Taylor and Shroff targets Rs250 cr turnover

PTI

Eyeing a turnover of Rs250 crore (35 million pounds) by 2012, UK-based wine maker Taylor and Shroff (T&S) is foraying into the Indian market with a diverse portfolio including beer, rum, wines and whiskey.
“We are looking at India as a major opportunity even if wine consumption, currently, is very low. A target of 35-37 million pounds in next four years is what we think we can achieve,” T&S Managing Director Nainaz Shroff told PTI.
In the first phase, T&S will launch five wines -- White, Apricot, Red, Cherry and Ginger -- in Delhi (priced at Rs1,622 per bottle), Mumbai (Rs2,427 per bottle) and Bangalore (Rs2,012 per bottle) and in second phase from December 2009, the company would increase its portfolio to over 120 brands.
The company claimed that the wines have been developed especially for the Indian platter, which comprises spicy food.
“T&S has partnered Mumbai-based Aspri Spirits for marketing and distribution across 5,800 outlets including bars, liquor shops and hotels across the country,” she said.
T&S, whose primary offering is in the premium category, is looking at touching sales volume of 1.5 million wine bottles in the next two years before it sets up production base in the country.
“Post this volume, we would look at getting an Indian partner to start production in the country,” Shroff said.
“Once, we start production here, India will work as a hub for the company to cater to the Middle East, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and China market,” T&S Chairman David Carr Taylor said.

Source: Livemint.com

Self cooling beer can

Tempra Technology and crown holding have developed a self beer cooling can. The can works by drawing heat with a desiccant (vinegar salt) through a water gel coated evaporator. The absorbed heat is dissipated into a heat-sink container. The user is required to twist the base which exposes the desiccant to the gelled water causing it to evaporate, thereby cooling the beverage.

Drink Responsibly

A person normally takes 30-90 minutes to reach his highest level of intoxication after one stops drinking.

Eating before or after drinks only slows down the pace of intoxication, however it does not guarantee you will not fall sick.

Women are more susceptible to get intoxicated because women have a higher percentage of body fat to water. Less water content implies higher alcohol content and hence higher level of intoxication.

Females have less active alcohol dehydrogenase which begins to break down alcohol in the stomach lining. Less enzyme means more alcohol in the system.

Vomiting is an attempt by the body to get rid of the unabsorbed alcohol from the body

Some people only vomit when they have consumed alcohol while other people just fall asleep. After falling into a deep sleep individuals can vomit and not wake up, without waking up one can choke on his/her own vomit and be unable to clear his/her own airway therefore choking to death


Death by Asphyxiation is common because alcohol depresses the body’s reflexes

Reducing the Risks of Alcohol Poisoning

1.Avoid drunk driving or drinks under medication.
2.Drink slowly. Avoid Bottoms-Up
3.Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or soda.
4.Eat food.
5.Put a cap on the maximum number of drinks you have.
6.Drink with a sober partner

Cobra looks to tap the Indian Wine Market

In a bid to tap into the current nascent wine industry, UK based Cobra Beer is looking to infuse millions of pounds to set up wineries in the country. In an article in the Business Standard Karan Bilimoria is said to be looking at Uttranchal and Karnataka as the possible locations for the wineries. Currently the wine consumption in India is at miniscule levels with the total sales at 1.2 million cases per year. However, the industry is expected to grow by 30% and reach the sales figure of 10 million cases in the next 10 years. The Indian wine industry holds considerable amount of promise with close to 125,000 acres of vineyards in the country of which only 1% are used for wine production.

SABMiller optimistic about the growth of the Indian Beer Industry

Global brewer SABMiller expects the beer consumption in India to increase 5 times over the next 3 years. The company which enjoys a 34.8% share in the Indian beer market in just 8 years of operation is hopeful that the per capita consumption levels in the country would grow. Currently the per-capita consumption level in India is at a dismal 1 litre compared to the world average of 22.1 litres. This seems all the more meager compared to the per-capita consumption levels of some big European drinking nations where it’s over 100 litres. India, therefore which has a population of over 1.1 billion people seems to be a very lucrative market and has been recently thronged by a number of giants like Inbev, Carlsberg, Heineken.

The primary reason cited for the low consumption of beer is taxation. Taxation in India is on volumetric basis and not on the alcohol content basis. The tax on the beer is twice the international average and four times on the Indian Spirits Industry. Also each state is India is considered as a separate country and hence the Inter-state beer taxes paid makes the beer taxes one of the highest in the world. Another disadvantage of separate excise duties and non uniform excise policy is that the benefits of economies of scale cannot be realized. For example, the total beer consumption in India stands at 12.3 million hectoliters( 1 hectolitre= 100 litres) this beer capacity is catered to by 65 breweries spread amongst the 65 states, however, in European countries the same beer capacity could be met by 3-4 breweries. The complex taxation structure forces the major brewers to own a brewery in each of the major beer consuming states and hence results in a larger small number of breweries rather than a few larger breweries.

Taxes almost contribute to 49% of the beer retail’s price compared to the global average of 33.6% and hence the beer makers realize a profit of only 35% of the retail price compared to the global average of 55.4%, hence the operating margin of the companies are very low and to the tune of 2-3%. Another problem which the Indian Beer companies are facing is the distribution set-up. Mainly, the state governments control the distribution set-up with the state owned depots responsible for the secondary sales to the retailers. This further refrains the beer makers from having control over the sales, distribution and the pricing of the beer.

Cobra up for sale

The Indian entrepreneur, Karan Bilimoria, owned Cobra beer is up for sale for an estimated GBP 200 million. Cobra beer is looking for a strategic partner to unwind its full potential. Investment bank Rothschild and City Capital Corporation have been appointed for contacting potential buyers like Carlsberg, Heineken, Inbev and Molson Coors. Earlier Cobra had been approached by Diageo, the world’s largest spirits producer, for a possible stake but the talks failed.

Recently Cobra had raise GBP 15 million through a private placement for expansion projects. The company's revenue grew 34% last year. This year it expects 44.4 million pounds in sales and is aiming to touch 100 million pounds by 2009.

Mr Bilimora ruled out the sale as the only option of raising equity, he is also contemplating a strategic tie-up with an international beverage company or a listing in the LSE or the BSE.

SAB, UB file lawsuit against AP Govt

SABMiller India and United Breweries (UB) have jointly filed a lawsuit against the Andhra Pradesh government for not revising the beer procurement price since 1997. This is despite the fact that the retail price has seen a 300-400 % jump in the same duration. The two brewers in a joint petition filed with AP high court argued on the ground that such policies were adversely hurting the companies as the cost of the raw materials and the logistic costs have gone up dramatically and the 1997 procurement price of Rs 200 per case is not at all justified.

AP is the largest beer market of the country with SAB deriving 30% and UB deriving close to 18% of their annual beer revenue from the state. The recent hikes in the price of malt, sugar and the increasing oil prices are having a drastic effect on the bottomline of the two companies. Earlier this year SAB was forced to close its brewery in AP for about a month as it was not able to cope up with the increased costs. Only after a dialogue with the government that the brewer decided to continue its operations in the state.

Foster's voted as the "Best Mild Beer"

The recently concluded INDSPIRIT awards 2008 saw Foster’s being voted as the “Best Mild / Premium Beer” in India with the award for the “Best Strong Beer” going to Kingfisher. In a hotly competitive segment Foster’s outplayed the likes of Kingfisher, Budweiser, Carlsberg, Tiger, Stella, Beck’s and many others to be crowned as the best mild beer. The mild beer segment is witnessing a surge in competition with major global players like Inbev, Carlsberg, APB making a foray into the Indian beer market. Kingfisher Strong won the award in the strong category.

The results of the awards are as follows:

WHISKY CATEGORY
Best Bottled in Origin Whisky :Johnnie Walker Black Label
Best Bottled in India Scotch Whisky :Teacher’s Highland Cream GO
Best Super Premium Whisky : Antiquity Blue Ultra Premium
Best Premium Whisky : Blenders Pride
Best Semi Premium/Deluxe Whisky: Royal Stag
Best Regular Whisky: Bagpiper
Best Indian Single Malt: Peter Scot

RUM CATEGORYBest Premium Rum : Bacardi Superior
Best Regular Rum: Old Monk
Vodka Category
Best Premium Vodka Smirnoff
Best Semi-Premium Vodka: White Mischief

BRANDY CATEGORY
Best Regular Brandy: McDowell No. 1

BEER CATEGORY
Best Strong Beer: Kingfisher
Best Mild/Premium Beer: Foster’s

WINE CATEGORY
Best Wine Producer Chateau Indage
Best Wine Marketer Sula Vineyards
Best Exported Wine Omar Khayyam, Chateau Indage

CATEGORIES FOR INDIVIDUAL EXCELLENCE
Top Entrepreneur of the year Abhishek Khaitan (Radico Khaitan Ltd.)
Top Executive of the Year Raju Vaziraney (Radico Khaitan Ltd.)
Top Marketer of the Year Shekhar Ramamurthy (United Breweries Ltd.)
Man of the Decade Vijay Rekhi (United Spirits Ltd.)
Top Marketing Initiative of the Year Magic Moments
Fastest Growing Brand Budweiser
Best Innovation at INDSPIRIT 2008 UB Beer
Best Promotion at INDSPIRIT 2008 Beam Global Spirits & Wine
Best Stall at INDSPIRIT 2008 Mohan Meakins (Tilaknagar Industries Ltd.)

Source: www.indspirit.in

Beck's Sell Off

The market is abuzz with the speculation that Inbev might sell off its Beck’s brand and its local unit to the German market leader Dr. August Oetker KG. The division is stated to be worth close to $2.6 billion. The sell off would include the Diebels brand and is intended to raise capital for the recent acquisition of Anheuser Busch for $52 billion. Inbev plans to sell five of its units lying outside the main division. The sell-off is aimed to expedite its debt repayment. Dr. August Oetker KG currently holds close to 15% of the German beer industry and is looking to consolidate its position further with the Beck’s acquisition. InBev sold about 7.5 million hectoliters (6.3 million barrels) of Beck's in 2007.

Inbev completes Anheuser Busch acquisition

The acquisition of Anheuser Busch by the Belgian brewing giant, Inbev has finally happened. The new $100 billion conglomerate has been named as Anheuser Busch Inbev and has become the largest producer and seller of beer, brewing one-fourth of the world's beer and one of the top 5 consumer goods group of the world. The merger totaling $52 billion is the largest ever acquisition in the brewing world with Inbev shelling out dollar 70 per share of Anheuser Busch.

The new company will have net sales of about 36 billion dollars a year, offering consumers about 300 brands, including Anheuser's Budweiser and Bud Light, and InBev's Stella Artois, Beck's, Leffe and Hoegadden.

Carlos Brito would be the new CEO and Anheuser-Busch CEO August Busch IV will take a seat on the new brewer's board. Anheuser-Busch InBev will have its global headquarters in Leuven, Belgium, but will also retain A-B's traditional HQ in St Louis.
The deal is to be financed partly through debt and partly through a short-term equity bridge loan. Inbev has taken up a loan of $45 billion, however the $9.8 billion rights offering has been deferred by 6 months owing to the global financial crisis. Inbev plans to sell off some of its assets as well as the Anheuser’s entertainment and other assets to raise close to $7 billion.

Diageo planning to take a 15% stake in USL

Finally the news of Diageo planning to take a 15% stake in the Vijay Mallya owned United Spirits (USL) has been confirmed. The deal is expected to be to the tune of 450- 500 million USD valuing USL at around 3.5 billion. The USL deal is expected to be pegged at double the current USL’s price of Rs 771. Diageo had earlier entered into a JV with Radico Khaitan to gain a foothold in the Indian Spirits market. The JV seems to be running into doldrums if Diageo goes ahead with the proposed stake. USL currently enjoys a 55% market share in the Indian Spirits market.

Diageo tight lipped on the Khaitan Split

Diageo seems to be tight lipped on the speculations of its planning to exit its joint venture with Radico Khaitan in India. Diageo had entered into a tie-up with Radico Khaitan in 2006 to gain a foothold into the Indian Spirits market. However the market is abuzz with the news that the multinational is looking to pick a stake in the Indian Billionaire owned United Spirits. Diageo’s stake in United Spirits would mean curtains down to the Khaitan-Diageo pact. The Group's brands include 8PM Royale, 8PM Bermuda XXX, Contessa, Old Admiral VSOP, Black Cat and Whitefield and Magic Moments. Analyst believe that the company has a 10% stake in the Indian Spirits market.

APB to come up with a new brewery

Asia Pacific brewery (APB), a long-standing joint-venture between Heineken and the Fraser and Neave group is planning to come up with a new brewery in Goa. This is in lines with the plan of the company to consolidate its presence in India. Apart from the new brewery coming up in Goa, APB is looking for a location for another plant in the country.

The Goa brewery is to have a production capacity of around 350,000 cases. The company seems to be looking at consolidating its presence in the south with this brewery. Recently the Indian market has seen a flurry of activity with many global players vying the Indian market. The annual alcohol consumption in India is at a dismal 1 liter/annum and with a population base of over 1.1 billion; India definitely seems to be a lucrative market.

APB has in its portfolio brands like Baron’s Strong Brew, Tiger and Cannon. Currently APB has a brewery in Aurangabad and has a partnership with the Andhra brewer Mr. C K Jaipuria. Sources close to APB have hinted at the possibility of brewing ‘Arlem’ lager in the Goa brewery

Types of Beer

Lager:The term ‘lager’ in German means ‘storage’. Lagers are normally pale to golden colored beers, rich in carbonation and generally have less alcohol content compared to their ale counterparts. Beers are normally classified on the basis of the fermentation technique employed. There are some varieties of yeast which do top fermentation and some which do bottom fermentation. Lager is a bottom fermented beer and are best served chill (2-5 degree Celsius). Typical examples are Foster’s, Royal Challenge, Haywards 5000, and Kingfisher.

Ale:Ale is the other type of beer which is brewed by the top fermenting yeast. It is normally fermented at 15-24 degree Celsius. At these temperatures, yeast produces significant amounts of esters and other secondary flavor and aroma products, and the result is often a beer with slightly "fruity" compounds. Real ale is produced using traditional techniques and without pasteurization. They have lower carbonation, higher alcohol content and should be served at a higher temperature (10-15 degree Celsius) compared to lager.

Pilsner, sometimes pilsener or simply pils, is a pale lager, developed in the 19th century in the city of Pilsen, Bohemia (Plzeň in the Czech Republic). A modern Pilsner has a very light, clear color from pale, really pale up to a golden yellow, and a distinct hop aroma and flavor. Czech Pilsners tend toward a lighter flavor with good examples being Pilsner Urquell and Staropramen, while those in a German style can be more bitter (particularly in the north, e.g. Jever) or even "earthy" in flavor. On the other hand, Dutch (Heineken, Amstel) and Belgian Pilsners (Jupiler, Stella Artois) have a slight sweet taste.

Stout and porter are dark beers made using roasted malts or roast barley. Served at cool temperatures. Examples are Haywards Black and Guinness. Various types of stouts are: Dry or Irish stout, Imperial tout, Porter, Baltic porter, Milk stout, Oatmeal stout, Chocolate Stout, Oyster stout, Coffee stout.

Weizen: Wheat beer is a beer that is brewed with a significant proportion of wheat. Wheat beers often also contain a significant proportion of malted barley. Wheat beers are usually top-fermented (in Germany they have to be by law).The flavour of wheat beers varies considerably, depending upon the specific style.

India Pale Ale, abbreviated IPA, is an ale that is light amber to copper in color, medium to medium-high alcohol by volume, with hoppy, bitter and sometimes malty flavor. IPA is a style of beer that is usually included in the broader category of pale ale. It was first brewed in England in the 18th century. Today, IPA is a popular style of beer among American craft brewers.

Some Amazing Beer Facts

Somewhere around 1750 BC, the "Code of Hammurabi" was established in Babylonia. This law regulated one aspect of the operation of taverns and inns. Specifically, it ruled that any proprietors who served watered-down beer would be put to death. How? They would be drowned in their own poor quality beer!

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender used to yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. From where we get "mind your own P's and Q's".

In ancient Mesopotamia they had a goddess of beer. Her name is Siris and her priestesses brewed beer (possibly as part of a ritual??).

In 1963, Jim Whitaker became the first American to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. A can of Seattle's own Rainier Beer made the ascent with him.

Sources say Women have brewed more beer than men in the History of Beer. Sister Doris in Bavaria brews Mallersdorf lager

Guiness world record
Steven Petrosino drank 1 liter of beer (33 ounces) in 1.3 seconds on June 22, 1977 at the Gingerbreadman in Carlise, PA, a 56% improvement over the previous world record set several years earlier by Peter Dowdeswell of England (2.3 seconds for 1 liter).

Scholars who have studied the ancient text suggest that Jesus actually turned water into beer, not wine. There is a rising school of thought to pointing out that it is very likely, if not certain, that it was beer which was served at the last supper. The blood of Christ was beer! Furthermore, a historical and anthropological study has suggested that Noah's arc was actually a barge hauling beer on the Euphrates

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer, and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the "honey month", or what we know today as the "honeymoon".
Historians have called beer the national drink of ancient Egypt. The pharoah appointed a "royal chief beer inspector" to protect its quality

Indus Pride

SABMiller has announced the launch a new national beer brand in India called Indus Pride.

According to the company, the new beer has been created by SABMiller to grow the mild beer segment of the Indian market.
Indus Pride is made with 100% barley malt, the company said.
SABMiller is also launching a non-alcoholic brand extension, which will be supported through advertising.
Jean-Marc Delpon de Vaux, SABMiller India's managing director, said: "In order to retain and build on our strong position in India, we wanted to launch a mainstream, mild beer which has the ability to compete nationally. We believe that the introduction of Indus Pride gives us the comprehensive national portfolio needed for long term success in India."

Our best wishes are with SABMiller and hope it is the birth of a star in the mainstream mild section.

Australian Coopers beer to strike Indian market soon

Indians can now enjoy premium quality Australian beer as Cooper`s Brewery is ready to hit the country`s market soon, reports Economic Times.

The Adelaide-based Coopers Brewery has struck an export deal with Bangalore-based import company, DC Johar & Sons, to ship beer to India.

The first shipment of 400 cases of Coopers Pale Ale, Coopers Sparkling Ale and Coopers Stout is expected to reach India this week.

The company had previously shipped malt extract and home brew kits to India, however, this would be its first beer shipment to the country on a trial basis

Source: IRIS NEWS DIGEST (10 October 2008)

Kingfisher's Blue

A recent article in the Economic talks about the beer market buzzing with the news of UB coming out with two new beers in the domestic premium category to take on International brands like Budweiser, Carlsberg and the already present Fosters. With the Indian growth story alluring many multinationals, the domestic premium segment which was primarily the foothold of Fosters has seen a surge in the new entrants, the latest being Kingfisher Ultra and Kingfisher Blue. The Blue seems to have been cross positioned with Budweiser and Carlsberg with an alcohol content of 6% which is marginally higher than its flagship brand Kingfisher. The Ultra however seems to be keen on tapping the mild segment. The move seems to be an interesting one as UB’s new partner Heineken seems to be gearing to enter the Indian market. Heineken, which is taking 37.5% stake in UB after the worldwide acquisition of Scottish & Newcastle, appears to be preparing ground for APB’s continued presence in the domestic market, which is hotly contested by India’s largest brewer. The APB operations in India with Tiger as its flagship brand still remain a stumbling block in UB’s path. The Ultra and Blue pricing could well hinge upon the agreement which UB reaches with Heineken

Hyderabad's beer mkt to grow to $150m by 2011

Hyderabadi beer guzzlers have a reason to smile. Now they need not experience beer shortages anymore because the Nizam city is fast becoming the hub of MNC breweries. Hyderabad is indeed becoming the emerging beer capital of India.



Hyderabad is famous for its Biryani, and the city is now brewing lots of beer to gulp. Foreign breweries are rushing to Hyderabad to claim a pint of the most lucrative beer market in the country.



In the last two years, four brewing giants like South African-based Sab-Miller, US-based Anheuser-Busch, UK-based Cobra and recently Singapore-based Asia-Pacific Breweries have set up shop in Hyderabad.



CNBC TV18 learns that Belgian-based InBev and Danish-Carlsberg may also well be on their way .



The reason for breweries rushing to Hyderabad is the incentives companies receive from the government- land and water. The state is accomodating as it wants to earn revenues of Rs 10,000 crore from alcoholic beverages by 2008-09.



Vivek Chhabra, Regional Director, South Asia Pacific Breweries said,"The attitude of the government is very positive in welcoming foreign investment and also the availability of water and land in the state. It is a good mix and a friendly environment to do business."



What also works in the city's favour is that Hyderabad gulps 10 -12 % of the beer consumed in the country. Last year, Hyderabad devoured 14 lakh hectoliters of beer, and this market is estimated to grow to USD 150 million by 2011.



With a large young population, a hot climate for most of the year and government's inclination to promote milder drinks such as beer over spirits, the future of the Hyderabad beer business certainly looks to be zooming.

Source: Visvanath Pilla and Vivin Mathew, CNBC TV-18

The Beer Man Song

Hey all
This song is for every beer lover like me.
..........................................................................................................................................................................
Spent the night with Jim Beam and Johnny Walker Red,
Woke up with a freight train runnin' through my head,
Ohh I'm a beer man...
Bobby's more the wine kind,
Donny does his shots;
Sammy sips martinis,
Willy smokes pot,
but I'm a beer man...


I've done a little steppin' out there on a limb,
but my open mind winds up closed again,
I like brown bottles and aluminum cans,
Simple maybe...
but that's who I am...
Hey I'M JUST A BEER MAN.

Take your caviar and that fish that ain't cooked,
take if off a cracker and throw it on a hook,
I'm a beer man...
Oh and if I was a rich man tell ya what I'd do,
I'd be the same old, plain old, guy you always knew,
just a beer man...

I've done a little steppin' out there on a limb,
but my open mind winds up closed again,
I like brown bottles and aluminum cans,
Call me simple ...
but that's who I am...
Hey I'M JUST A BEER MAN.
..........................................................................................................................................................................

Simple yet brilliant...guess should be our anthem.

The Great Indian Challenge

Indians love their booze, but beer, it seems, leaves them cold. The country ranks tops globally in consumption of whisky, but it's somewhere near the bottom in beer drinking. So why is just about everyone in the brewing industry scrambling to get a piece of the market?

Despite the obvious preference Indians have for distilled spirits, beer makers worldwide think there's great potential for selling their brews in the country.
A hot climate, an even hotter economy, and an enormous youth population look like an unbeatable combination in the eyes of Britain's SABMiller and Scottish & Newcastle, Heinekenof the Netherlands, and Denmark's Carlsberg.

Although India boasts the world's second most populous nation, when it comes to beer it barely figures on the map—leaving plenty of upside for brewers who can get in early. Annual per capita consumption stands at just 0.6 liters, or about a pint, compared with 23 liters in China, an average of 73 across Europe, and 78 in the U.S. Getting Indians to switch from liquor to beer won't be easy. Brewers must contend with a dizzying list of bureaucratic restrictions that make it tough and expensive to win customers and to build a national footprint. Steep tariffs render imports uncompetitive. And state excise taxes of as much as 150% can push the price of a pint of domestic brew up to more than Rs.100, or about triple what a shot of local whisky might cost.
"The market has huge complexities," says Jean-Marc Delphon de Vaux, managing director of SABMiller India. "You have to work it bottom-up, state by state."

Ads for beer are banned. As a result, brewers have to be creative in building their brands on a national scale. SABMiller, for instance, sells a mineral water called Royal Challenge—not coincidentally the name of one of its lagers. TV spots for the water are indistinguishable from traditional beer ads, down to the label on the bottle. The only difference: The actors guzzle a clear liquid rather than amber-colored suds. "It looks like a beer ad, but we sell water," says Delphon de Vaux.

In short, international brewers will be charged with crafting a beer culture in India largely from scratch. In that, at least, they have demographics in their favor. Roughly 60% of the population is under 30. What's more, incomes are rising, powered by an economy that's growing at 9%-plus. These trends are expected to fuel growth in beer consumption of up to 15% a year through the end of the decade.

To date, the biggest beneficiary of the surge has been Kingfisher. The brand rules the market, with a 45% share. But closing in is SABMiller, which over the past six years has spent an estimated $600 million in India to buy 11 local breweries. Today, the company's five brands command 37% of the market. And Heine-ken, though it's small today, is hoping to boost its profile following its $18 million purchase last year of a controlling stake in India's Aurangabad Breweries Ltd. "India," says Vivek Chhabra, Heineken's country chief, "is the place to be."

The Germany Oktoberfest in Munich

Its October and its imperative that we talk about Oktoberfest (Germany).
In many ways Beer could be called the national drink of Germany and Oktoberfest just hits the nail on the wall.

Think Germany and most people think of Oktoberfest - huge steins of beer, singing, platters of sausages, men dressed in Lederhosen and ladies dressed in Dirndls. 100,000 or so other people to party with! Held the last two weeks of September into the first week of October because of Munich's great fall weather, Oktoberfest has been a tradition for almost 200 years.

Oktoberfest Beers:
Six Munich breweries, Löwenbräu, Spaten, Augustiner, Hofbräu, Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr, brew a special beer just for the Oktoberfest. The beer, Wiesnbier is slightly darker and stronger than a normal Pils. It is served in a one-liter-tankard, ein Mass. This year the cost for ein Mass is 7.50 euros.

The Oktoberfest Atmosphere :
The atmosphere at Oktoberfest is friendly and very lively. Whether you are at the small stands, at the fair or in one of the tents, you are sure to be caught up in the fun of it all regardless of age or gender.
To make the Oktoberfest more family and senior friendly, the tents only play quiet music until 6 pm. At 6 pm, Schlager and pop music goes into full swing.

The Oktoberfest Foods:
Foods at Oktoberfest are as much a part of the tradition as beer, sausages, oxen, pigs knuckles, roasted chicken, duck, fish, and traditional pastries, noodles, dumplings, plenty of potato salad and sauerkraut, giant pretzels and cheeses are all on offer. It makes my mouth water just to think about it.

Fun Oktoberfest Facts:
30% of the year's production of beer by Munich breweries will be consumed in the two weeks of Oktoberfest.
12,000 People are employed at the Oktoberfest. Of these, 1600 are waitresses.
There is available seating for 100,000 people.
The six Oktoberfest breweries, (Spaten, Augustiner, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräuhaus, Löwenbräu) sold 6 million mugs of beer in 2005 (5.5 million in 2004).
Roasted oxen: 88
Sausages: 220,000 pairs
Roast chickens: 460,000

The History of The Munich Oktoberfest:
Oktoberfest is one great big international celebration. People have been coming to Munich for almost 200 years for the celebration and now come from all over the world to participate in this 16 day party.
Oktoberfest started as a wedding celebration party. Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, who was later crowned King Ludwig I, wanted the people of Munich to share in the celebration of his marriage to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810. He organized a horserace, offered copious amounts of beer and food, invited all the people of Munich and voila! Oktoberfest was born.
The festival was such a success that Ludwig decided to hold it again the following year in conjunction with the state agricultural festival. In 1816 carnival booths were added and in 1819 the town fathers of Munich decided that the festival should be celebrated every year. Over time, the length of the festival was increased and the date moved backward because of the great weather at the end of September in Bavaria.
Since its beginnings the Oktoberfest has thus been canceled 24 times due to war, disease and other emergencies. By 1960, the last year that horse races were held, Oktoberfest was already a world-famous festival. People from all over the world started attending Oktoberfest in droves.
Oktoberfest is now celebrated all over the world at different venues and in varying measures but definitely, Oktoberfest Munich is the king of festivals and we have King Ludwig to thank for it. A toast to King Ludwig and Therese!
Sixteen days, six million people, and some great big tents The modern celebration has replaced the small tents with giant brewery-sponsored beer halls that can hold up to 5,000 people apiece. The party has also grown in length, to become a 16-day extravaganza ending the first Sunday in October.

Motivation
The Mumbai Mayfest anytime in the future..what say guys!!!

Beer Quotes

"Well ya see, Norm, it's like this... A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers."
-Cliff Clavin, of Cheers

"Why is American beer served cold? So you can tell it from urine."
-David Moulton

"Beer: Helping ugly people have sex since 1862!"
-Anonymous

"When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. Sooooo, let's all get drunk and go to heaven!"
-Brian O'Rourke

"Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me."
-Winston Churchill

"People who drink light 'beer' don't like the taste of beer; they just like to pee a lot."
-Capital Brewery, Middleton, WI

"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on."
-Dean Martin
"The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind."
-Humphrey Bogart

"Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed - Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, 'It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver.'"
-Jack Handy

"Make sure that the beer - four pints a week - goes to the troops under fire before any of the parties in the rear get a drop."
-Winston Churchill to his Secretary of War, 1944

"A woman drove me to drink and I didn't even have the decency to thank her."
-W.C. Fields

"Everybody has to believe in something.....I believe I'll have another drink."
-W.C. Fields

"Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer."
-Dave Barry

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."
-Ernest Hemmingway

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
-Benjamin Franklin

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools."
-For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemmingway

"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer."
-Abraham Lincoln

"We old folks have to find our cushions and pillows in our tankards. Strong beer is the milk of the old."
-Martin Luther

"Time is never wasted when you're wasted all the time."
-Catherine Zandonella

"They who drink beer will think beer."
-Washington Irving

"One of the hallmarks of the baby boomer generation is that it doesn't live like the previous generation. It hasn't yet given up jeans and T-shirts or beer."
-Ron Klugman, SVP, Coors Brewing

"I drink to make other people interesting."
-George Jean Nathan

"May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead."
-Old Irish Toast

"A bar is better than a newspaper for public discussion."
-Jim Parker, on the importance of a healthy pub culture

"He was a wise man who invented beer."
-Plato
"God made pot. Man made beer. Who do you trust?"

-Restroom in The Irish Times, Washington DC

"I never met a pub I didn't like."
-Pete Slosberg, Founder of Pete's Brewing Company

"I would kill everyone in this room for a drop of sweet beer."
-Homer Simpson

"This is grain, which any fool can eat, but for which the Lord intended a more divine means of consumption... Beer!"
-Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, Friar Tuck

"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day."
-Frank Sinatra

"[I recommend]… bread, meat, vegetables and beer."
-Sophocles' philosophy of a moderate diet

"Fermentation may have been a greater discovery than fire."
-David Rains Wallace

"Give me a woman who loves beer and I will conquer the world."
-Kaiser Welhelm

"Work is the curse of the drinking class."
-Oscar Wilde

"Who does not love beer, wine, women and song remains a fool his whole life long."
-Carl Worner

"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading."
-Henny Youngman

24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence?
-Stephen Wright

"A quart of ale is a dish for a king."
-William Shakespeare

"I would give all my fame for a pot of ale and safety."
-Shakespeare, Henry V

"I do not drink more than a sponge."
-Rabelais, 17th-century French satirist

"I decided to stop drinking with creeps. I decided to drink only with friends. I've lost 30 pounds."
-Ernest Hemingway

"Beer makes you feel the way you ought to feel without beer."
-Henry Lawson

"I drink when I have occasion, and sometimes when I have no occasion."
-Miguel De Cervantes

"Fill with mingled cream and amber, I will drain that glass again. Such hilarious visions clamber through the chambers of my brain. Quaintest thoughts, queerest fancies, come to life and fade away. What care I how time advances? I am drinking ale
today."
-Edgar Allan Poe

"Whiskey's too rough, Champagne costs too much, Vodka puts my mouth in gear.
I hope this refrain, Will help me explain, As a matter of fact, I like beer."
-Tom T. Hall

"But if at church they would give some ale. And a pleasant fire our souls to regale.
We’d sing and we’d pray all the live long day, Nor ever once from the church to
stray."
-William Blake

"I work until beer o’clock."
-Steven King

"Keep your libraries, your penal institutions, your insane asylums... give me beer.
You think man needs rule, he needs beer. The world does not need morals, it
needs beer... The souls of men have been fed with indigestibles, but the soul could
make use of beer."
-Henry Miller

"In my opinion, most of the great men of the past were only there for the beer."
-A.J.P. Taylor, British historian

"There may be a few good men who don't drink, but they've got to prove it."
-Col. Lincoln Karmany, USMC

"Drunk is feeling sophisticated when you can't say it."
-Anonymous

"Beer - Because one doesn't solve the world's problems over white wine."
-Anonymous

"If beer and women aren't the answer, then you're asking the wrong questions."
-Anonymous

"The church is near, but the road is icy. The bar is far away, but I will walk carefully." -Russian proverb

Beer Cocktails

Bee Sting: dark beer (Haywards Black) and orange juice.

Black Velvet: Mix Haywards Black and champagne, half and half.

Boilermaker: a glass of beer (Fosters) with a shot of whiskey (go in for Black Label).

Broadway: A cocktail popular in Japan. Mix beer with Cola and you have the Broadway

Caribbean Night: Beer and an ounce of coffee liqueur.

Donald: glass of beer with a shot of rum (Old Monk!!! What else)

Gator Beer: beer mixed with Gatorade

Lager and lime: Add a dash of lime juice or lime cordial to Fosters

Loaded Peroni: basically a high octane shandy, it's lager with a shot of Bacardi Limon

Raging Bull: Peroni, tequila, and Red Bull

Red Eye: Add a shot of tomato juice to Fosters (this cocktail is also known as Tomato Beer or a Red Rooster).

Shandy: Fill a beer mug with Fosters and top with ginger ale, ginger beer or lemonade and you have the classic Shandy.

South Wind: Beer with a shot of melon liqueur.

Uboot: beer and vodka

Beer Belly : A myth

No we are not talking about the blog but about the logic behind beer bellies.

Most of the people reading this blog would be of the opinion that drinking beer leads to belly which one can flaunt around.

But its not the beer that leads to the belly.

A "beer belly" is caused by eating too much food. No beer or other alcohol beverage is necessary to cause that.

There is an entire list of myths associated with Beer.

Beer Myth 1: Beat the Beer Belly with Light Beer

OK, light beers have maybe 90-100 calories, regular beers generally have less than 200 calories. A beer lover would say the difference is comparable to the difference between McDonalds and a 5 star restaurant. A dietitian would tell you the difference is negligible.

Beer Myth 2: The darker the beer, the more alcohol it contains

Not even close. Haywards Black is black, and has 4.2% alcohol. The color of a beer comes from the toasted malts, which has no effect on alcohol content. Ingredients like rice syrup, honey, and corn syrup add alcohol to beer, but do not influence the color.

Beer Myth 3: The Peroni they serve in Italy is better

It seems widely accepted that beer in "the old country" is better than what they export to the rest of the world. The brewing process is cheap, so why would a brewery risk their reputation by brewing a different beer for export? It doesn't make sense, and it's not true.

Beer Myth 4: Beer shouldn't be Bitter

The bitterness of a beer comes from the hops. Hops are in all beers to balance the sweet malts and to act as a preservative. Some beers have a lot of hops, like India Pale Ales (IPAs) and some beers have less hops, like Wheat Beers. Hops can give a beer complexity and add all sorts of flavors and aromas, like pine, citrus, and earthiness. Hops are why people say beer is an acquired taste, but they also make beer delicious.

Beer Myth 5: The best beers are in green bottles.

As it turns out, brown bottles protect the beer from the light much better than green bottles or clear bottles. This myth comes from when there was a shortage of brown glass in Europe after WWII. The European beers were bottled in green instead, so green bottles came to represent imports. This certainly isn't the case anymore.


Beer Myth 6: Women don't like beer

Thats crazy! My female friends love beer almost as much as I do. Women have brewed more beer than men in the History of Beer.

So chuck these myths and go ahead and 'Pint Your Love'

SABMiller to buy Vladpivo brewery, Russia

SABMiller is looking to increase its presence in Russia with the acquisition of the Vladpivo brewery. The brewery has an annual capacity of 1million hectoliters (I hectoliter= 100 liters) and the acquisition will cost the company USD 69m. With the acquisition of Vladpivo SABMiller will have three production facilities in the country, the other two being its main brewery in Kaluga and the upcoming brewery in Ulyanovsk. Vladpivo is slated to receive substantial investment aimed at bringing it to the SABMiller’s international manufacturing standards