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Time of India
19-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
41st anniversary of The Times of India, Bengaluru: The craft beer capital
By: Sibi Venkataraju Bengaluru has always had the right ingredients for a long-standing love affair with beer: a full-scale commercial brewery at its heart for over a century, pleasant weather yearround, a well-educated, cosmopolitan population, and a relaxed, 'adjust maadi' culture that embraces new experiences. When my co-founders and I first encountered microbreweries in Singapore, it struck us as a no-brainer— Bengaluru, with its vibrant pub culture and beer-loving populace, was ready for something similar. But this wasn't the start of the city's relationship with beer. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru That history goes all the way back to the 1850s, when Castle Breweries was established under British colonial rule to supply beer to British troops. Over time, Castle merged with other breweries to form United Breweries. Its first brewery was located on Lavelle Road, at the site that is now UB City. It wasn't until the 1980s, however, that Bengaluru saw a true explosion of pubs. This was largely driven by the introduction of draught beer, which has always been the hallmark of the pub experience. The first pub in India to serve draught beer is believed to be the Ramada Pub on Church Street, launched by the Khoday's Group in 1986. They served beer from the Khoday's brewery on Kanakapura Road—today, the site of a large mall. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo Soon after came The Pub, also on Church Street, which was the first to serve Kingfisher on draught. More establishments followed—Guzzler's, Pecos, Pub World, Downtown, Nightwatchman, to name a few—and before long, Bengaluru had earned the title of 'Pub Capital of India.' Weekend road trips from neighbouring cities just to enjoy the city's pubs became common. Fast forward 25 years to 2011, and history repeated itself—this time, weekend road trips from neighbouring cities to experience craft beer and microbreweries. The Biere Club and Toit were among the first to introduce Bengalureans to fresh, locally brewed craft beer, soon followed by the likes of Arbor and Windmills. The craft beer movement took root quickly, aided by a friendly state excise policy and emergence of Bengaluru as a startup and technology hub. An excise policy that required microbreweries to operate in spaces no smaller than 10,000 square feet led to the emergence of large-format microbreweries, often seating 300 guests or more. Some have gone even further—Toit's 500-seat location in Indiranagar is now fondly referred to as the 'cozy' microbrewery, with several others crossing the 1,500-seat mark. When we conceptualised Toit, it was designed not just as a brewery but as a tribute to Bengaluru's longstanding beer legacy. We aimed to build an inclusive, welcoming space filled with natural light, good food, and an atmosphere that catered to everyone—families, older patrons, children, and even pets. And at the heart of this experience is the beer itself. As a microbrewery, we brew in small batches of around 1,000 litres, which gives us the flexibility to cater to a wide range of palates. It also allows our brewers to experiment with local ingredients. From grains like rice and millet to seasonal fruits such as jamun, jackfruit, mango, and mosambi, our locally inspired brews have been a hit with patrons. These seasonal specials not only reflect our creativity but also our connection to the region. Most microbreweries in Bengaluru use imported malts and hops from Europe and the US, while also experimenting with local ingredients. While Toit has expanded and exported the city's beer culture to Mumbai and Pune, Bengaluru remains central to our beer story, with the recent establishment of a taproom near Whitefield. In 2022, we established a production brewery on the outskirts of the city in Nelamangala, enabling us to distribute some of our most popular beers in kegs and bottles to bars, restaurants, and retail outlets across Bengaluru, while ensuring the quality and taste as in the original microbrewery. We're not alone in this journey. Other homegrown craft beer brands like Geist, Arbor, Red Rhino, and Mannheim are also taking their brews beyond the taproom, making locally made craft beer more accessible than ever. As proud Bengaluruans, we are thrilled with the love that Toit has received from the city and to be part of its culture. The mark of a truly great city is a thriving culture of drinking locally made beer—and Bengaluru is uniquely positioned to lead that charge. From colonial-era breweries to a bustling craft beer ecosystem, Bengaluru's beer story is one of evolution, innovation, and community. And it's still being written.
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Business Standard
04-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Liquor market: Microbreweries get a fresh fund pour to scale up biz
A microbrewery is a small-scale brewery that produces limited quantities of beer, typically upto 10 hecta litres per batch Aneeka Chatterjee Bengaluru Listen to This Article Microbreweries like Bengaluru-based Toit, Pune-based Big Little Brew Pub, and Hyderabad-based RedRhino Craft Brewery are raising fresh funding to expand and scale up operations amid the growing popularity of craft beers. A microbrewery is a small-scale brewery that produces limited quantities of beer, typically upto 10 hecta litres per batch. These entities are doubling down on growth as they look to strengthen their footprint, either by entering new territories or opening more outlets within India's beer capital, Bengaluru. Ironhill, for instance, is looking to raise ₹30 crore, which includes funds for a commercial brewing plant for kegging (the process of
