ByIANSlife Features

February 8, 2020 (IANSlife) Two homegrown beer brands – Yavira and Bee Young, aim to serve the Indian market with finest quality products while preserving the Indian tradition of brewing. Launched by Kimaya Himalayan Beverages, which was established as recently as November 2018, the beers come with a promise of brewing techniques par excellence and ingredients sourced straight from the farm.

IANSlife caught up with Abhinav Jindal, Founder & CEO, Kimaya Himalayan to find out more.

 

How do you see your beer offerings competing while there are so many similar brands already available in the market?

Jindal: India’s craft beer industry has acquired close to 2-3 per cent of the country’s beer market share, owing to the surge of interest in this category driven by millennials wanting products that are more authentic and complex flavoured. Having noticed this shift in taste profile of conusmers there are plenty of brands entering this space with crafted wheat, Ale’s and more. However, in my opinion the ‘Crafted Lager’ category is still not been explored to the best of possibilities. Hence, we’ve brought in bespoke brews made with choicest of ingredients sourced from original and organic derivative straight from the farm. Innovation & disruption being at the forefront, the team here is constantly conceptualising, experimenting, testing and crafting uniquely flavorful brews. 

The specially optimized brewing cycle at Kimaya delivers just the right levels of taste and texture, the offerings are truly unconventional because of it’s taste, ingredients & packaging.

 

Why has been the packaging main focus while innovating the variants? What sets the product apart?

Jindal: As an advent in the beer space, we thrive to be innovative and distinguish our products by packaging and taste. Having launched distinctive packaging which is of 500 ml, we intend to bridge the gap between 330ml (which is too small to share) and 650 ml (loses the right temperature halfway through). Along with the perfect temperature, the idea is to make the proposition wholesome by offering the right quantity with best quality at a lucrative price point. If we speak about our brands in particular, Bee Young is a vibrant brand that is conceptualized to connect with the millennial vibe. It is a fresh, youthful creation that delivers a crisp, clean, punchy sip - every time. It is created using choicest ingredients which will evoke a sense of adventure and curiosity and thrill. The sparkly yellow body frame connotes ‘Happy & Vibrant’ state of mind of the TG linking to the taste profile of the brew. 

Yavira, our premium offering is curated for the discerning audience in the perfect black & gold packaging. ‘Yavira’ derives itself from the Sanskrit word for beer and honours our tradition of homegrown ferments and brews. Made with handpicked, organic ingredients, Yavira is a balanced brew that is crisp yet creamy, racy yet silky, smooth, daring but not daunting, aromatic and fruity yet malty and hoppy. It is one balanced beer that pairs brilliantly with the finest of Indian cuisine – be it in a fine-dining or a familiar setting at home.

The industry calculates cases on the basis of 7.8 litres per case (650mlx12). However, the beers are 1.5 times more per case as all the cases are 12 litres. 

 

 

What are your expansion plans for the year 2020?  
Jindal:  2020 is going to be our first full year of operations and we expect to do our first million cases in sales in the year 2020. We also expect to be present in at least 6 States during this period. We also intend to increase our product offerings from 2 to 3. Our premium offering Yavirā shall be available in key markets like Mumbai, Bangalore, Goa etc. We are in advanced discussions to have our presence in UAE and Singapore markets.

 

What is your take on the craft beer market with respect to changing trends? 

Jindal: I believe the craft beer market is on the growth trajectory. With surge of brands in the segment, market has started to mature, creating great opportunities for players like us. Traditionally, in Asia, it was seen that consumers prefer low IBU beers, however,  recently there has been a paradigm shift in taste preference of consumers. With the rise in globalisation, consumers are acquinted to international flavours and textures, enjoying more balanced hops & malts, which makes way for newer and innovative brews.

Acknowledging the trends, we are keen to leverage from the acquired taste prefrences and serve the Indian audience with different brews and flavours. The future of craft beer is very promising and we are very excited for the coming times.

 

Where have you set up the brewery and why?

Jindal: Our brewery is in Patiala, Punjab. It is a strategically correct place for us because of the proximity to Bhakra Dam from where the water is sourced for production. Being situated in such a location, there is year-round availability of rice and other ingredients. Having operational in the north of India currently the logistics is hassle free. Also, to mention we have experience ease of carrying out business in Punjab, given the duties and policies of the state.

 

What does the sales graph look like ever since the launch?

Jindal: We launched both our beers ‘Bee Young & Yavira’ in the month of September 2019, which also meant starting off in the lean season, after two years of extensive research & backend preparation. Since the launch we have dispatched over one lakh cases in the markets of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand where we are currently operating. To quote the numbers, we are selling around 30,000 cases per month in these markets. As the season approaches in March we expect this number to rise rapidly to over 1,50,000 cases a month. Having received great traction and response in the said markets, we have just set our foot in Punjab this month. Being extremely hopeful to achieve good numbers in this territory as well.

The brand Bee Young, since the date of its launch has been the second highest selling beer in its category in Delhi. And we are thrilled to be awarded as ‘Best Debutant Beer of the Year’ by Spiritz Achiever Award 2019.

We have an internal target of achieving 1 million cases sales for the first financial year of 2020-21.

Currently the two brands are available in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab markets. With the unique 500 ML bottles being launched for the first time in the country, offers consumers an advantage of enjoying a brew in an absolutely right quantity and at the right temperature.

 

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