Once upon a time Goa was ruled by the Kings or the King – of good times, if you
please. Almost every fun and brew loving tourist paid obeisance to both these
kings of beer, one national and the other local, as they spent their days by
the beach, in shacks or in clubs.
But as Goa prepares for its biggest
festival of brew, the Oktoberfest, it will be held in a landscape of change. In
fact, it is really a ‘climate change’, from traditional (with some beer experts
calling it said or boring) to bespoke and craft brew where the essence is in
the curation and local flavours.
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Says Kimberly Pereira , a die-hard craft beer fan and a member
of Friends of Froth a Facebook Group which pioneered the growth of a community
centered around a growing generation of young people who understand beer as an
art and a science, are knowledgeable and are very big stakeholders and
influencers, even for beer companies “As quite a enthusiastic beer drinker , I
love that there is no shortage of options in Goa. There is beer to match every
season, every palete, budget and mood”.
Elroy Figueiredo another beer lover says “I am extremely excited
about it. as a craft beer lover, this is a great sight to see so many good
options and variety of styles coming up in the market. its only going to get
better from here and it is going to benefit us a customers big time.”
The growing number of craft beer companies either operating out
of Goa, or with a growing presence in the Goa market, is a testimony to this
trend. Suraj Shenai of Goa Brewing Company which has completed a year operating
in the premium segment of the market, said “We cater to a very discerning
audience and our Goan audience does not drink more than two pints. They are
very select and our beer is very hoppy. We are preparing seasonal products and
we will focus on being very select. We do not wish to be mass and we will
continue to make beers with interesting tastes which is desired by the local
market. Goa overall is a lager market which is understandable because of the
weather of the state”
On the other end of the paradigm is Simba beer. Made in
Chhattisgarh, it has been present in the Goa market for three years. Apoorv
Ranade, Brand Ambassador said they were targeting everyone especially the
millennials. The three weapons in their armoury were the stout, wheat and
light”
Goa is a visibility market for most brands he said and during
peak season. The Goan consumer, he said was now enquiring about the ingredients
being used and making an attempt to understand their beer better. The focus on
quality was now being appreciated. In the next five years, the market he said
would get been more competitive.
Meanwhile, Ishan Varshnei will operate in an interesting segment
of the beer market. Varshnei, the CEO of Latambarcem Brewers, Goa, is preparing
his carefully sourced production and marketing team to launch 4 variants of
international standard beers, under the brand name Maka di. He said “The long
term goal of the company is to build an infrastructure around beer that will produce
high quality beers, which I feel will be unique. Our aim to have quality that
is parallel to those made in Europe and the United States and other top beer
producing countries. We will also add our own touch of the tropics into those
beers. We describe our beers as true to kind but for the Indian Palette”.
For a market dominated by lager, there is a space for mead which
is a specialised drink. Moonshine Meadery has three brands. Ankur who handles
the Goa market said the product was a conversational drink and it was not
something to get smashed on. Goans just loved it. They had a specific strategy
of targeting bars where locals consumed their beer. He said the Goan consumer
had evolved and was now was looking at products that was out of the box.
This
might bring this story to an end, but the conversation is just beginning. A new
culture is brewing, a culture not defined by drinking alcohol, but a slightly
more evolved lifestyle, where taste and flavours, and yes, even pairing with
great food, will dominate consumer’s choices.
