Craft Beers set to challenge 'Lager' territory

Ever wondered if beer could come in different flavours?  

With the launch of craft beers that come with flavours the beer market in India is all set for a revolution.  

At present, the Indian beer market is totally dominated by lagers and its various shades.        

"The Indian beer market is currently 30 years behind the rest of the world. If you travel outside India you will find that the beer market is broken into two segments, mass-market segment(lagers) dominate 80 per cent while the rest constitutes craft breweries," says David Home, Chairman, TVB Craft Breweries, which has launched craft beers in India.  

According to an estimate by Just-drinks, beer sales in India would grow at a compound annual rate of 17.2 percent by 2011.        

Experts in the industry feel that craft beers would attract customers with its unique flavours.  

"Craft beers are unique like a handicraft as the flavours are much more prominent than regular lagers," says Rajiv Bajaj, Group GM of the Welgrow group.  

Craft beer have been rolled out in five distinct flavours of lagers and ales with the 'Indian Pale Ale' seeking to catch the eye of the beer drinkers here.

"The Indian Pale Ale was first manufactured for India in the 17th century and was hugely popular till it died out in 19th century due to the large-scale entry of lagers," says Habeeb Kamal, CEO TVB Group India.  

"Perfect with hot and spicy Indian foods it will be a delight for people here," Kamal adds.  

Craft beers would be an interesting proposition for clubs as it is expected to provide more choice for customers.  

"Craft beers can cut 25 to 30 per cent in the share of regular lagers and will also attract women who are at times wary of drinking beer because of its bitterness," says Rakesh Kumar, Marketing Executive of Elevate.  

"Basically everyone is our customer, everyone should learn that Beer has diferent tastes, beer isn't just beer," Home said.