic paint-coated bottle, sporting a pair of humanoid figures. Named Saint & Sinner, this craft brew is an ode to the wonderfully complex attributes of human nature and is almost an encouragement to its drinkers to proudly embrace the two sides of their personality.

“There’s a saint side as well a sinner side to all of us,” explains Suraj Shenai, owner at Goa Brewing Co. “Every day is a tussle between these two sides and we think both deserve to be equally embraced as that’s what makes each one of us so unique. Hence, the name – Saint & Sinner.”

When asked about the unique artwork on the bottle, Suraj proceeded to tell us about the importance of expression. “Expression in any form is important to us, whether it is in the form of beer styles or art used to promote that beer. We believe strongly in using art and design as a medium to convey messages to our consumers for what we do at Goa Brewing Co. Every beer is distinctive and seeks a character of its own, hence the need for design and artwork that’s exclusive to that beer personality so that our audience identifies with them better.”

Illustrated by Daan Botlek, a street artist and illustrator based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the artwork on the Saint & Sinner bottle stands out from anything else we’ve seen before.

“Daan Botlek is easily recognised by his art, which often makes use of character-driven humanoids and simplistic illustrations that interact with the space around them. Through his art, he draws bridges between universal paradoxes: the finite and infinite, figurative and abstract that tugs at the heartstrings of people from all over the world, “ Suraj tells us.

”For Saint & Sinner, he has used those same humanoids to express everything we wanted the beer to communicate to its drinkers, even before they had taken a sip.”

The craft beer itself is Goa Brewing Co.’s take on the traditional Belgian beers brewed by the Trappist monks in winter around Christmas.

“Among all the other Trappist Beers, the Christmas ales are actually the boldest expression,” brewmaster Dr. Asthavinayak Paradh (fondly known as Dr. Ash) tells us. “These ales are brewed in limited batches and are meant to be consumed during the cold months of the festive season. This is what we visualised for Saint & Sinner as well. Historically, Christmas ales derived a lot of their flavours from authentic, local Christmas desserts. Following that tradition, we used locally sourced coconut jaggery, a flavour that often finds its way into many of our beloved Goan desserts.”

According to Dr. Ash, a good high alcohol beer shouldn’t taste solventy, but instead, should be complemented with the right balance of high flavours and aromas.

Saint & Sinner is brewed using specialty malts: a combination of caramel and crystal malts that lends the beer a solid backbone. The recipe also involves Abbaye yeast, a Belgian style yeast that has high attenuation or the ability to eat sugars and sustain high alcohols. “We also use Columbus hops, a variety that has a well-rounded bitterness that’s perfect for this particular beer,” explains Dr. Ash.

The beer boasts of prominent characteristics of plums, bananas, and cloves, cinnamon and dry fruits, perfectly complemented by the citrusy notes of Curacao orange peels and balanced by the rich caramel aroma and toasty notes of English treacle and Demerara sugar. The recipe finally finishes off with a helping of locally sourced coconut jaggery and molasses that further intensifies the caramelly flavour and aroma of the beer.

“Our brewers use a technique called “step mashing” for making this beer. All our specialty ingredients like the English treacle, orange peel, jaggery go in at the end of the boil. The initial gravity is very high so the beer is left to ferment for 10 – 15 days at 18 degrees. This gives a well-balanced fruity, estery aroma to the brew. Our maturation process is also fairly lengthy and takes place for a month and a half.” says Dr. Ash, when asked about the brewing process of Saint & Sinner.

The result? A heavy-bodied ale that has a smooth and soft mouthfeel with delightfully strong caramel and toffee tones. When poured, it finishes off with a rich, cinnamon-coloured head with a lasting foam that further lends a smooth drinking experience to this beer.

While Saint & Sinner tastes the best when served at 4 degrees, it’s not just the temperature that enhances the flavour of this beer. The magical duality of this particular beer shines through with time and temperature, wherein the taste and the aroma change once it’s left to sit for a while. So while one may notice flavours of banana and dry fruits during your first few sips, he may just as well come across more prominent notes of caramel and plums a while later. If you’re looking to pair this beer with food, Suraj and Dr. Ash strongly recommend marrying it with yummy dessert items like plum cake.

“The design of our bottle is not just artistic, but also serves the purpose of preserving the authenticity of this beer,” Suraj explains. “If you’ve seen the Saint & Sinner bottle, it has a wax seal on the cap. It has been put there for a reason because we don’t want people to drink this beer straight from the bottle. Rather, we encourage this beer to be poured out – and enjoyed slowly, one sip at a time.

Furthermore, the main purpose of painting the bottle was to bottle condition it, so as to eliminate any undesirable changes in flavours that could be triggered due to external environmental factors like light exposure.  This is a beer that is meant to age gracefully, and we needed our bottle design to aid that process, not hinder it.”

In a hardcore, whiskey-drinking country, it appears that beer may have finally made an impression on Indians, and we have Indian craft brewers to thank for that. From introducing popular international beer styles from all around the world to giving the alcobev a fun desi twist that connects instantly with the local palate, beer is no longer one of your regular mainstream alcohol choices. Rather, it is an art that brings to your table a fusion of international culture and unconventional homegrown flavours that entice your taste buds like never before.

But as with every work of art, there is always the danger of counterfeit products flooding the market and marring the genuineness and the originality it is meant to exude. And that’s exactly what Goa Brewing Co. is out to address with Saint & Sinner – to teach beer lovers how to distinguish between the authentic and imitation craft beers in the market by introducing craft brews that are painstakingly crafted with plenty of care, attention and reverence for beer and the art of brewing it.

The post This Craft Beer from Goa Brewing Co. is an Ode to the Saint & Sinner in All of Us first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

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Marketing Director, AB InBev India

With the launch of Beck’s Ice in India, AB InBev will pioneer a new chapter in the Indian beer market. As the Indian beer market matures, the next wave of growth will be fuelled by the rapidly growing number of urban millennials. Millennials are set to embrace the sociability of beer with more men and women enjoying the beverage together than ever before. Beck’s Ice is designed to appeal to these next generation consumers with contemporary packaging, unisex positioning and easy-drinking liquid, perfect for both men and women. Brewed with 100% pure malt for ultimate refreshment Beck’s Ice is the perfect beer for an escape with friends. What better way to escape the high-pressure world of India’s urban jungles than with a Beck’s Ice and a few good friends. How will Beck’s Ice be different from other premium brands addressing these millennials? Kartikeya Sharma, AB InBev’s marketing director for India, adds in an interview, “As premiumisation continues, the trading up will become harder and harder because the gulf between the premium and entry-level will start increasing. As a result, we thought it best to have a portfolio bet on that price point and decided to position Beck’s as the midpoint to trade up,”.

Beck’s Ice was launched in Maharashtra and Karnataka with a 360-launch campaign comprising of digital film, social media campaign, outdoor, consumer promotions, experiential formats etc. that dramatizes the tension of living in India’s mega-cities and contrasts it with the pure world of Beck’s Ice. Sneha Nair, BW correspondent in conversation with Kartikeya Sharma on AB InBev’s latest launch into the India Beer markets.

AB InBev has one the most diverse portfolio’s, extremely strong towards premium brands, like Budweiser, Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and most recently Beck’s Ice – What do you predict Beck’s contribution to be?

At AB InBev, we are committed to brewing the best beers using the finest natural ingredients and strive to offer the best brand experiences to our consumers in a responsible way. In the portfolio of AB InBev’s global businesses, India remains one of the largest growth opportunities given its current size and changing demographics. India is currently witnessing a strong trend towards premiumisation with a growth of 32%CAGR. As leaders in this segment with our brands – Budweiser, Hoegaarden and Corona, we are encouraged to offer our international brands to our consumers in India. The launch of Beck’s Ice will help us further leverage this positive trend to expand our reach to major markets across the country. Beck’s Ice, inspired by its German heritage from 1873 and made from 100% pure malt, delivers pure refreshment to our unisex consumers in a flint bottle that comes with a ring full feature.

The idea behind launching Beck’s Ice is to introduce a brand with strong international credentials that resonates well with our target audience – Millennials. (Especially when 19 million people of Legal Drinking Age coming to the hold every year in the country)

What was the reason behind tweaking the brand and the liquid for the Indian market?

As a responsible brewer, we are constantly evolving our beers to suit the palate of our consumers. We are continuously looking for new ways to refresh and create new products, build stronger brands and make more meaningful connections with our consumers and the communities where we live and work. European lagers tend to be a little too bitter for the quintessential Indian consumer. Hence, to cater to the Indian taste, we have worked together with our experts to alter the bitterness level while not compromising on the drink’s authentic taste and flavour.

Beck’s is to be priced almost 12-20% higher that entry-level brands, Why? How do you see to grow this brand with a higher pricing for the same premium segment?

Beck’s Ice is here to carve a niche for itself as it defies the usual norm of beer being a male centric commodity; it aims to transform the category audience to include women as well. As the Indian market continues to mature, the next wave of growth will be fuelled by rapidly growing urban millennials as they are set to embrace the sociability of beer with more women and men enjoying the beverage together than ever before. Beck’s Ice is available in Maharashtra at Rs.175 for 650 ml bottle and Karnataka at Rs. 140 for 650ml bottle respectively. It is currently priced at this rate with the aim of capitalising the pricing gap between those and the premium segment Budweiser operates in. That being said, Beck’s ice is a perfect blend of premium quality and reasonable price, this beer is available at a price cut well above the competition.

“In India today, only 1 in 8 women enjoy a beer compared to 1 in 2 in more mature markets”, What makes AB InBev classify Beck’s to appeal to women?

The brand has been built on a very strong consumer insight – Young Urban Millennials who seek an escape from their everyday monotonous life to something pure. As the market grows, more women under this segment are embracing and enjoying the beverage together. The 100% malt produced Beck’s Ice, ensures its smooth and crisp taste makes it easy for urban millennials to enjoy this refreshing taste and develop a liking for.

Where do you see India’s beer market 5 years from now and AB InBev’ market share then?

India’s beer market has constantly been evolving over the years with the change in cultural attitudes and a younger more increasingly affluent population. India is one of the most important market for us especially with more than 19 million Indians each year become old enough to drink legally. We have made a significant business progress in the country over the last few years and have gained a leadership position. The right product mix is crucial for any business to be successful and we offer a large diverse portfolio of brands with a range of products to our consumers across markets and segments – Global Brands: Budweiser, Beck’s Ice, Corona, Stella Artois, Hoegaarden, Leffe and Local brands – Haywards5000, KnockOut, Fosters and Royal Challenge. We also have a local innovation as Budweiser variant – Budweiser Magnum.

Our goal is to be India’s leading responsible brewer with exponential growth led by acceleration of our global brands. We plan to leverage the positive trend towards premiumisation coupled with product and packaging innovations, that will help us further expand our reach in major markets across the country. We look forward to keeping up this momentum, anticipate better ease of doing business in India and our plans to launch new products/variants across categories.

The post BECK’s ICE paves their path into India first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post BECK’s ICE paves their path into India appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.