“We wanted to create a strong beer that you can enjoy no matter what time or day, whether in happiness or in sorrow, in company or by yourself. That’s why we have only focussed on one variant since we started, because we want it perfect and to have as universal an appeal as possible for men and women from all demographics and backgrounds,” says Rohan Khare, 26, whose New Delhi-based Bad Monkey beer is all set to cross over a million cases (of 12 bottles and or 24 cans) sold by the coming January, with close to Rs 150 crore in revenue. Not bad for a beer brand that debuted in late-2018 and is available, so far, only in Delhi, UP, Uttarakhand, and Chhattisgarh. And even in Australia and New Zealand.
“I often say that when you are trying to sell alcohol in India, you are actually trying to sell it to 29 countries,” rues Khare, echoing the refrain of all alco-bev brands that try and navigate the tangled red tape of the states’ bureaucracy, as each have their own excise laws, rules, regulations...headaches worse than a hangover.
“As the pandemic has dried up state coffers, governments have become much more helpful in loosening regulations to attract brands and income from sales. But it’s still far easier to sell in foreign countries that don’t have such tight restrictions on marketing and retail of alcohol products,” elaborates Khare, adding, “In fact, we are exploring several African markets for Bad Monkey because selling beer, which is not a hard liquor, is relatively easy as it’s considered more a lifestyle beverage, and is readily available at grocery stores and supermarkets.”
A management graduate from Delhi University, Khare followed college by successfully getting a WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) qualification in London. He then worked as product and innovation head at Rock and Storm Distilleries Pvt Ltd. for about three years before bootstrapping Bad Monkey in October 2018 under his newly established company Sinq Beverages Pvt Ltd. Hilariously, the name of the brand came from the pestilent monkeys that would gather around the company office during its early, heady days. “I got it registered and after some months while brainstorming, this already registered name went well with the brand vision and added a quirky quotient,” recalls Khare.
Bad Monkey Beer is a strong lager with an 8 per cent alcohol content, and while Khare and his team experimented extensively before launching the brand, he is emphatic that it is not a ‘craft beer’. “I know a lot of brands have been throwing that term around, but they are selling a commercial product to the mass market. Craft beers are technically brewed in small batches by individual units using their own distinct methods. While we have developed our own recipe and protocols particular to only us, we are still proudly a strong lager, which you can enjoy responsibly anytime and anywhere.”