8 Homegrown Summer Ales For You
With mercury your standards should also rise, buddy. Especially your love for ales!
Think you know your drinks pretty well? How well do you know your ales? As much as you know your wines, whiskys and ‘whiskeys’, guys? The thin line that separates your lager from your ales- is (drumrolls please) yeast. Yep, you heard us!
Foundational to craft beer movement, Ales are brewed with top-fermenting yeast strains and at warmer temperatures than lagers. That's where the signature fruitier, crisp taste comes to life that gets more complex with flavours and varieties.
Homegrown Beers
Whether you love a chilled IPA, a simple brown ale, or a stout, this summer you should give some deliciously smooth homegrown brands their dues. They have the personality, the right brew, and the right vibe for the summer. Make them part of your survival kit to beat the blazing heat and you will thank us later!
You May Also Like: Why Drinking Beer is More Than A Pint For Men
Bira 91
A prominent Indian craft beer brand that has taprooms in Mumbai and Bengaluru, BIRA 91 offers a variety of ales including stout, coconut Brown ale, West Coast IPA. Started in 2015, 'Bira' translates to brother in North India and 91 alludes to the country code.
The many varieties the brand offers in over 600 towns and cities in 18 countries, the brand is a winner of over 9 medals at the World Beer Awards 2024 including 4 gold.
Bira 91 Indian Pale Ale (IPA) is a seasoned IPA brewed with pomelo pale amber and has ABV of 4.5%. The ale has a sweet-sour finish and has an aroma that reminds you of Haribo candies, tea and orange juice.
Others to try: Bira 91 White: A wheat beer with a citrus and coriander aroma.
Bira 91 Superfresh Natural White Beer: A wheat beer.
Bira 91 Brown Ale
Bira 91 Amber Ale
You May Also Like: Best Microbreweries in Mumbai
Simba
Founded in 2016, Simba originates from Chhattisgarh as a family-run craft beer brand. Over the years, it has expanded its reach to over 16 Indian states.
While Simba’s Wit is a Belgian Witbier that has ABV of 4.5% and is crafted to make your feel refreshed with the subtle hint of orange peel, coriander and lemongrass and a hint of spicy profile; Simba Stout is India's first bottled stout that has a blend of dark chocolate, coffee and toffee. Those that seek low-bitterness, this stout with ABV of 5.0% is for you!
You May Also Like: India's Hyper Local Drinking Culture
White Owl Brewery
A Mumbai-based microbrewery started in 2016, White Owl has expanded its distributions to across Pune, Goa, Delhi, and Bengaluru and is known for its small-batch approach with core offerings of ales. If you love a Belgian-style Witbier characterised by orange citrusy profile then go for White Owl Spark.
Love a hint of caramel in your ale? Taste White Owl Diablo, an Irish Red Ale or the only bottled apple cider ale in India that has an alcohol by volume of 5.5% and is brewed with real Himalayan apples and champagne yeast.
You May Also Like: Homegrown Wine Brands Bringing The Heat
Goa Brewing Company
A standout brand in the craft beer arena, Goa Brewing Co. is known for its unconventional approach that is based in North Goa's 250 year old Portuguese villa. Their signature brews?
Eight Finger Eddie - a 6% ABV American IPA named after the legendary hippie; their Saint and Sinner (8%ABV) that is a Belgian strong dark ale matured in oak and made with taste notes of coconut jaggery, English treacle, rich caramel and toasted flavours to combine oragne taste.
Other ales that you can try include Pineapple Saison (4.5% ABV) and People's White (4.5% ABV) that is a Japanese-sisnpired wheat ale made from Yuzu, orange and juniper.
Maka Di
When you think of Maka Di, another Goan brewery, your mind instantly drifts to their Honey ale and Belgian Blance. One is an amber ale with 7 to 8% ABV and is brewed with malts from Poland and the UK, tasting like a toffee biscuit. The other is a zesty Witbier infused with lemon, orange rinds, coriander seeds and cumin for that ultimate citrusy, cool profile.
Other offerings include a Belgian Triple, a golden ale with 7-8% ABV.
Kati Patang
A Delhi-based craft beer brand, Kati Patang has been part of the growing brewery scene since 2018 and offer innovative flavours for both Indian and global palates. If you haven't tried their zesty Amber Ale (5%ABV), you must give it a try.
Other ale offerings they serve is a 7%ABV carrier Bareilly Bold that is an ode to flavours of Bareilly.
You May Also Like: The Hot List: New Restaurants in Mumbai
Iron Hill India
Could you imagine local ingredients like tamarind, kokum, and Indian spices in your beers, well Andhra Pradesh's brewery chain, the first of the state, has some unique offerings. And if you are one to keep up with current affairs, you know that its launched the world's largest microbrewery in Bengaluru (1.3 lakh square feet) accommodating over 1,500 guests in 2024.
Take our recommendation and try their After Life Ale and Sinnerman Stout. 5.4% ABV and 5.5% ABV, respectively.
Seven Rivers
Seven Rivers is a brewery that started with the bold partnership between IHCL and AB InBev. As the name suggests, it odes to the seven rivers that flow through India - Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Kaveri and more.
Some ales that the flagship located in TAJ MG Road Bengaluru and Taj Holiday Village in Goa offer are Hefeweizen (white ale with 6.5 % ABV), Witbier (4.5% ABV), Chocolate Coffee Stout (Stout style ale with 6% ABV), and American Pale ALE with a 5-6% ABV that has a honey, citrus-hop aroma.
Seven Rivers is currently available in Karnataka and Maharashtra in 550ml cans, 330ml and 650 ml bottles, with wider roll-out planned.