Hop hop hurray, say Delhiites
If you love the taste of freshly brewed beer, a mugful of happiness is on its way. With the government now allowing the setting up of micro-breweries in Delhi, craft beer connoisseurs and restaurant owners are rejoicing the move. Until now, Delhiites had to travel to Gurgaon or Faridabad to visit a brewery, but the city is now ready to convert itself into a fresh beer Capital.
“We got a notification about the breweries a day before, not a legal one, but our excise guys have told us that it’s on its way. This is very exciting news as we were losing a lot of revenue to Gurgaon. We will be incorporating micro-breweries in restaurants and opening new ones dedicated entirely to fresh beer,” says Priyank Sukhija, who owns restaurants and pubs across Delhi. Restaurateur Atul Kapur adds, “It was two years ago that I shared a proposal with the then government for beer breweries to operate within Delhi. Knowing it’s happening now, I can only say that it’s better late than never.”
Beer lovers in the city say they couldn’t be happier. “Every weekend, my friends and I travel to Gurgaon for lager or pale ale. Now, I can’t wait to taste a fresh mug in Delhi itself,” says Sachin Batra, 28, businessman. Media professional Chhavi Vashishtha, 25, adds: “I only drink beer but I hate the bottled variety. Brewed beer has its own character and I can’t wait to have it in the Capital.”