Sunshine in a Bottle

Date: 8th February 2023 | Text by : Alia Busheri | Images by : Breweries mentioned here

History has it that beer is one of the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage to exist, dating back to 3500BC. Some of civilization’s earliest known writings are all about beer production and distribution. Many a times, though, when one thinks of Goa, they think of the beach and the sand in their toes, the fish thalis and rechado prawns; and of course a nice, chilled and crispy beer. Nothing quenches your thirst on a warm day in the sea breeze and provides the best accompaniment for sunset, quite like it.

Now we have breweries, microbreweries, brew pubs and beer connoisseurs! But, it wasn’t always like this. Although it took time for India as a whole to catch up with the beer game, Goa took even longer to follow suit and create proper laws for the production and distribution of beer. Nevertheless, as soon as the rules began to change, the opportunity was welcomed by two brewing companies who decided to start shop and make their homes in Goa. They are also proud to be the first to introduce craft in Goa.

Susegado Microbrewery

Co-founded and brewed by Aditya Challa, a beer lover since the beginning. During his former years when he worked in England and later USA, he got to taste some really delicious brews and that ignited his passion and mission to create something just as great in Goa. He even enrolled himself in a program in Scotland shortly after to learn better about beer production. On returning back to India in 2009, it was an unfortunate truth that Goa did not have protocols for microbreweries. He left again, to Singapore, where he co-founded a beer that had become iconic and won awards across Asia. He obviously knew what he was doing and was doing it well.

Things started to change in Goa around 2014-2015 and Aditya came back to Goa! By 2017, Susegado Microbrewery was born and was the only place selling craft beer by tap. It got better in 2020 when it became available by the bottle and now you can experience the captured essence of being susegad with every sip anytime, anywhere. Their brews are accessible by tap and bottle in many hotels, rest-o-pubs and stores; as well as in their own location in Baga, North Goa. Beer made by the beer lover, for the beer lover. There are currently six different brews available, all of which are unpasteurized, unfiltered and bottle conditioned.

.

English Ale: Malty, bitter and balanced with a 5% ABV. English style ale with bitterness and aroma from East Kent Koldings hops.

Tropical Wit: Light, fruity and spicy with a 4.5% ABV. Their take on the usual wheat beer with softened hints of Alphonso mango and sharpness from wheat malt.

Dortmund Lager: Medium bodied, crisp and a thirst quencher with 5% ABV. A North Germany style robust lager.

Vanilla Porter: Vanilla, coffee and chocolate with 5% ABV. Dark beer with a trace of vanilla from Kerala that adds another level to flavor.

Kokum Gosē: Fruity, tarty and salty with a 3.5% ABV. Their take on the sour beer from Germany with barrel-aged kokum and a pinch of local sea salt.

Poder’s Pilsner: Clear and crisp with a 4.5% ABV. One with special purpose that is made from the unsold poie (Goan bread) of their local poders which are bought at the end of the day.

Latambarcem Brewers

This brewery came into existence in 2017, co-founded by brothers Aditya and Anish Varshnei. They decided that they wanted to do something out of the box, so much so that it is found in space as you can see by their logo theme. They used a lot of research, innovation and sourced ingredients from across globe to create something new, exciting, distinctive and edgy. Using contemporary and traditional methods, the brand Maka Di was born and they became India’s first 100% bespoke craft beer company.

The Maka Di Brewery is not just any brewery, it is a laboratory in a spaceship! They have fashioned a complete automated system with the thought of practically and effectively reducing, if not removing, human error in order to bring about consistency in the quality of brew produced. They’re not shy about how they do it, either. The brewery is open for tours, where they walk you through the entire process of production, which always creates a nice sense of connection to your drink.

In the galaxy of Maka Di, there are 6 brews with a seventh latest addition that has been recently released.

Belgian Tripel: Finely balanced, made with hops from Czech Republic and flavorful, with a 7-8% ABV. Created in partnership with Lupulus Brasserie in Belgium.

Belgian Blanche: Spiced, made with Sicilian lemon peels and familiar, with a 4-5% ABV. Created for the palate of Indians.

Honey Ale: Malty, made with honey from Jim Corbett National Park and smooth, with 7-8% ABV. Created with the purpose of using locally available resources.

Bavarian Keller: Traditional, made under the ‘Reinheitsgebot’ law, and crisp with a 4-5% ABV. Created under the German Purity Law which permits only water, hops, malt and yeast to give you a pure lager.

Shandy: Crisp, made in combination with their other brand ‘Borecha’ and citrusy, with a 2.5-3% ABV. Created to provide the option of an all-day easy drink by combining their pure lager and lemonade beverages.

Rose Brut IPA: Light bodied, made with grapes from Nasik and a combination of hops from America and Germany, with a 4.8% ABV. Created using a special enzyme to achieve a ‘Zero Gravity Brew’ that results in no residual sugars and works a celebratory beer.

Rocket Lager: Clean, made with basic ingredients and crisp, with a 5% ABV. Created for everyone’s palate, a no nonsense lager that can be had any time of the day.

Latambarcem Brewers also have another brand called ‘Borecha’ under which they produce non-alcoholic but functional drinks like Kombucha and Iced teas that are beneficial to your health. They have loads of flavors and functions to choose from! Back to Maka Di and their exciting profile of beer which are available in almost every wine store. But if you’re interested in seeing the magic and signing up for a tour, you can find them in Bicholim, North Goa.

Many different alcohols have stealthily crept into the business and into the alco-bev game, but beer wins almost every time. Any meal, any occasion (or not) works well with a cold craft in your hand. It’s a great time in Goa to be able to celebrate and access local businesses as such. Three cheers for beer.