HYDERABAD: Some see the glass half full, others see it half empty. But some others, are scared at even the thought of an empty glass. They suffer from Cenosillicaphobia -- the fear of an empty glass. The quickest diagnosis, it is said, is to crack a cold one open and quickly pour it in the glass. While this might not have a grain of truth in it, every grain that goes into brewing beer tells the truth of how it was made. Microbreweries in Hyderabad are narrating this truth through their craft beers.
While it’s only been four years since microbreweries started to crop up in the city, they are doing really well. FnB consultant and founder of Brand Sardar Naren Pal Singh says people have really taken to craft beers and the business keeps getting bigger. “There’s a beautiful market for breweries in Hyderabad. The brewery concept is somewhat different from your usual nightclub. It’s especially a hit with the younger crowd,” he says.
Compared to the initial months when Broadway started, the microbrewery in Jubilee Hills has seen a 200 per cent increase in sales. “People are getting a hang of it now. It was a new concept. It did take some time to build a base. We had to get our customer accustomed to the taste, to this new concept. But once they like the taste of crafted beer, it is really difficult to go back to bottled beer,” says Rohith Medisetty, co-founder of Broadway - The Brewery.
Hyderabad’s pallet was mostly accustomed to wheat beer, but there was always a hunger for crafted beer. To get people accustomed to flavours such as the hoppy tasting Indian pale ale (IPA), the strong, dark, top-fermented stout or the citrusy orange-tasting Belgium wit took a little while, but the popularity is just bubbling.
George Jacob, founder of the Beer Chronicles, who is the brewmaster at Zero40 Brewing, says he comes up with a new recipe for every place that he works with. A lot of what types of crafted beer you get at a brewery is a combination of innovation and feedback. “I always talk to the customers to know their feedback on what we can do better with our beers. At the same time, I am always thinking of new recipes,” says George. The brewmaster is now working on a new flavor that will taste like an orange vanilla popsicle.
Breweries, however, need to stay true to their vibe and not turn into a nightclub, says Naren. “Ambiance is really important for a brewery. What sets a brewery apart from a nightclub is the music. The music cannot be very loud in a brewery. The vibe must be chill. You should not charge people on entry, let them wear casual clothes. A brewery is a place for people to hang out and not be listening to loud music,” says Naren.Rohit echoes the same views. “We keep the music at Broadway really chill. It’s usually a slow house-y kind of music that plays in the background that is not too intrusive and boring,” he says.