Pune: Micro-breweries push for growlers amid high demand

PUNE: Micro-brewers from the city and state are pushing for introduction of growlers so that patrons can enjoy craft beer in the comfort of their homes in the absence of bottling rights.
Patrons of craft beer have been asking micro-brewers about options to carry beer back home for consumption. The demand for craft beer has been growing steadily in the city over the last three years with more and more people opting for unique flavours and brews as against the regular bottled beer. From one micro-brewery in 2009, the city now has 12 micro-breweries, including some brew pubs and some solely distribution breweries.
Alongside the increasing demand for craft beer at brew pubs and restaurants, demand is also steadily growing for consumption of such beer at home.
“We have regular customers from Pune as well as tourists asking us on social media how they can take our brews back home. As there is no available option at the moment, we are pushing for introduction of growlers. Growlers are parcelled beer pitchers or a beer package that can be taken home for consumption within 48 hours,” said Nakul Bhosale, president of the Maharashtra chapter of Craft Brewers Association of India and founder of Great State Ale Works.
Bhosale stated that the association, which has 17 members in Maharashtra, has been working closely with the state excise department on the issue for nearly a year now.
“Growlers were recently introduced in Bengaluru after due permission from the government. However, they got permission for growlers only at the brewery level. We are looking at refills for growlers at restaurants and pubs. We are also suggesting standalone growler-filling stations,” he stated.
According to Bhosale, Maharashtra is the only state in the country that allows keg-based distribution system. “Due to this, craft brews have made their way to nearly 50 restaurants and bars in the city as against only brew pubs. While Pune was the first city in the country to have a micro-brewery a decade ago, we saw a slowdown soon after. The demand has been steadily increasing only in the last three years,” he explained.
Bhosale added that along with the micro-brewers from Karnataka, an association with two state chapters has been formed to take up various matters with the government. “We have been working with the government for a year on the issue of growlers and fine-tuned a lot of issues. But, with the change in government, we will have to start from scratch,” he added.
Speaking about craft beer, city-based entrepreneur Sakshi Jain said, "From apple cider at Doolallys, wheat beers to pineapple fiction at Toit to Yavasura’s Indiam Pale Ale, we’ve come a long fruitful way from just wheat-based craft beers! I would prefer finely crafted beer over bottled commercial beer any day."
A businessman from Pune, Prasanna Parmar, too, prefers craft beer over bottled beer.
"It’s good to try craft beers instead of bottled beer as they are fresh and there are multiple options to choose from to suit mood and taste," he said.