Cheers! Bira is Crossing the Atlantic – NYC, Are You Listening?
Did you know? The ‘91’ in ‘Bira91’ denotes the country code of India!
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Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve probably seen the impish primate staring at you from the beer bottle.
2015 was a great year for Bira91. It took the city bars by storm and recently raised Rs 40 crore in funding from a global venture capital firm Sequoia Capital. Now it seems like they’re set for even bigger things in 2016. Production of the brews will soon shift to India, and the brand is headed overseas too!
Here’s the lowdown on this spunky beer brand.
Imagined for India
The recipe has been crafted to suit the Indian palate and employs ingredients from both Europe and India – grain from France and Belgium, and hops from Himachal Pradesh and Europe. In fact, the 91 denotes the country code.
Beer Styles
The Blonde is a golden lager made of barley. A fairly malty taste with a refreshing aftertaste, the Blonde has a nice balance of hops without too much of a bitter finish. 4.9% alcohol by volume.
The White is an ale which primarily uses wheat grain. Wheat beers have gained popularity over the last couple of years and Bira’s flavours fit the bill perfectly – refreshing citrus notes with a hint of spice and low bitterness. 4.9% alcohol by volume.
The Man Behind Bira
With a background in tech, Jain’s love for beer began in 2002 during his days in New York when his office was down the street from Brooklyn Brewery. In 2007 he came back to India and subsequently started his beer importing business. He says crafting his own beer was always the long-term intent.
His personal choice of brew is seriously hoppy, describing himself as a ‘hop-head’. His current fascination is with sour ales from Belgium, and Scandinavian microbrewers.
Why the Monkey?
Jain says that when they were looking for a mascot, they wanted something that was typically Indian, social, clever, and had a sense of humour.
Pair With...
“Just Bira and a few friends is all you need,” says Ankur Jain.
Made for (in) India
For India, and soon to be made in India too.
That means we’ll see a lot more Bira around and hopefully a few bucks shaved off the MRP too.
From 91 to +1!
This is big news! For now the Belgium brewery will continue supplying the NYC stock.
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