Oktoberfest – Made in India!

By Oliver Schauf, Brewmaster, Doolally Brewing Company

It’s that time of the year again for us humble brewers to pay our respects to the biggest beer celebration of the year. While Germany has no shortage of festivals, at the top of the heap is the revered and sometimes reviled Oktoberfest. To attend one is to experience what Germans call Gemütlichkeit, a distinctly German easy-going good time that is usually centred on beer. Lots and lots of beer! So, imagine great beer, good food, fabulous company, and plenty of friends to enjoy it all!

During the Oktoberfest, Munich's largest and most traditional breweries invite the world to join the festivities. Guests drink beer by the litre, eat traditional goodies such as pretzels and schnitzels, listen to live brass bands playing authentic Bavarian music, and have a crazy time with hundreds of other people from all over the world. The 7,000,000 litres of beer (last year’s count!), platefuls of hearty food, beautiful tents with long wooden tables protected by ancient chestnut trees, makes Oktoberfest one of my favourite festivals of the year.

Since many of you (including me!) won’t be travelling to Germany to experience the Oktoberfest this year, I have put together my recommendations for beer lovers who want to celebrate Oktoberfest right here in India. Sounds interesting? Then say Prosit to Oktoberfest in India!

Pro Tip: Don’t forget about the two Dry Days in the beginning of the month - October – 2 and 8.

BrewPubbing in Pune

A host of German expats, a bustling IT sector and hordes of beer lovers makes Pune the unofficial Oktoberfest hub for beer celebrations of all shapes and sizes. While Doolally was the first microbrewery in Pune in 2009, as of 2013, there are already 3 more and still counting. Here’s my pick of celebrations from craft beer breweries in the Oxford of the East!

Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) Oktoberfest 2013,

Royal Western India Turf Club Ltd

Live Band, “Die Sulmtaler” - an Oktoberfest Brass Band will be flying
in from Germany to play at this year’s IGCC Oktoberfest

We’re celebrating: October 11, 12 and 13.

What’s on tap: Kingfisher and imported beers from Germany which will include a Wheat Beer, Dark Beer and Pilsner.

Foodie Facts: Dig into a range of German dishes like Sauerbraten (beef), Schweinebraten (pork), Honey Roast ham, and Chicken Geschnetzelte, along with an Indian selection of dishes. Deserts like Hausgemachter Apfelstrudel (Apple Pie) and Pancakes are something kids can enjoy.

Entry: No entry, but a membership fee of Rs 2500 that includes 5 complimentary beverage coupons.

Don’t miss: Live Band, “Die Sulmtaler” - an Oktoberfest Brass Band will be flying in from Germany to play at this year’s IGCC Oktoberfest.

To ensure a complete drinking experience we have
brewed 2,000 litres of Märzen, the historic
forerunner of the Oktoberfest in Germany.

Doolally’s Oktoberfest 2013

Corinthians Resort and Club

We’re celebrating: September 27 to October 31

What’s Brewing: In addition to 2,000 litres of Märzen, the historic forerunner of the Oktoberfest in Germany. There will also be a variety of styles inspired by brewmasters from across the world –  Hefeweizen, Apple Cider, Belgian WitBier, Oatmeal Stout and The Other Fisher!

To make your beer binges lighter on your pocket,
make sure you indulge in Factory Hours and Happy Hours

Fun Factor: With Märzen, Lederhosen, Drindls and authentic German food, it will be a month of madness and mayhem as we recreate a little piece of Munich’s Oktoberfest right here in Pune at The 1st Brewhouse.

Foodie Facts: Foodies can also get a taste of Germany with weekend barbecues of Brathendl (BBQ Chicken Wings), German Bratwurst and Weisswurst Sausages, Weiner Schnitzel, Mushroom Roesti, a whole new range of Sizzlers and live counters with Indian and Continental grub.

Don’t miss: To make your beer binges lighter on your pocket, make sure you indulge in Factory Hours and Happy Hours, all days a week from 12 noon to 7 pm, all through October. Make sure you drink beer from Maßkrug (one litre mugs) the size of your head!

Flambos Brewpub,

Bund Garden Road

We’re celebrating: September 27 to October 27

What’s Brewing: Hefeweizen, Blonde Ale, Saison and Honey Hard Cider

Foodie Facts: Special Sunday Brunch through the month - with Unlimited Fresh brews and Unlimited food priced at Rs 799 from 1 pm to 4 pm.

Don’t miss: Happy Hours all through October and their Sunday Sundowners.

Irish Village,

Koregaon Park

We’re celebrating: All through October

What’s Brewing: In addition to the brews on tap, the adventurous non-beer drinkers can try their Brew Cocktails - Irish Car Bomb (Stout, whisky, Irish cream), Trojan Horse (stout and cola), Fruity Beer (fruit juice and beer), Red Eye (tomato juice and beer). I repeat - For the adventurous only!

Foodie Facts: The regular brick oven pizzas, bar grubs and a speciality dish called Manakeesh.

Don’t miss: The extensive food menu with cuisines inspired from around the world.

Bangalore Beers it up

Kingfisher The Great Indian Octoberfest 2013

Venue is yet to be finalised

We’re celebrating: The 9th edition of this huge event will be held in Bangalore on October 18, 19 and 20.

What’s on tap: Now that’s a no-brainer – Kingfisher, of course!

Entry: While venue and ticketing details have not yet been finalised, by the time this article comes out, the details will be online.

Don’t miss: Although I have never had the chance to attend the festival myself, I hear that it is three days of fun, music, food and good times. Last year they had an incredible line up of musicians in different arenas catering to various genres of music including Bay Beat Collective, Indian Ocean, Raghu Dixit, Sunidhi Chauhan to name a few.

Toit Brewpub,

100 Feet Road, Indiranagar

We’re celebrating: Last week of September and all through October (till their stocks last)

What’s Brewing: Toit’s Organic Oktoberfest – traditional Oktoberfest brew made using 100% organic malt and hops. Regular brews will continue to be on tap!

Foodie Facts: Dig into a delightful German menu with traditional food like German Sausage platter, Weiner Schnitzel, Pretzels, German Sausage Pizza and Peach Crumble.

Don’t miss: The organic brew – Organic Oktoberfest - Sounds crafty and delicious!

The Biere Club,

Vittal Mallya Road

We’re celebrating: September 21 to October 6

What’s Brewing: Chilli Lager, Maison (The Oktoberfest Bier) along with other fresh brews.

Foodie Facts: Indulge in their spicy and fiery Mexican fare during the festival. Perfect with a cold pint!

Don’t miss: If you are in Bangalore on October 3, 2013, drop in for their Comedy Night that has a Rs 1,000 entry. Some good food, nice beers and couple of laughs sounds like fun!

Malty Mumbai!

Unfortunately, there are a couple of places that still haven’t procured a license to brew. While these brewpubs are in Mumbai, in the true Mumbai spirit, they are not letting that rain on their Oktoberfest parade. With a large selection of imported beers from around the world, they are putting their best foot forward to recreate the magic that is Oktoberfest. In addition to the Mumbai brewpubs, here is also a list of my favourite pubs that put beer before anything else while crafting their experiences.

The Barking Deer Brewpub

Lower Parel

Even with no license to brew, their mix of Indian and
imported beers will make sure that it’s not going to
be dull at, hopefully, Mumbai’s first brewpub!

We’re celebrating: October 21 to October 27

What’s Brewing: Even with no license to brew, their mix of Indian and imported beers will make sure that it’s not going to be dull at, hopefully, Mumbai’s first brewpub!

What’s on Tap: Get your “good” beer buzz with beer cocktails like Michelada, Summer Hoedown, The Stout Diplomat or Irish Car Bomb, along with their selection of imported beers from Czech, Mexico, Germany, Italy and other iconic beer drinking regions.

Foodie Factor: The Barking Deer Brewpub will host a celebration of German food and culture from Monday through Thursday with special pairings of traditional German pub cuisine paired with imported German brews.

Entry: Rs 1,000 will provide tickets for ample food and drink.

Don’t miss: On Friday and Saturday evenings the pub will transform into a German Beer Hall with German music, food and flowing beer.

The Daily,

Bandra

We’re celebrating: September 29 to October 10

What’s on Tap: A range of imported beers from iconic beer drinking regions including Murphy's, Amstel Light, Fullers London Pride, Schneider Weisse, and many others.

Don’t Miss: The interesting décor and discounts on Schneider Weisse, Estrella Galicia and domestic beers like Heineken, Kingfisher Ultra and Kingfisher.

Woodside Inn,

Colaba and Andheri

We’re celebrating: They won’t be celebrating Oktoberfest per say, but will celebrate good beer!

What’s on tap: Schneider Weisse, Erdinger, Duvel, London Pride, London Porter

Foodie Factor: Burgers and Mains are a hot favourite at the eatery.

Don’t miss: Their 15th Beer Tasting Session with the goal to educate people about the different taste profiles of beer, given that the city has traditionally been dominated by only one type of lager.

More than 100,000 sausages, gingerbread cookies,
roast chickens and all sorts of other delicious
German cuisines are also consumed in abundance.

Trivia

The first Oktoberfest was held in 1810, in honor of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig's marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.

Despite its age, 2013 is actually the 180th Oktoberfest. The event was cancelled during both World Wars.

Traditional costumes are no joke, and just
about all of the locals will be in Bavarian dress.

Traditional costumes are no joke, and just about all of the locals will be in Bavarian dress. Women typically wear a dress called a dirndl, which usually has an apron and corseting front. Men wear lederhosen -- German for "leather pants" - with knee-high socks, suspenders and a traditional shirt, often checkered blue and white, the colours of Bavaria. 

During the fest, revellers consume upwards of 7 million litres of beer, all of it made by Munich's famous local breweries.

Beer Traveller in Belgium

By Oliver Schauf

“The customs, institutions, achievements and observable manifestations of the activities of producing, serving and drinking beer.” - Evan Rail on “Beer Culture”

One of the most satisfying things about being a Craft Brewer (besides not having to pay for my beer!) is that during the course of my career over the last decade or so I have had the unique opportunity to experience the the native Beer Culture of a dozen odd countries!

From the boisterous beer halls of Munich to the quaint beer cafes in Brussels serving ever quainter beers to the the tiny Izakayas in downtown Tokyo serving crisp dry lager with some delectable grilled chicken, these cultures, in the words of a famous beer writer, are truly “A celebration of the multifarious pleasures of beer drinking.”

This week, I thought it would be fun to give you, the reader, a short tour of one of my favourite Beer Countries!

Belgium-Beer Traveller in Wonderland: “Curiouser and curiouser!” is how Alice would describe the ‘beer scene’ in Belgium! As the beer columnist Andrew Jefford puts it, “If ever there was a country with a chaotic, anarchic, archaic proliferation of brewing traditions and styles, it's Belgium. The Belgians still appreciate the sensual possibilities and resonances that great beers offer. Drinking beer in Belgium is a delight - not in the least because the table is wiped clean after every client but because every beer has its own glass, and every glass its own little napkin.”

Situated at a ‘geographical sweet spot’ between storied beverage cultures - Holland to the North, France to the south, Germany to the east and United Kingdom across the channel to the west - it is not surprising that the Belgian brewers have liberally drawn influences from all these and applied it to their craft! And this is amply visible in the stunning diversity of ingredients, flavours and aesthetics in beers that these brewers make!

There is a the usual proliferation of interpretations of classical styles. From the refreshing summer ales brewed in French speaking regions to the south to the sparkling and exuberant  golden ale (Duvel being most famous of these) to a spicy citrusy interpretation of the wheat beer (Hoegaarden anyone?) to the dark brooding Belgian stout (a close cousin of the almost defunct British Milk Stout), these beers by themselves offer a breathtaking variety of experiences and are enough to keep a thirsty beer tourist busy over months!

And as good as these beers are, no discussion on the beer culture in Belgium will be complete without a nod to the most famous of Belgium’s contributions to the world of beers - The Trappist Beers and the Lambics. This is a territory where beer stops being beer and assumes a transcendental magical quality! These are, if I might, the ‘iPhones’ of the world of beers!

In a tradition that goes back to middle ages, the Trappist beers are brewed by or under the control of Trappist monk and are amongst the rarest beers in world! There are only *Seven* Trappist monasteries in the world that make these beers and are authorised to label their beers with the Authentic Trappist Product.


Classified as Enkel, Dubbel and Tripel based on their relative strength, all the Trappist beers are ales and are characterised by complex and unusual flavor and aroma produced by the unique strains of yeast used to makes these beers (yeast strains that, not surprisingly, are closely protected secrets!) Some of the most sought after beers in the world today are of Trappist origin. The Westvleteren 12, for example, brewed inside the Trappist Abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren in the beautiful town of Westvleteren is considered by many to be the Best Beer in the World! Such is the draw of the mystique of these elusive beers, that every year, thousands of beer aficionados make a trip to all these Trappist monasteries to experience first hand the sights, smells and colours of this storied tradition!

If the Trappist beers are marked by reverence to tradition then the Lambic beers (Lambics) are marked by their studied irreverence for anything traditional as far as beer making is concerned - be it ingredients or brewing techniques. Brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium (southwest of Brussels), Lambics are wheat beers that are brewed using a quirky technique called spontaneous fermentation. So, while most modern beers are fermented with carefully cultivated strains of brewer's yeasts; Lambic's fermentation is produced by exposure to the wild yeasts and bacteria that are said to be native to the Senne valley! It is this use of wild yeast strains that give these beers their distinctive dry, vinous and cidery flavours usually with a sour aftertaste.

Fruit Lambics is another example of the inventiveness of the Belgian brewers! These fruit beers are made by adding fruit/fruit concentrate to Lambic beer. The most common type is Kriek (made with cherries). Other fruits used are raspberry (Framboise), peach and blackcurrant! Delicious, isn’t it?

So, when you are in Belgium the next time, do as the Belgians do and pick up the strangest sounding name on the beer list! You will never walk away disappointed!

Travel Tips for Beer Lovers in Belgium

Must-try Lambic Beers
Mort Subite
Belle-Vue
Cantillon
Saint-Louis

Must-try Trappist Beers
Chimay
Orval
Rochefort
Westmalle
Westvleteren

Must do: If you’re planning to head to Belgium, visit in early September and you’ll be able to catch the Belgian Beer Weekend!

Beer Travels and Travails!

A Beer Pilgrimage across Germany

By Oliver Schauf

“Scarcely is any other product in Germany viewed as emotionally as German beer: It is the drink of the man in the street, Germany's national drink. Germany is the beer nation – and the Germans are justifiably proud of their great beer history and longstanding beer tradition. Beer is sacred. Everything else can change – but not beer.”- Radeberger Gruppe

                        

A nation whose love affair with this beautiful beverage goes back to over 3,000 years! A nation where beer defines part of the national character! The best place to begin this leg of our pilgrimage would be the storied brewing region of Bavaria.

Nestled in the southeast of Germany and home to some of the oldest breweries and brewing styles in world, beer is taken incredibly seriously here! From the Reinheitsgebot or the Bavarian Beer Purity Law (An edict issued by Wilhelm IV, the Duke of Bavaria in 1516, it mandated that the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer were malted barley/wheat, water and hops) and chestnut shaded beer gardens of Munich to the monumental excesses of the Oktoberfest, the Bavarians have almost single-handedly invented the very idea of ‘German Beer’ and all that it stands for.

And this inventiveness is amply visible in the four dozen odd beer styles that are native to this region. From the pale blonde and hugely quaffable Helles to the heady and brooding Bockbier to the cloudy and spicy Hefeweizen, the Bavarian beers offer a range of sensory experiences that will delight and seduce any beer pilgrim worth his salt. 

The one beer that deserves a special mention is the Rauchbier that is the speciality of the town of Bamberg. If there is any city in the world that understands the importance of ‘challenging’ beers, it must be Bamberg! And while the brewers here do produce variations of other styles, it is famous for a much older, indigenous type: the smoked-malt brew called Rauchbier. The malts are roasted on an open fire with beechwood logs, giving it a robust smoky aroma and flavour that will- well- explode in your mouth! And the best place to sample this style is the Schlenkera brewery’s taproom above the Regnitz River- Poured from wooden barrels propped up on the bar and into sturdy ceramic steins!

Travel out of Bavaria and you will see the iron grip of the purity law loosen up and some quirkiness starts being evident in the beers! Travel northward to the cities of Leipzig and Berlin and you will find this strangeness on full display in the beer styles that are native to these two cities - The Berliner Weisse and the Gose.

Brewed first in the city of Goslar from which it derives its name, the Gose is the most deceptive beer I have sampled! Even though it looks like any ordinary wheat beer, it does things to your taste buds that no other beer can! The sharp lemon tartness, a herbal characteristic and a strong saltiness dance a tango on your tongue that you will remember for a long time!

The Berliner Weisse on the other hand doesn’t even look the part of being a beer! This quirky little beer style that has been brewed in Berlin since the 16th century is a cloudy and sour wheat beet at about 3 per cent ABV (Alcohol by Volume) with a wicked twist in way it is served! It get its sharp sour flavour from the use of lactobacillus (the same bacteria used in making yoghurt!) in the making process. To mask this sourness, the Berliner Weisse is served in goblets doctored with a shot of sweet syrup (Raspberry or Woodruff)! Yes - if you order a pint of Berliner Weisse don’t get startled if what arrives at your table is vermillion or garish jade in colour! It is exactly what you wanted!

The last stop on this leg of our pilgrimage will be the cities of Cologne and Dusseldorf. Located in a region that is broadly referred to as Rhineland, these two cities have old and venerable brewing tradition.

Kölsch is the style of beer that is native to the city Cologne! This pale golden ale with a prominent hoppiness and crisp finish is the epitome of a summer beer. Historically brewed only within the municipal limits of Cologne, this beer is served in the tall, cylindrical glasses called stange. An integral part of the of the ‘Kölsch experience’ is the inevitable ‘dressing down’ you will eventually receive from the Köbes as the waiters who will serve you the Kölsch are called! I will very seriously advise you against engaging in any sort of frivolous banter with these folks!

And that brings us to the Dusseldorf! The city where I was born! The city where I learnt my craft! And the city that is home to famous Altbier (Old Beer!), a deep amber coloured full bodied ale!

The name Altbier first appeared in the 1800s to differentiate the beers of Düsseldorf from Kölsch that was gaining a hold in the region and thus began the fabled rivalry! This copper bronze ale with distinctive fruity notes of its English cousins and the crisp finish of its German brethren is a very personable beer that one can spend long summer evenings with!

And always remember two things- Never ask a guy serving you the Kölsch in Cologne for glass of water for he will definitely ask you to take a dip in the Rhine and never ever ask for a or a Altbier in Cologne or for a Kölsch in Dusseldorf! 

Trivia

In Germany, when you are thirsty, ask for a Bier, not Beer

The Maß (pronounced [ˈmas] is a term used in German-speaking countries for a unit of volume. A Maß is defined as exactly 1 litre for a mug containing one litre of liquid, usually beer.

When entering a German pub or restaurant, do not wait to be seated, as you would in India. Germans are social eaters and drinkers. While in India, restaurant patrons expect to be seated separately, Germans pick their own seating in restaurants. Often preferring vacant seats at an already occupied table to the solitude of single dining

For German’s their Oktoberfest is what Diwali is to Indians. All Oktoberfests began as harvest-time country fairs, and today, over 6 million people attend the event every year. Other fun festivals include Canstatter Volksfest (Stuttgart) in October and Fasching (Bavaria) in February.

Gemütlichkeit - This is a spirit, an atmosphere of congeniality that usually has beer at its heart.

Märzen is the historic forerunner of the Oktoberfestbier. Märzen is German for March, so the beer came to be known for the month in which it was brewed.

The Colonial Hangover - Beer in India

Beer flows in India

By Oliver Schauf

Ambitious attempts to ship beer out of Calcutta failed,
mainly because the sea voyage to 4-5 months from
Britain to India, resulting in the sweet, dark ales of Europe,
arriving in India, flat and sour

Beer travellers across the world have discovered, spoken and written about the various styles and brewing techniques of beer across the world. It’s a lesser known fact that beer in India has had a very colourful history that dates back to the 17th century! Now that’s some ingrained history that I will try to explore with this week’s column.

In the 1790s, during the British Raj, the British had firmly established themselves in India. Only one thing was missing – Beer! While beer was a staple in every Britisher’s household, India presented a serious problem for brewers. Due to our sweltering humidity and heat, Brewing in India was impossible. Not only were water supplies scarce, but basic ingredients were impossible to find. 

With more and more sailors being forced to go without their staple beer rations, the navy tried brewing with concentrates and though it was successful on cooler climates, it failed in warmer ones. 

Soon, people were clamouring for the delicious "India Beer".
And that's how the India Pale Ale, or IPA, became famous
throughout Europe and The United States

Finally, a solution was found thanks to George Hodgson of London, who produced a pale ale of greater strength and bitterness than those available in London.

He experimented with the four basic ingredients – water, hops, malt and yeast and invented a beer that would suit the subcontinent.

Extra hops helped protect the beer from spoilage, as did the increased alcohol content. He aged his beer in London for months, until the yeast had consumed almost all the sugars in the beer. This meant that there was little left for organisms to chew on. On top of this, he added hops to each hogshead (wooden barrels) of finished beer—for that extra degree of protection. This beer turned out to be a very uninviting environment for anything that was looking to sour it. It had an alcohol content of 7 percent or more, and everyone hoped it would be sturdy enough for the 5 month sea voyage. Hodgson’s India Ale arrived in Calcutta in fine shape—clear, strong, and bitter, with a big, resinous hop aroma.

But perhaps the real birth of the beer industry actually happened only in 1855 when Edward Dyer established the first ever brewery in India, which was built entirely using European brewing technology, in Kasauli. He called his company Dyer Breweries and much credit goes to him for planting the first seeds of beer brewing in the country. The brewery was soon shifted to nearby Solan (close to the British summer capital Shimla), as there was an abundant supply of fresh spring water there.

This brewery produced Asia's first beer called Lion. 

This brewery produced Asia's first beer called Lion. Lion was originally an IPA (India Pale Ale - which makes it the oldest IPA brand still in existence) but the beer style was changed in the 1960s to a lager. Lion remained the number one beer in India for over a century from the 1840s until the 1960s. Dyer later went on to set up more breweries at Shimla, Murree, Rawalpindi and Mandalay. Unfortunately, today no brewer in India makes India Pale Ale. All Indian beers are either lagers (5 per cent alcohol) or strong lagers (8 per cent alcohol).

Today, of course, in urban areas, the beer landscape has completely changed with access to a large variety of domestic and international brands. From Kingfisher to Hoegaarden, Geist to Schneider-Weisse, beer lovers can easily choose from a variety of dark lagers to pale ales. Craft beer is also a new and exciting trend that is picking up across the Indian shores as microbreweries across India are picking up the pace in their quest to serve handcrafted and fresh beer to beer lovers in Pune, Bangalore and Gurgaon.

Well, this is my version of the history of this manna in India. With a mix of myth and legend blend with fact and history, I hope I have managed to tell a story that is as heady and frothy as the beverage itself!

Trivia!

A true India Pale Ale is usually light amber in colour; has a big, earthy, fruity hop aroma; and wields a hop bitterness, held together by sturdy malt at a strength of at least 6 per cent. The hard water should give a clipped, refreshing mineral finish.

India Pale Ale beers are sturdy enough to handle powerful spices and their hop flavours go well with the coriander, cardamom and curry common in Indian food. Not surprisingly, India Pale Ale is quite good with Indian cuisine and it brandishes the cutting power to slice through creamy dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala.

Edward Dyer was not only famous for beer but for fathering a son named Reginald Dyer. Yes - The father of the Indian brewing industry was also the father of ‘The Butcher of Amritsar’. 

Microbreweries serving handcrafted beer in India include Doolally Craft Beers in Pune, The Biere Club in Bangalore, Howzzat, Hops N Brew, Rockman, among others in Gurgaon.

Brewing Fiction - TV and Beer?

Brewing Fiction

By Oliver Schauf, Brewmaster, Doolally Brewing Co.

From the decidedly mundane “Duff Beer” in Simpsons to the strange and ethereal “Romulan Ale” Star Trek, Television sitcoms and films have always been choc-a-bloc with references to beer! 

And I am not talking about the use of beer just as a convenient plot device or some ‘Mega brand product placement’ rubbish. I am talking about the fascinating universe of fictional beer brands! Beer brands that are amongst the most loved brands in existence. Beer brands that have recognition and affection that most brands dream for. Beer brands that, unfortunately, will never be found on any restaurant menus!

Let’s look the stories and the little bits of fun trivia behind some of them shall we!?

1. Duff Beer- Simpsons:
Homer Simpson’s poison of choice, Duff is probably the most famous fictional beer brand of them all! A cheap main stream beer, it’s a parody of large American beer brands. Legend has it that the name ‘Duff’ came up in a brain storming session when the staff kept referring to beer as ‘Duff’ and the name stuck! My personal favourite ‘Duff scene’ is the episode in which Homer and Barney tour the Duff brewery, where it is revealed that Duff, Duff Light and Duff Dry are, in fact, the exact same beer! 

Such is the popularity of this fictional beer brand that it has ‘inspired’ a whole lot of real world ‘entrepreneurs’ to sell their own beers under the ‘Duff’ monkier! Go figure!

2. Pawtucket Patriot Ale- Family Guy: 
Not surprisingly my personal favourite fictional beer brand comes from my favourite sitcom- Family Guy! 

Manufactured in the fictional city of Quahog, Rhode Island and the libation of choice of the show’s patriarch, Peter, the Pawtucket Ale derives its name from a real world town with the same name. The owner of this brewery is an eccentric genius named Pawtucket Peter whose character is a parody of Rohald Dhal’s Willy Wonka from Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. Brewed by Chumbawumbas, dwarfen creatures that parody the Oompaloompas from the original book, this fictional beer is, by my estimates, an American style pale ale! 

My most favourite thing about this fictional beer brand, you ask?- Its tag line that says - "If you buy it, hot women will have sex in your back yard!”

P.S.: In 2007, in a strange case of reverse product placement, the producers of the show licensed the Pawtucket Patriot Ale brand to a real world brewery! So if you find a six pack of this at your friendly neighbourhood theka then be sure to drop me a word!!

3. Romulan Ale- Star Trek:
Ask hard core trekkies (i.e. Star Trek fans) what do the words ‘Romulan Ale’ mean to them and you will see their eyes glaze over into a distant blissful stare! 

Keeping true to the show’s promise of ‘To go where no man has gone before’, the scriptwriters at Star Trek have taken ‘Beer’ to the final frontier - Space! 

From the extremely rare Alderaanian ale brewed from fragrant grains once native to the planet Alderaan to the downright weird XYZ, the beers in the Star Trek universe are sometimes as interesting as the storylines and the alien races in the show! 

My personal favourite though is the Romulan Ale! A highly intoxicating beer of Romulan origin with a characteristic blue colour, this one is shown sometimes to have a strange ethereal glow! 

Yes - A beer that glows! It’s just too awesome to be true, isn’t it?! What makes this fictional beer even more interesting is the fact that it’s banned in the federation due to reasons of potency (When it comes to the Romulan Ale, the Federation is little like Gujarat!)

4. Buzz Beer
The Drew Carey Show: An integral part of the storyline in this iconic show, the Buzz beer is a concoction of beer and coffee brewed initially in Drew’s garage and on the show it is sold at the Warsaw Tarven which is the favourite watering hole for Drew and his gang! 

It’s introduced as a plot element in the last episode of the first season when Drew and gang, hoping to utilise their collective ‘talents’ better, decide to pool money and start a microbrewery in Drew’s garage! Believe it or not, it is Lewis and Oswald, far from being the most ‘astute’ of the lot, who come up with the idea of a coffee-flavoured beverage called Buzz Beer.

P.S.: According to one character on the show, Lewis Kiniski, “The combination of caffeine and alcohol should be more addictive than heroin, but so far sales haven’t borne that out!”

And with these four we are barely scratching the surface as far as fictional beer brands. It’s universe with such a rich diversity that sometimes it makes the real world feel positively pedestrian! How I wish I was a brewer in the Star Trek universe!! How I wish.


Quick Quiz!

Beer Trivia on the Silver Screen

In Dumb and Dumber, what does the beer bottles contain?
Lloyd's pee

What movie is this line from: "Want a beer? Want some ether?"
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

In Smokey & The Bandit, what were the Bandit & Snowman smuggling?
Beer

In Fight Club, who said "We're on our third pitcher of beer?"
Tyler

What beer do they serve in Desperado?
Piss Warm Chango