The craft beer has finally landed in Calcutta. There are craft breweries popping up all over India at the moment. They seem to be the new rock and roll of the all-India F&B scene. And Bengal has emerged this year as the newest state to allow micro-breweries to start brewing. Interesting when you think this state itself was the first in the country to pass the licence and something I’ve been hearing rumours about dating way back to 2006. That was when an American friend, Alex Postelnek, first initiated that said licence application here in Calcutta and was probably the first mover in the country but since then Pune, Gurgaon, Bangalore and recently Mumbai, Delhi and Goa have all started before us.

My first contact with microbreweries was way back in 1994. I was part of the opening team of the UK’s first called ‘Mash and Air’ in Manchester and then a year later another in London. Both based around a Californian theme, six brews on tap including a seasonal brew. I remember Blackcurrant Stouts, Peach and Strawberry Lagers and a Tomato Ale and looking back, I suppose it was a maverick beginning for microbreweries in the UK and way ahead of time. Manchester closed a couple of years later but I think the Great Portland Street outlet is still there.  

At The Biere Club in Bangalore we recently celebrated our fifth birthday and since we opened south India’s first micro-brewery in May 2011, Bangalore now numbers 31, almost as many as the rest of the country put together but then again Bangaloreans have always loved their beer. So much so that when we first started talking about a micro-brewery in Bangalore, everyone laughed saying, “Do you really think you can take UB on at their own game?!”

We did and we opened our second outlet three years ago in Whitefield with 153 Biere Street and one more coming at the end of this year. As for Calcutta, we should soon have six and not a week goes by without someone calling me suggesting that they are interested in opening one. 

What I can confirm, at least for Bangalore, is that craft beer drinking culture has come a long way and most of our customers are settled and have their favourites — “I love the wheat / those big flavours of the stout are my fave” etc — but there is a whole new generation looking for that seasonal beer. We’ve done around 200 different beers and styles over the years and our customers look forward to them. From smokey oak IPA to our yearly mango and of course, looking forward to our annual Christmas beer. 

All manner of things are possible with beer once you start thinking about it and sorry to spoil all the ‘wine pomp’ but you know, if you go to Europe, most of the wine drunk is just wine. You can buy a bottle for less than a euro! And at the same time, there are cheap beers and there are beautifully handcrafted craft beers. You can make the most of the similar tasting notes that you’ll find when pairing wine with food. I’ve done many craft beer pairing dinners and foods cooked with beer with even a dessert or two thrown in there for good measure. Brewery tours, beer, malt and grain understanding sessions. You name it, it can all be done just as easily with beer and should be approached that way.

The general classification of beer is simple enough — Lager, Ale, Stout — but under these categories there are countless types of brews which further influence the palate and a general food pairing is simple, for example a simple organic salad with a light crisp Pilsner or wheat. To the opposite end, a rich slow-cooked piece of meat for instance cooked in red wine or indeed beer with a bold stout, the same as you may pair Bordeaux. So in all reality there really is no difference to the basics when pairing wines. The lighter the food, the lighter the beer.
 
How do we pair these craft brews and grub?

Pilsner/ Rice/ Wheat
All these lighter beers when well chilled are great all-rounders and can cool the burn of any spicy meal but it’s a no-brainer and something everyone has been pairing for years during the summers and works so well. Kebabs, kebabs and more bloody kebabs, cutlets, chilli crab, golden fried prawns or a nice smoked salmon salad to get us started, etc.
 
Ale / IPA

These are not too heavy but can get quite bitter depending upon the amount of hops present. These would be great with that biryani, or simple Indian vegetarian dishes like chhola bhatura, rajma, jhaal farezi, thereafter, a simple grilled breast chicken or everyone’s favourite — chilli chicken.
 
Stout

This is the last and darkest of the brews and can be bitter and invariably heavy in body. Think of them as a good Bordeaux that will go great with good slow-cooked strong flavourful meat dishes like Rogan Josh, Vindaloo, Laal Maas, and of course the only one to really pair well with chocolate dishes.
 
Fruits / Seasonal

This is where we can really get those individual notes going. For instance with a mildly spiced warming Christmas beer, a good Rogan Josh or a slice of Christmas cake and a Mango Beer, a delicious Bengali fish curry cooked with mustard.

What’s your fave craft brew and grub pairing? Tell t2@abp.in