Hop on 'beer bus' from Chennai to Puducherry from April 22
PUDUCHERRY: In order to attract more tourists, especially those interested in alcohol consumption, Puducherry is all set to introduce Hop on Brewery Tour Bus alias Beer Bus, which is a one-day packaged round trip from Chennai to Puducherry on weekends. The trip, initiated by Catamaran Brewing Company, will have its inaugural run on April 22, Saturday.
The company will provide a guided tour of their microbrewery with beer tasting followed by 120 minutes of service of bottomless beer of choice and a sumptuous three-course meal, said Rangaraju Narayanasamy, partner of the company. The set of tourists will also be taken to one or two popular destinations of the union territory based on their choice.
The bus will operate on Saturdays and Sundays. The group will be picked up at 10.30 am from a point at Chennai and will be dropped back at 9 pm latest. No beer will be served on the bus as government rules do not permit it. It will be served at the brewery in Puducherry, he added, clarifying a dispelling misconception that came up when the company posted about the Beer Bus initiative on Instagram. The company has tied up with a luxury bus operator to transport the 35-40 tourists as a group in an air-conditioned Volvo bus.
“IT professionals and MNC employees are the major target groups for the initiative. We decided to come up with such a package as a few approached us for it," said Rangaraju. The company has fixed separate rates for beer fans, teetotallers, and children accompanying adults. “Catamaran also serves special mocktails, non-alcoholic beverages, and food," he added. Based on the response, the trips may be extended to holidays and midweek. Running from other cities like Bengaluru is also under consideration, he said.