Whether delicate and crisp or robust and hearty, craft beer loyalists enjoy the three-day craft beer festival — Deep Dive — in Pune.
“It’s like the difference between freshly squeezed orange juice and a tetra-pack,” says Ajay Nagarajan of Bengaluru’s Windmills Craftworks, when I ask him to define craft beer. Well-articulated, especially for a word that is often used loosely. Craft beer is still a nascent concept in India and has but a small group of ardent devotees. They’re not loyalists to a particular brewery or its beer, but the category as a whole. As Nakul Bhonsle of Pune’s Great State Aleworks (and Great State Dive) says the “craft beer drinker has just given into the world of craft beer”. He could well be describing me as a well-made beer with taste and texture is often my go-to drink.
A three-day fiesta for every zythophile…
Craft beer is one of the most collaborative places in Indian alco-bev. Deep Dive, the craft beer festival I was at in Pune at a taproom called Dive — run by Great State — was one such manifestation. A taproom is still an evolving concept in India. We are more familiar with microbreweries/brewpubs that produce and sell beer on-site. Depending on state legislation, a microbrewery may also be allowed to set up a separate outlet for the service of beer, that then becomes a taproom, or else a taproom could just be a pub with say at least 8-10 craft beer on tap.
I first heard of Deep Dive, the craft beer festival when I visited the Dive a month or so ago. Still, in its first year, the first edition was held in March 2022 — just as the third wave was ebbing — the second in June and the third in October. It’s a three-day festival, and I was there on the last day. Taking advantage of the fact that I had to be in Mumbai the next day, I snuck into Pune a day earlier to get my beer fix.
A 1,000 beer lovers under one roof
When Nakul began home brewing in 2012, he was struck by the beer festivals organised by breweries in the US, including particularly the Brooklyn Mash, organised by Brooklyn Brewing in New York, which as the name suggests is a mash-up of beer, music, food, craft, etc. and the Tour de Fat organised by New Belgium Brewing (home of a beer called Fat Tyre). After starting Dive, Nakul decided to start something similar. He felt, however, that such festivals as witnessed in the US, were more suited to a mature craft beer market like the USA, whereas in India if they did the same, it would “turn into a mini flea market”, with beer just one of the attractions.
Space constraints at Dive also worked against more elaborate arrangements and collaborators, and he decided to keep the focus tightly on beer, and keep it small and manageable, very much in the ethos of craft beer as well. The intent, therefore, is to run the fest four times a year, with each edition attracting anywhere from 750 – 1,000 people over three days. Each fest has had 25 breweries from across Maharashtra participate, as also breweries from outside the state. As space is limited at Dive, breweries can’t set up their stalls, but their kegs get added to the selection.
Beer bonanza with 18 new brews everyday
The beauty of a festival like Deep Dive and the reason it has quickly established itself as a serious beer fest for craft beer aficionados is that every day of the fest sees 18 new beers poured, with 54 beers from 25+ breweries over the three days. “It’s like a music fest,” says Nakul, with guests keeping tabs on which beers are being poured across the three days and visiting accordingly. The third edition also featured a new beer showcase on the second day from 12 – 4 pm from new breweries in Maharashtra, newly defined as anyone opening post-Covid.
I arrived at Deep Dive around 3-ish and there was a smattering of folks around. I shared my ticketing details and after loading up my charge card, headed for the bar. There were 18 beers on tap as promised, a selection of Lager, Wheat, Saison, Amber Ale, Sours, IPA, and Stouts. What I liked best however was the half-pint sizing option available of 150 ml at INR 150/-. I selected a Smoked Lager (Gateway), Marzen (Bombay Duck), and a Vienna Lager (Lost River). As I headed to the tables with my three half-pints, I spotted Utsa Shome, who runs Leaping Windows, a comic book library-turned-taproom in Versova, Mumbai, and where I’ve occasionally run pub quizzes. Shome was an earlier pioneer in the taproom space, with nine beers on tap at Leaping, and 16 off the tap. There was a smattering of excellent comfort food available and I started with some Chorizo sliders. The tables were communal, and I had a couple of folks from different breweries at mine, a well-regarded local chef, and a local provider of charcuterie.
A taproom is still an evolving concept in India. We are more familiar with microbreweries/brewpubs that produce and sell beer on-site. Depending on state legislation, a microbrewery may also be allowed to set up a separate outlet for the service of beer, that then becomes a taproom, or else a taproom could just be a pub with say at least 8-10 craft beer on tap.
When the amber fluid flows…
What’s doubly interesting given the collaborative nature of Deep Dive was that nine of the beers available were also collaborations between two breweries. I chose three of these for my next selection, the Saison (Yavasura and Fort City – the latter shortly to open in Delhi), the Amber Ale w/Poee (Great State and Susegado), and a Gooseberry Sour (Bombay Duck and Mannheim).
Abhishek Chinchalkar (aka Chinsi), the founder of Bombay Duck Brewing sat down at the table with me, and we chatted about craft beer, and how the love for it is spreading far and wide. He shared with me the example of a craft beer lover from Kolhapur, who ferries kegs of beer up and down from Pune to serve in his restaurant. The said restaurateur has now begun work on a microbrewery in Kolhapur.
Interestingly enough, Chinsi has also tied up with Chef Thomas Zacharias of The Locavore, to launch a series of four rice beers. Each beer uses a distinct variety of heirloom rice from Maharashtra, sourced from OOO Farms, a partner of The Locavore. The Marzen I tried earlier is one of the four beers on offer.
I ordered the last flight of beer, a Pale Ale (Toit), a New England IPA (Great State), and a Cold IPA (Oi x Windmills). I was, however, still tempted by the last two stouts and maxed out my card in quick succession, first with a pint of the Milk Stout (Yavasura) and then finally a half pint of Igloo’s Imperial Stout. The next Deep Dive will be coming around early next year, and Great State is also expanding into Goa, where I’m sure you can also expect some glad tidings soon. Till then, happy chugging!
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