In the Indian beer industry today, there are more than 140 different beer brands, according to Ken Research report 2022, which may satisfy the tastes of any customer group. Due to factors like Indian consumers demanding for more health conscious beverages, the market may experience tremendous growth in the upcoming years. 

We at Brewer world take pride in being India’s first ever platform created for beer enthusiasts to recieve latest news and information on the beer and brewing industry updates. We are delighted to share that last year, we had 3.6 million visitors and nearly 4.6 million pageviews on the Brewer World website.

As the beer industry navigates another year of uncertainty and changing consumer preferences, we have listed down some of the top beer market trends to expect in 2023. 

Sustainable Brewing practices – There is a growing need for more environmentally friendly alcohol options as customers become more aware of their purchase decisions. As a result, brewers are utilising innovative sustainable solutions in their production and offering products like sustainable beer. Some breweries are switching to locally sourced ingredients in addition to recyclable packaging and clean energy sources to cut emissions. Therefore, it shouldn’t be shocking that more and more consumers are choosing sustainable beer, and this trend will continue to grow over the following several years.

Bira 91 has already started on this journey and has achieved a few milestones with an emphasis on reduced energy and water use, switching to green energy, and zero landfill waste. The company stopped using coal in its breweries, achieving the zero-coal milestone. Additionally, it decreased its carbon emissions by 40% last year by implementing multiple supply-chain initiatives, including upgrades to its brewing and packaging processes, one of the main focuses of its sustainability strategy. The change to Bira 91’s brewing procedure not only reduced carbon emissions and energy use, but also reduced water use and landfill waste production. 

Taprooms taking over – Taprooms are enjoyable for customers but essential for any craft brewery just getting started in the industry. For years, they have been critical in getting their names out there and attracting customers. These taprooms also allow breweries to experiment with new brews in real time. They can make smaller batches to see how customers react to a new recipe without wasting ingredients if the beer isn’t a hit.

Rise of Alcohol Free Beer –  As customers seek for healthy beverage choices, non-alcoholic beer has witnessed a meteoric rise in popularity in recent years thanks to the product launched by biggest beer brands like AB InBev and Heineken as well as the emergence of independent brewers. By 2025, AB Inbev, the company that controls brands like Budweiser, Corona, Michelob, and Modelo, plans to have 20% of its beer volume be non-alcoholic or low-alcohol.

According to GMI Insights, the worldwide non-alcoholic beer market increased to $22 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $40 billion by 2032 as more people choose non-alcoholic beverages as safer drinking options. Nielsen reports that sales of non-alcoholic beer increased by 20% in the United States last year. The global beer market is estimated to be worth more than $750 billion, with non-alcoholic beer accounting for a relatively modest portion of that market.

Lighter Beers in Demand – The global market for light beer is driven by a shift in consumer preference toward beverages with lower alcohol content as people become more interested in health and fitness. Because light beer has a low alcoholic and calorific value, it allows people to limit their alcohol and calorie intake, which helps them control the negative side-effects of excessive beer consumption, such as diarrhoea, weight gain, and loss of control of the senses, among other things. Furthermore, the rapid expansion of supermarkets, hypermarkets, and speciality stores, particularly in emerging markets, is expected to aid market growth during the forecast period, as this will increase the availability of light beer, propelling sales of the product.

Canned Beers – Consumers today are constantly looking for products that complement their way of life. Because people are drawn to products that taste good, make their lives easier, and catch their eye, a can is an excellent choice because it is lightweight, convenient, chills quickly, is easy to carry, frequently features vibrant, eye-catching imagery, and is infinitely recyclable.

Cans also protect beer from light better than bottles, preventing harmful UV rays from penetrating the packaging and leaving beer tasting skunky’ or onion-like. The canning process also creates an airtight container, preventing air from leaking under a bottle’s crown cap and oxidising the beer. Aluminium cans cool down much faster than glass bottles, allowing consumers to enjoy a chilled craft beer sooner, which may appeal to customers looking to relax and unwind at the end of a long day.

Hop Water – Craft beer drinkers and Dry January followers are both swiftly embracing hop water, a non-alcoholic category of effervescent, hop-infused drinks. Without any of the calories, carbs, or alcohol that craft beer has to offer, hop waters provide drinkers with the depth of taste they desire.

Hop water has already developed a devoted following even though the category is still in its infancy (it first became available in 2014), and there are only a few brands to select from. Between August 2021 and August 2022, hop water sales totalled $5.5 million, up a remarkable 142.5 per cent from just two years earlier, according to Nielsen data. While sales of craft beer have fallen recently, hop water is unquestionably on the rise; according to Nielsen, hop water is the fifth-fastest-growing category of craft-style beverages in the U.S.

Breweries Going Beyond Beers 

AB-InBev, well-known for its lagers such as Corona and Budweiser, entered the whisky market in India for the first time with the release of Magnum Double Barrel Whiskey, which is a part of the brewer’s premiumization and “Beyond Beer” strategies. Similarly, late last year Bira 91, the fastest-growing premium beer brand in the world introduced Hill Station Hard Cider Ales. The brand is expanding beyond beer with the launch to meet the growing need for ready-to-drink options and the enthusiasm of a new generation of customers for flavour exploration.

The post Look Ahead To These Top Beer Market Trends In 2023 first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

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United Breweries, the country’s largest beer manufacturer and part of the Amsterdam-based Heineken group, today announced the launch of Heineken^® Silver, a smooth and refreshing beer that provides Indian consumers with a premium beverage that is truly designed for everyday social occasions. Heineken^® Silver is brewed by seasoned master brewers using natural ingredients, including Heineken^®‘s famous A-yeast and quality pure malt.

Rishi Pardal, Managing Director, United Breweries Limited, said, “Guided by our purpose of brewing the joy of true togetherness to inspire a better world, we are always looking to bring products to the market that match the needs of our consumers and keep up with ever-changing taste preferences across generations. We see modern consumers seeking beverages that are light, easy-to-drink and fit in well with their social occasions and Heineken^® Silver is perfectly designed for these moments. We are confident that the smooth and refreshing Heineken^® Silver will herald a new era of premiumisation in the Indian beer market.”

Rajeev Sathyesh, Asia-Pacific Director, Brand – Heineken^® said, “We are excited to launch this new member of the Heineken^® family, Heineken^® Silver, in India. This delightfully refreshing, smooth and easy-to-drink lager has received a lot of love in our other markets globally. We are confident that it will also appeal to the new generation of beer drinkers in India. Heineken^® Silver is brewed as an all-round crowd pleaser and the perfect partner to celebrate authentic moments of joy.”

Heineken^® Silver is available in both on- and off-trade retail channels in Bengaluru. Heineken^® Silver’s 330-ml pint is priced at Rs 120, the 500-ml can at Rs 160 and the 650-ml bottle at Rs 200 across off-trade retail outlets in Bengaluru. The beer comes in a sleek silver can and the iconic green bottle. Heineken^® Silver will also be launched in other markets in the next few months.

Heineken^® Silver has a smooth and refreshing taste, retaining the signature fruity aroma of Heineken^® Original with a balanced, though slightly lower bitterness.

About United Breweries:

Bengaluru-headquartered United Breweries Ltd, part of the HEINEKEN group, is the largest beer manufacturer in India. The company produces and markets packaged drinking water and soda, internationally recognised beer and non-alcoholic beverages. Its diverse product portfolio comprises brands such as Kingfisher Strong, Kingfisher Ultra, Kingfisher Ultra Max, Kingfisher Ultra Witbier, Kingfisher Storm, Heineken, Heineken Silver, Amstel, Heineken 0.0 and Radler. Founded in 1915, United Breweries operates 30 breweries in the country.

About Heineken:

HEINEKEN is the world’s most international brewer. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken^® brand, the Group has a portfolio of more than 300 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through “Brewing a Better World”, sustainability is embedded in the business.

HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. We employ over 85,000 employees and operate breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares trade on the Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on Reuters under HEIN.AS and HEIO.AS. HEINEKEN has two sponsored level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) programmes: Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V.

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In India, where women drinking beer is still a taboo, the tribe is now spreading its wings in the beer industry. The gender bias seemed persistent until a few years back. But not anymore. Women these days are drinking beer and in fact many breweries say that their strong beer and stout drinkers are women. India is also seeing female beer brewers get to the job. Indian beer companies are opening their arms to female employees. From Brewers to shift engineers women are making a comeback like never before.

Alia Hussain who works as a Shift Engineer at United Breweries Ltd when asked how it feels to be working in a beer company as a woman said, “It feels great to be a part of such a renowned organisation where I get equal opportunities to learn and grow. At UBL, I get to demonstrate my creativity and passion for engineering every day, by coming up with solutions that are innovative and out of the box and that enable me to put my technical skills to use. This has helped me drive value for the company and grow my career as well.”

Alia, an electrical engineer wanted to be a part of an industry where she could put her skills into practice and the beer industry was the perfect domain.

As a shift engineer at the UBL she ensures that production lines run smoothly without any breakdowns. This is done by building a preventive maintenance model for all the equipment, deploying  those measures, conducting  post-deployment analysis of how effective the model has been and taking corrective actions accordingly. Another key aspect of her role is to ensure optimum power consumption at the  brewery and mitigate any losses. Alia also looks after sourcing and procurement of spare parts for the machinery at the brewery which has always been the job of men.

Jaanvi Kaushik, a Brewer Trainee at UBL whose primary profile is to experiment with recipes and formulate different varieties of beer for the Indian market is a Brewing and Distilling Post-Graduate from Heriot-Watt University who chose to enter the beer industry for her passion towards brewing and applications. “My mother, like the most conventional parent, wanted me to become a doctor but my dad was very ecstatic about my career choice and believed in me. The people here have not treated me any different. They are very supportive and encourage women to break their inhibitions. Hence, women shouldn’t worry about joining the beer industry.”

“My aim is to revolutionize the drinking culture in India. Today, I can tell the difference between a good beer and a not so good one because I work in this industry. But for everyone else it’s just another alcoholic beverage. Unlike Scotch and whiskey, where people develop the taste and know the nuances of the drink, the knowledge around beer is comparatively limited. Before anyone picks up a glass of a stout or a different style of beer, they should know what to expect,” she added when asked about her aspirations.

“I have multiple roles and tasks to fulfil. First and foremost, my job is to take stock of the manpower at the brewery and supervise their work. Secondly, I need to ensure that whatever has been planned on the production line for the day is carried out smoothly. Additionally, if there are any breakdowns, I need to attend to them to ensure lesser downtimes in production. Over and above this, my role also includes mapping out a predictive maintenance model for all equipment and machines, and deploying those measures periodically, as well as upskilling and re-skilling the workforce at the brewery,” says Neha Nanaiah, Shift Engineer, United Breweries Ltd and a single parent kid.

“As a student, I was fascinated about how beer was brewed and the science that went behind it. In fact it’s not just a science but I think it is art as well to craft the perfect beer. I personally think that one needn’t have any sort of negative perceptions about working in a beer company. While there may have been certain social taboos associated with women working in this industry in the past, I think times have changed and working in the beer industry, especially with a market leader, is as exciting, and presents you with brilliant growth opportunities,” she adds.

When asked how she copes up with the competition in an industry dominated by men specially in the technical side of work space Neha said, “There are two important aspects that I personally keep in mind. Firstly, it is important for me as a woman to not have any notions that this is primarily a man’s job and that as a woman, I’m not meant to be in a domain like this. It’s important for us women to break that barrier and cultivate a mindset that we can choose any field of our choice and that we are equally capable. It’s only when you have that mindset can you really break the glass ceiling. When I chose industrial engineering and management as a course, a lot of people advised me to take up another stream because they felt that women don’t have a lot of scope for growth in such domains. However, I was determined to pursue a degree in this field and prove people wrong. So when I got the job offer from UBL, I immediately took it up.”

“Secondly, I made sure that I arm myself with knowledge.  I’m constantly driven by the quest to learn.  I love asking questions and fortunately UBL has enabled an environment where everyone can share their opinions and express freely. So I would say a positive mindset along with the knowledge of your job and what it entails, and the desire to learn continuously has helped me accomplish significant strides in my current role. Today, I feel like a valued employee at UBL and enjoy a great rapport with my team members and managers, she added.

Well, with all the work these women do, they also have hobbies and interests that they are passionate about. Alia enjoys cooking, Neha enjoys theatre and Jaanvi is a trained classical dancer and a yoga practitioner. They also love to drink beer.

The post Women In Brewing, A Taboo Still? first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

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Why Cook with Beer?

Beer cannot be added into every dish you make but definitely a variety of recipes can be infused with beer. Beer offers malty and earthy notes to everything that you’ll cook it with. Its flavour contributions vary according to the type of beer you use. Beers like IPAs, stouts and porters are typically most flavourful, while lagers (Pilsner, Kölsch, märzen, etc.) are clean, dry, effervescent and crisp. Even within those two categories, beers can be different looking and tasting. A twist on a recipe can be made by using some water or stock along with the brew, and you will get the best delicious results. 

Malted grains and hops are used to make beer. It is important to have that balance when you cook: Bitter, crisp beers can enhance the flavour of decadent foods (beer cheese fondue, yes please), while malty, dark beers can enhance meat dishes and sweet desserts (you must order a shepherd’s pie). When added to a marinade or braise, beer can also tenderise and moisten meat. Beer is both a flavouring agent and an agent of leavening in baking recipes. The carbonation of beer lends a tender mouthfeel to cakes, bread, biscuits, pancakes, and other sweet treats. 

By the way, while the beer cooks the majority of the alcohol evaporates, so you don’t have to worry about anyone getting buzzed. 

Which Beers To Cook With? 

There are over 100 different beer styles in the world, including all of the major styles and sub-styles. Here are some of the best to cook with. 

Stout

Stouts are darker and intense beers. Usually on the bitter side with bold notes of cocoa and coffee. It makes a great addition to sweet and savoury dishes. Use a stout when you’re making stew, braising lamb or beef or cooking a roast. You can also add it to cake, brownies or even frosting. It also can be reduced for a savoury gravy or glaze.

Witbier

The witbier is a great ingredient and works wonders with desserts like lemon cake, orange cake, lemon tart and others. It also works great in fish and red meat recipes. 

Pilsner

The pilsners are the light coloured beers. It is also low on ABV. The Pilsners are super crisp, bubbly and refreshing with a bright flavour. This character of a Pilsner is a great pair with sausages and seafood. This beer has the characteristics of club soda and works wonders with a beer batter fish and pork recipes. 

India Pale Ale

India Pale Ale or IPA like how it is called with all the love is famous for its bitterness as it is brewed with a wide range of hops. It is a great addition to fried food, sea food and marinade recipes. It works great with cheese. IPA balances the richness of any dish but be sure to not select an IPA which is not too bitter. 

Porter

Porters are brewed with dark roasted malt and hence the chocolate and coffee flavour notes. This brew is a great ingredient for cookie and cupcake recipes as it gives malty and nutty flavours. It works really well with beef and pork dishes too. 

What are you waiting for, start cooking now.  

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Bira 91, India’s fastest-growing beer brand, on the occasion of Earth Day 2022, announced ‘Mission To Zero’, its ambition to become India’s first Net Zero beer company by 2025. More than seven pints of Bira 91 are enjoyed every second and as the company scales up, Bira 91 aims to brew not only the most flavourful beers on the planet, but also the greenest beers for the planet. The company is doubling down on its sustainability efforts with initiatives that will help create real, measurable impact. By 2025, every Bira 91 brewery will have zero carbon emissions.

Commenting on Mission to Zero, Ankur Jain, Founder and CEO, Bira 91, said, “Today’s consumers do not only want to drink flavourful beers, but also want to make better choices for the community and the planet. We know that we make the most flavourful beers in the world, and now we want to make the greenest beers for the planet too. We are investing in our manufacturing and supply chain to ensure that our breweries reach zero carbon emissions by 2025 – 5 years ahead of other global beer makers. We believe that carbon emissions are the greatest challenge being faced by this generation and we are hopeful that our Mission To Zero will spark a revolution- one in which every beer made in the country is Carbon neutral.”

Last year, Kirin Holdings invested in B9 beverages for a minority stake. Subsequently both the companies partnered to form B9 – Kirin Centre for Sustainable Growth, focused on environment sustainability and other business synergies. As a result, the centre kicked off its Net Zero project last year to create an aggressive roadmap to become carbon neutral by 2025, nearly 5 years ahead of other global beer makers.

Sharing his perspective, Hiromasa Honda, Managing Director, Kirin Holdings Singapore, said, “A key pillar of Kirin’s philosophy is ‘Creating Shared Value’ (CSV). As part of this focus, the Kirin group strives to create social and economic value together with all of its stakeholders and work to grow sustainably with society. Kirin has identified the environment as one of its four key CSV issues. We are glad to share our expertise and support Bira 91’s commitment to become carbon neutral so early in its lifecycle. Team Kirin shares Bira 91’s ambition towards being India’s first Net Zero beer company and will continuously engage in various initiatives that can help them reach this goal.”

As a part of its to-do list for the planet, Bira 91 has laid out four key areas to accomplish Mission To Zero:

Shift to 100% Clean Energy

● The company is now Zero Coal across all breweries.
● Minimise buying electricity made by burning coal or natural gas.
● Generate 10 MW of electricity from solar panels by 2025.
● Install off-grid wind turbines to light-up all our administrative facilities and streets.

Consume 60% Less Energy

● Invest in equipment to ensure that all the surplus heat is recovered and converted into reusable energy.
● Improve every small step of making beer – from mill to mash, boil to ferment, filter to pack, Bira 91 will make it smarter, faster and better.
● Deploy today’s advances in brewing, packaging, automation, AI and advanced robotics, Bira 91 will remove waste, improve efficiencies, and reduce energy consumption.

Use 50% Less Water

Recycle, Reduce and Reuse, Bira 91 will cut its water usage by half:

● Treat & convert 100% of waste-water into clean water which is then used for refrigeration, watering trees and generating steam.
● Reduce evaporation during brewing and make processes such as cleaning of glass bottles smarter.
● Build closed-loop processes so that no water is lost after using it for the first-time and can be reused multiple times.

Send Zero Waste to Landfill

● The company uses 100% of the spent grain for animal feed and some of it is also used to make cups for offices & events.
● Currently, 95% of the packaging material that is used to make Bira 91 beers is recyclable. By 2024, 99% will be fully recyclable.
● Bira 91 is committing to send zero waste to landfills across all its breweries by 2025. Anything that CAN be recycled, WILL be – broken glass, damaged cartons, wasted cans, or any other waste generated in the beer-making process.

A refreshingly modern beer brand, Imagined in India, Bira 91 aspires to bring flavourful beers to the new world. As one of the fastest growing brands in the world, Bira 91 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. Bira 91 has its flagship taproom in Bangalore, where it releases one new experimental beer every week, paired with its curry-shop menu. Bira 91 also offers branded merchandise across categories such as glassware, apparel, and gifts, to make every day a lot more playful. Established in 2015, Bira 91 is driven by a dynamic team of over 550 passionate beer lovers and is backed by Sequoia Capital India, Sofina of Belgium, and Kirin Holding of Japan.

Kirin Holdings Company, Limited is an international company that operates in the Food & Beverages domain (Food & Beverages businesses), Pharmaceuticals domain (Pharmaceuticals businesses), and Health Science domain (Health Science business), both in Japan and across the globe.

Kirin Holdings can trace its roots to Japan Brewery which was established in 1885. Japan Brewery became Kirin Brewery in 1907. Since then, the company expanded its business with fermentation and biotechnology as its core technologies, and entered the pharmaceutical business in the 1980s, all of which continue to be global growth centres. In 2007, Kirin Holdings was established as a pure holding company and is currently focusing on boosting its Health Science domain.

Under the Kirin Group Vision 2027 (KV 2027), a long-term management plan launched in 2019, the Kirin Group aims to become “A global leader in CSV*, creating value across our world of Food & Beverages to Pharmaceuticals.” Going forward, the Kirin Group will continue to leverage its strengths to create both social and economic value through its businesses, with the aim of achieving sustainable growth in corporate value.

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With a heavy yet smooth body and an intense amber – brown colour, this ale showcases rich caramel and malt flavours too. To understand the beer better, Brewerworld had a conversation with Kosina Florian, Brew Master at Ironhill India. Below are the excerpts…

What are the ingredients in the tropical Coco Brown Ale?

We have used a variety of malts and hops in the ale, to ensure that the beer has the right aroma, flavour, colour, as well as mouthfeel.

What was the idea behind this beer?

At Ironhill, we felt that with the onset of summer, it would be great to have a beer that reminds people of India’s coasts and beaches. The tropical aroma and the flavours of coconut and mango, only adds to that appeal. Consider Goa, Gokarna or even Maldives in a glass.

How many kilos of coconut and mango were used to brew this batch?

There are no mangoes or coconuts added, to be precise. The aroma and flavour comes from the hops that we have used.

How many litres of Coco Brown Ale has been brewed?

We have brewed a 1000 litre batch as of now. Since we specifically brewed it for Anniversary, we intend to keep it a limited edition brew.

What or who was the inspiration behind this brew?

The inspiration was to push boundaries of what we can brew at Ironhill. It’s amazing that we can use hops to impart the aromas and flavours of coconut and mango. With the creativity and imagination of our brewers, we are never short of inspiration!

What are the impressions left after drinking this beer?

This beer has strong aromas of coconut with hints of mango. It has a medium to heavy body too. So you are quite likely to feel content and refreshed after having this ale. I’m sure anyone will feel like they are at a beach soaking up in the sun. 

So, what are you waiting for? Get going to Ironhill and get transported to the tropical heaven with this refreshing Coco Brown Ale, now on tap at Ironhill Bengaluru.

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The post Ironhill Celebrates Its Anniversary With Coco Brown Ale appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

Though the outdoor life has returned, you really don’t have to get out of the house as the pandemic is still out there and it is summer for god sake. You can stock up some of the best homegrown beers in your refrigerator to Netflix and chill.

Here is a look at some of the best homegrown beer brands in India for you.

Bira 91

There’s always a monkey inside all of us. Bira, a favourite amongst Indian craft beer aficionados. A brand which builds an emotional connect with India’s young, irreverent, tech-savvy urban craft beer drinkers.

Bira offers a long and diverse beer line-up suitable for every palate, featuring – Bira Light, Bira White, Bira Gold, Indian Pale Ale, Blonde, and Malabar Stout.

Maka Di

With a strong emphasis on research, development, and innovation, Goa’s first craft brewery cultivates high-quality craft beers that are on par with German and Belgian beers.

Maka di currently has five variants – Belgian Blanche, Honey Ale, Bavarian Keller and a Belgian Tripel.

Arbor Brewing Company

Craft beer pioneer Arbor is spreading true beer culture across India one pint at a time as India’s first American craft brewery. The company produces a unique set of beers that are only available in cans.

They currently offer three canned variants – Easy Rider, Beach Shack and Bangalore Bliss available across the outlets in Bangalore and Goa.

Kati Patang

One of India’s most recent craft beer brands to enter the market, Kati Patang is famously known for brewing its beer with sparkling clear, pure Himalayan spring water. The name speaks to those who are unashamedly free-spirited and refuse to let anything hamper their freedom of expression and was originally brewed in Bhutan’s Serbhum brewery. When Kati Patang launched in 2018, Delhi was the only place in India lucky enough to get a taste.  But now this brand can be found in Chandigarh, Bengaluru and Mumbai too!

Kati Patang currently has four variants – Bareilly Bold, Zesty Amber, Snappy Wheat and Saffron Lager.

Susegado

Susegado, a craft beer label brand which is based out of Goa, stands proudly for the unhurried pursuit of happiness. With five bottled beers under their belt, Susegado is officially the first Indian brewery to bottle condition their beers.

Susegado offers five beer variants – English Ale, Vanilla Porter, American IPA, Dortmund Lager and Kokum Gose.

Simba

The bearded lion man sporting a suit, shades and bowtie with plenty of swag is undoubtedly one of the biggest kings in the Indian craft beer segment today. Kicking off in two of India’s smallest states – Goa and Assam to conquer the urban jungles of Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai, Simba has become synonymous with Indian craft beer culture thanks to its impressive portfolio of beers.

The brand has the following variants – Wit, Stout, Light and Strong.

Geist

Craft brewery Geist unveiled its crowlers in March 2021, including Uncle Dunkel, Witty Wit, James Blond, Silly Pint, and Kamacitra. The James blond is fabulous — boozy, malty, and estery with hints of peach, banana, and stone fruit, and phenolic notes of clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The Kamacitra is outstanding and has claimed the top spot for bottled/canned IPA. Juicy, with notes of green mango, and a lush mouthfeel, this was a treat! The Silly Pint is a session strength India pale lager, quite dry, and with a grainy mouthfeel. It is refreshing and easy going..

BeeYoung

This vibrant brand from Kimaya Himalayan Beverages is all the buzz amongst craft beer lovers up north. Extremely gentle in profile, with just the right hint of crispness, BeeYoung is a sessionable beer even at 7.2 percent ABV!

BeeYoung is currently available in 500ml cans and bottles.

What are you waiting for? Go and pick ‘em up!

The post Beat The Heat With These Homegrown Beer Brands first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post Beat The Heat With These Homegrown Beer Brands appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The Used grain

Beer is made by soaking grains (often barley, but also oats, wheat, and rye) to make them germinate, then gently cooking them. Glucose, proteins, and nutrients in the malted grain are extracted in the brewer’s mash tun (soaked in hot water) as part of the process for making the wort for beer, before it is boiled.  In the end, the brewery will have spent (used) grain.

It is estimated that spent grain can make up 85 percent of a brewery’s by-products. Innovative methods are being developed by craft breweries across the country to prevent wasted grains.

While spent grain is mostly used for agricultural purposes, such as compost or animal feed, there are lots of new revolutionary uses, such as powering a brewery, upcycling it to use it in food, cutlery and more. Utilising spent grains in innovative ways underscores the craft beer community’s commitment to creating a sustainable product that lives in our sensory memories instead of our landfills.

One such innovator, Saving Grains, is located in Bangalore. Savings Grains is a sustainable product brand that is rescuing these grains to make a “Good Flour”.

​

Elizabeth Yorke, the founder of Saving Grains has created a model that derives value from waste by capturing food waste streams in cities – built for communities, through a human centred approach.

Not only is this Good Flour a healthy replacement flour with its high fibre and protein, but it is also delicious, versatile and great to cook with. And it is also built on practices of circularity and sustainability, ensuring closed loop urban food systems. To understand the capability of Circular Economy in the Brewing and Beer industry, Brewer World spoke to Elizabeth Yorke. Below are the excerpts… 

How can spent grains be put to good use?

An average microbrewery uses 200 kg of grain to brew 1,000 litres of beer. This grain is lightly milled and then mixed with hot water in the “mashing” stage. The liquid is then separated from the grain and then moves on to become delicious beer.  The grain which is “spent” of most of the sugars and starch that have dissolved into the water (thus spent grain), is the remaining by-product, which is sometimes directed towards cattle feed, other times discarded.

Interestingly it can also be used as people food! And that’s what we’re doing at Saving Grains.

We work with Geist brewing, from where we source the grain just after the mashing stage.  The grain is then dried and milled to make some  “Good Flour”.

But does it really taste good and what’s the nutritional value?

While the usual nomenclature is “spent” grain, in reality the grain is considered a rich source of fibre, protein, and phenolic compounds. Research studies and investigation into products that are being made from this grain across the world show that although the grain is “spent” of a lot of its starch and sugars, it still has good protein and fibre content and is potentially a great food for humans and pets and has great value as a material that can stay in use!

The spent grain we’ve sourced and tested here in Bangalore, has about 22% protein and 46% dietary fibre. It also has less than 0.1% gluten. This makes it favourable for senior citizens, diabetics and those with digestive issues.

And what I love best about the grain is its flavour. Adding it to bread, chapati, cookies – surprises the eater with great malty and earthy flavours – thanks to the malted barley base and the mashing process.

What plans do you have for the future use of spent grains at Saving Grains?

At Saving Grains, we’re currently processing small batch spent grain flour – we call it “Good Flour” because it’s delicious and has all that nutrition. The idea is to build a collaborative model to upcycle spent grain. This means everyone who participates in the process of saving these grains is involved.

We work with a really great brewery – Geist. They are a zero liquid discharge brewery in Bangalore and have a great vision regarding sustainability. They also work with the spent grain flour and have it on their menu in various forms!

Also, with a community centre called Kutumba where we’ve started using this flour to make chapati – our daily bread! This centre is focused on women empowerment and community development.

And with home bakers, and professional bakers to develop recipes and  make some good bread and good treats like brownies! The grain/flour is also being used to make non-edible materials.  Isn’t that interesting?

How can people use spent grains at home?

Our “Good Flour” is a great replacement flour. You can replace one-third of the bread/chapati flour with it. It also can (sometimes) fully replace the flour in brownies/cakes/cookies/pancakes. It can also be used to make dosa! The flour can also be used as a crumb coating for cutlets etc. We’re currently building a recipe database for this versatile flour!

How did the idea of Saving Grains originate?

I’m a chef by training and love working with bread. On an internship in the Bay Area with bread historian William Rubel, I came across an interesting piece of history.  Bakers and brewers worked in close proximity, and  shared common ingredients – Grain, Yeast, Water. And what was more exciting was that the baker would share the stale/leftover bread with the brewer (See Toast Ale)  that would be used to brew beer and the brewer would share the leftover spent grains and spent yeast with the baker that would be used in breads.

This model was really great and back in Bangalore, as I saw, microbreweries were blossoming and sourdough baking was on the rise. I started experimenting with spent grain, while I worked with a restaurant that prided itself on innovation.

My curiosities on building better food systems took me to the Future Food Institute in Italy where I was part of a cohort of 15 researchers from around the world. Here my focus was on circularity and sustainability in the food system. We spoke to around 160 people in food to understand what sustainability meant to them and explored different models organisations and cities adopted for circular food systems. This research gave me a great foundation and inspiration to prototype the Saving Grains model.

The pandemic provoked thought on our intensive dependencies on rural-agricultural systems. There was this delicious nutritious product that was being discarded right here, in our cities: Spent Grain!

What’s your vision for Saving Grains?

Our vision for Saving Grains is to create a scalable circular model in this food economy that is accountable, transparent, collaborative and puts people at the heart of the project.

In 2019, there were approximately 200 microbreweries in India and 67 in Bangalore alone. A  typical microbrewery produces around  8,000 litres of beer every month and there are over 200  microbreweries in  India today. This results in approximately 320 tonnes of spent grain every month. The beer industry is growing very fast.

One can only imagine what that figure would look like in 2030!

But Saving Grains is not just about upcycling and creating a product alone. It’s about people and the beer community. Relationships between brewers and bakers (and their community) have been around since the beginning of time. (which came first, beer or bread!).

What is the potential of those relationships in today’s times? What would they look like in Bangalore’s pub city? How could these relationships help strengthen the beer industry, not just by looking into spent grain as an affordable and nutritious food source, but by engaging people every step of the way and creating spaces and opportunities to increase their incomes, build community, improve their livelihoods and create an atmosphere for responsible food citizenship.

The idea for this potential model comes from research into how food spaces can nurture food citizenship through the circular economy. Often when we think about the circular economy in food, keeping resources in use is a priority. But what if we put the world’s largest resource – human beings – in the centre of this economy.

We can use grain as a tool to add value to so called “waste” by working closely with natural systems and technology to empower people and communities around us for now and certainly the future.

Spent Grain Brownies made by Jeni’s Brownies

What’s been the biggest obstacle?

Few people know about the deliciousness of Spent grain! Being able to share this product I think is an exciting yet tedious process as there is so much confusing information on food to process already out there!

How will Saving Grains change the negative impact created on the environment by the beer industry?

“Food Waste” is a global issue. One-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally. By upcycling existing resources and creating a market for by-products  like spent grain,  we aim to reduce the costs, resources and reliance that go into making newer resources for our nourishment.

In 2020, some 1.82 billion hectolitres of beer were produced globally. (Statista) So clearly spent grain isn’t going anywhere!

By saving grains in our cities we can help minimise waste, reduce food waste to landfill (thereby decreasing emissions), support local communities, inspire food innovation and help nurture and nourish our communities.

Spent Grain Bread made by Loafer & Co.

What are the products Saving Grains has been successful in producing?

At Saving Grains, we are currently making a spent grain flour that we call a “Good Flour” – because it’s delicious and has all that nutrition. As mentioned above we have also worked with some home and professional bakers to produce bread, brownies and more.

Sustainability is transforming into a competitive landscape. What do you have to say about this?

Increasingly the words sustainable, circular economy, responsible, are being used by small brands, individuals, and large organisations to communicate that they are invested in building better food systems. And that is really fantastic that people are listening and thinking about this.

But when we stop to ask the how’s and why’s we find more questions than answers. We sometimes see blind adoption of certain concepts or ideas that could do more harm than good, or in some cases just words and no grounded action. We find ourselves lost in the sea of literature and studies around the food system which are based on principles derived from Western philosophy that often overlooks the rich and varied cultural component that a country like India brings.

So, how do we understand sustainability in the Indian food system? What good practices traditionally exist? What global principles can be adopted? What are our constraints considering our context and how can we overcome them to build more resilient food futures?

We’re asking ourselves these questions and consciously trying to build a model that can nurture and nourish the community and the environment.

Kaki and Spent Grain Chapati

How do you think “circular economy” in the beer industry can be achieved?

There’s so much I don’t know about the beer industry. But what I do know is that both the by-products of spent grain and spent yeast are insanely delicious. I also know that chefs or food businesses are always in search of ingredients with great flavour.

I think circularity in any industry can be achieved by collaborations and looking at how other industries can also participate and benefit.

Geist brewing is a great example of how partnerships with other spaces can create robust circular systems. They have created various partnerships with local farmers who use leftover material from our factory, like spent grain and denatured yeast, to supplement poultry and livestock diets. Even the RO reject water from the plant is converted into agricultural grade water and supplied to farmers in the neighbouring property, where they use it to grow vegetables.

Geist works to repurpose wooden pallets  into usable furniture for the factory and are currently working with an incredible sustainable materials designer – Khushboo Gandhi who runs Go Do Good – to create usable products from spent grains.

To be able to work with Narayan Manepally and Vidya Kubher has been really wonderful. Their support as we test out the waters with new ideas is incredible. That’s the kind of support and collaboration needed to build circular models in our food system!

The post BW Exclusive: “Circular Economy In Beer Industry Can be Achieved By Collaborations” first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post BW Exclusive: “Circular Economy In Beer Industry Can be Achieved By Collaborations” appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

Beer is unsurpassed as a liquid for baking. Adding it to biscuits, cakes, and homemade breads adds lightness and buoyancy. Reconstitute fresh or frozen foods using beer and package mixes.

While cooking, the alcohol in the beer evaporates, leaving behind a delicate taste that will intrigue foodies. As an alternative to water, beer is used over the simmering liquid to enhance the rich flavours of the meat and vegetables.

Using Beer in your recipes makes them more entertaining, based on research and trials. There’s no need to wait; quit drinking and start cooking today.

Beer & Cheddar Fondue

Ingredients

• 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup beer
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• Radishes, sliced apples and breadsticks

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine cheese and flour. In a small saucepan, heat the beer, garlic, mustard and pepper over medium heat until bubbles form around the sides of the pan.
• Reduce heat to medium-low; add a handful of cheese mixture. Stir constantly, using a figure-8 motion, until almost completely melted. Continue adding cheese mixture, 1 handful at a time, allowing cheese to almost completely melt between additions. Keep warm. Serve with radishes, sliced apples and breadsticks.

Soft Beer Pretzel Nuggets

Ingredients

• 1 bottle (12 ounces) beer
• 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda

Topping

• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water
• Coarse salt, optional

Directions

• In a small saucepan, heat beer to 110°-115°; remove from heat. Stir in yeast until dissolved. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, salt, yeast mixture and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
• Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 425°. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide and shape into 8 balls. Roll each into a 12-in. rope. Cut each rope into 1-in. pieces.
• In a Dutch oven, bring 10 cups of water and baking soda to a boil. Drop nuggets, 12 at a time, into boiling water. Cook for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain well on paper towels.
• Place on greased baking sheets. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water; brush over pretzels. Sprinkle with coarse salt if desired. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to a wire rack to cool.

Freeze Option

• Freeze cooked pretzel nuggets in airtight containers. To use, thaw at room temperature or, if desired, microwave on high for 20-30 seconds or until heated through.

Simple Sweet ‘n’ Tangy Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup beer
• 4 teaspoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 bone-in centre-cut pork loin chops (3/4 in. thick and 7 ounces each)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Dash pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

Directions

• Mix beer, ketchup and brown sugar. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat; brown chops on both sides. Add beer mixture to pan; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted in pork reads 145°, 1-2 minutes. Remove chops from pan; keep warm.
• Return sauce to a boil; cook and stir until slightly thickened. Serve over pork.

The post Cooking With Beer Is Too Easy first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post Cooking With Beer Is Too Easy appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

There were many changes in the company’s employees during the pandemic. One of the biggest gains was Kavita Singh. United Breweries Ltd recently hired Kavita Singh as its Chief Human Resources officer (CHRO). Kavita has over 20 years of experience in management and organisational development, with a special focus on adding value to companies, teams, and individuals she works with. During the initial years of her career, Kavita worked for the Tata Group and has since held a number of national, regional, and global roles across various industries, including banking, finance, supply chain, logistics, shipping, manufacturing, and mining.

As an ardent fan of Kingfisher beer, Kavita joined United Breweries for the opportunity to work with two iconic consumer brands – Heineken and Kingfisher. Her primary responsibility is to ensure the seamless integration of United Breweries into Heineken Group, as well as to build distinctive people practices and organisational culture. When Kavita joined United Breweries during the pandemic, she had to focus on the health and well-being of the company’s employees across the country, as well as lead the vaccination drive for the entire supply chain.

In her relentless pursuit of cultural transformation, diversity, and inclusion, Kavita is fiercely determined and passionate. Kavita’s key priorities at UBL include ensuring a workforce prepared to deal with the opportunities and challenges of the beer industry in India, and ensuring people from various backgrounds have access to opportunities to thrive and succeed. In her free time, Kavita enjoys travel and learning about socio-economic factors and cultures as well as how women can make a positive impact on organisations. Meghana Harikumar from Brewer World got an opportunity to speak to the talented Kavita Singh about her new stint in the industry and how important is Human Resources. Below are the excerpts…

How is it to work with UBL?

People are at the heart of UBL’s culture and our people-first approach has not only enabled UBL to maintain its market position but also build a highly engaged workforce. For years, the tagline of Kingfisher has been ‘The King of Good Times’ and this philosophy is what drives us to work together in order to serve the best quality beverages to consumers and in fact this is what has made the brand Kingfisher synonymous with the beer industry.

You joined UBL during the pandemic. How tough or easy was it to get into the new shoes?

Being a culture-driven organisation, the transition to a completely remote working  ecosystem wasn’t the most challenging. There were technology solutions and robust systems in place which enabled us to manage our operations despite the impact of the pandemic. In fact, I was able to virtually meet the entire corporate office team and the brewery team within a few days of joining. 

What were your immediate actions just when you got into UBL?

When I joined UBL, the first task was to build the overall HR strategy for the company, which was critical especially in the backdrop of the pandemic. During the first wave we were all forced to work from our homes but after that we had to apply a hybrid model of work which brought with it its own challenges. As a company that is focused on performance, we had to make sure that operations run smoothly while we transition and adapt to the new ways of working.

Tell us about your work experience? Did you always aspire to work in HR?

I have always enjoyed working with people and witnessing the real impact of collaboration. So this was a natural inclination for me. In all my previous roles, I worked closely with business leaders, and the same continues in UBL as well, where I work closely with business leaders to understand the challenges in our workforce, and then solve it in an optimum way. My passion for bringing the best out of people made me one of the youngest HR heads at Maersk India at the age of 29. Building transformational people strategies became a major goal for me early on.

How is serving as CHRO an important experience, considering the fact that CHROs are the next CEOs?

Human resources is one of the few disciplines that cuts across the entire organisation and because of the inherent nature of the HR function, the role of a CHRO becomes critical in ensuring that the entire organisation is aligned to a common goal and vision. CHROs have the responsibility of understanding the different functions within the organisation, the various roles within each function and subsequently identifying opportunities and gaps that will enable each business unit to operate efficiently.    CHROs today are playing an active role in helping organisations succeed in a highly digitised world and need to develop effective strategies across the entire human resources management lifecycle. This includes recruitment, compensation, talent and performance management, and training and development . More importantly, they also need to keep up with a rapidly changing landscape of human capital capability and workforce planning.

What do you think the future of work looks like at UBL, now that it is a part of Heineken?

The future of work at UBL looks exciting and promising,  with the coming together of two organisations that are driven by their passion for quality and enjoyment of life. Heineken has been a shareholder in UBL for 10 years now. With Heineken’s acquisition of UBL, employees will get to experience the best of both worlds. With Heineken being the second largest brewer in the world, UBL employees will now be part of a truly global family.

What do you think HR brings to the leadership table, and why is it important for business leaders to integrate in decision making?

Any large business has multiple moving parts. While one side of it is focused on numbers and expansion, the other side is focused on people and employee well-being. And in a people-first organisation, this is the biggest priority. The role of HR in any organisation is to give  business leaders a sense of existing employee sentiment, engagement and satisfaction.  This enables  them to not only focus on business growth but also create a conducive environment that is safe, emotionally sound and most of all inclusive in its true sense.  Hence, the role of  HR is to integrate the emotional, ethical and cultural aspects of an organisation to build a collaborative workforce and ecosystem.

What’s been your biggest challenge over the last five years as chief human resources officer?

The first year of COVID was unprecedented in the sense that no one was prepared for it . Work had stopped, there were lockdowns, and many other challenges. The second challenge that I have personally  faced is that I have spent most of my career in male dominated industries and therefore, carving out your niche is an added challenge. And this therefore, is what inspires me to continuously strive for inclusivity at the workplace and ensure that  everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive.

How often do you travel?

I love to travel. I have worked in 35 countries and have travelled across 46 countries. This has allowed me to encounter new cultures, economies and people.

Which is your favourite beer other than Kingfisher and Heineken, of course?

Nothing beats Kingfisher Ultra for me but when I travel I make sure to taste all the local brews.

What do you do in your free time if you find any?

I enjoy reading all kinds of books, especially all the works of Orhan Pamuk. I also love to travel.

The post BW Exclusive: Kavita Singh, Building A Future-Ready Workforce For UBL first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post BW Exclusive: Kavita Singh, Building A Future-Ready Workforce For UBL appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.