For The Love Of Beer: 8 Homegrown Breweries You Should Know About

Founded by Rohan Rehani and his business partner Nitin; the idea for starting a meadery came about on a trip abroad, through an in-flight magazine article on home-brewed meads in the UK. Having tried their hands at home-brewing on a trip to the United States; they eventually settled on brewing mead, since it wasn’t available anywhere in India. Their brewery – Moonshine Meadery – isn’t as illicit as the name suggests, and is probably one of the first and only meaderies in India to brew mead, since the past 1,700 years. You can find many bars in Pune serving MM for INR 220 a pint.

Kimaya Brewing Company was started by brothers Saurabh and Sameer Patwardhan, and Sapan Maniyar. Hailing from a restaurant background, they’d tried their hand at home-brewing in the U.S. before coming back to India to start their own initiative. All their machinery, material, and ingredients, are sourced locally (their buckwheat even comes from a nearby tribal village, courtesy Happy Roots). ‘Kimaya’ means divine magic, and so their beers veer away from traditional tastes, to something more ethereal. Their brews include Irish red, English amber ale, and Belgian wit for INR 220-250 per pint.

While studying in Brooklyn (a hub for craft beer), Nakul Bhosle found himself drawn to a home-brewing store he used to pass by everyday. He decided to try his hand at it and was instantly hooked. Nakul moved back to India two years later, and decided to start his own venture – Great State Aleworks (GSA) – once the State Govt. passed a law making it legal for microbreweries to distribute their beer. GSA’s flavours are bold and experimental, without compromising on quality and flavour. Joined by Rohan Hastak, and two more professional brewers, this microbrewery grew quickly. Their brews include Mr. Blue Sky which is a white ale, a Belgian witbier called Brightside and their signature pale ale called Off Duty. A pint of Great State Aleworks would cost you around INR 200-250.

Effingut Brewerkz was started in Koregaon Park in 2014, out of a passion for great beer and a drive to create something legendary. A full-fledged brewery and eatery, they soon expanded to Baner and Kharadi. They take pride in the fact that all their brews are made fresh, hand-crafted, and contain absolutely no preservatives, chemicals or artificial additives. Each outlet has about 8-10 of their signature beers on tap, some tailored to the Indian palate, using local ingredients.

Regular staples across all their outlets include an unfiltered hefeweizen, an apple cider, mango chilli cider, peach ginger melomel, choco coffee stout, best bitter ale, and a kölsch for INR 200-250.

One of the hottest nightlife destinations frequented by beer lovers, IBC in Mundhwa is a must-visit for every craft beer lover in the city. The Summer Blonde Ale, Four Grain Saison , Honey Lavender Ale, Pulp Fiction, L2R Gruit Ale are some of the top favourites that come recommended by patrons. Also keep an eye out for their season special beers! A pint here will cost you INR 300. 

The First Brewhouse of the country created waves with their apple cider, and even today you’ll see people flocking to this brewery in Undri whenever they crave a fruity cider. Their season special ciders are quite a hit too, especially the Indian Blueberry and Strawberry ones. This legendary brewery serves other classics like the Oats Stout and IPA. A pint here is priced at INR 300.

Bangalore’s legendary brewery made it’s way to Pune last year, and has been a hit since day 1! Patrons swear by the offerings, and this heritage bungalow that once served as Aga Khan’s stable is seen buzzing with craft beer lovers queuing up for the Basmati Blonde, The TinTin Toit, The Toit Weiss, Colonial Toit, Kilnaleck Red, The Dark Knight, and The Pune Lager. Since the place is always buzzing, we recommend making a reservation if you’re a large group. A pint here is pried at INR 250. 

Said to be Pune’s biggest brewery, Babylon Craft Brewery in Erandwane has the capacity to brew a whopping 30,000 litres! The in-house beers here include the Belgian Wit, Stout, Hefeweizen, Lager and Apple Cider. This brewery also has a pub that serves great Italian, Indian and Pan Asian food. A pint here costs INR 300.