CRAFT BREWS A TRIBUTE TO INDIAN HERITAGE
Other Desi Beer Co. brings flavors of South Asia that owner grew up loving
Ravi Patel grew up helping out in his father’s package store, The Grog Shop of Meriden. Today, Patel makes beers that are sold in The Grog Shop and about 150 other package stores in Connecticut.
The leap from store clerk to brewer has its roots in Patel’s days at Eastern Connecticut State University. He discovered the Willimantic Brewing Company and became fascinated by the beer-making process.
Once Patel caught the beer-brewing bug, it never let him go. In 2018, he launched his brand, Other Desi Beer Co., which is based at Thimble Island Brewery in Branford. The name of the company, the names of the beers, the elephant design on the cans and the ingredients all pay tribute to Patel’s Indian heritage.
“I always use an English word with a Hindi word on the labels, to teach people a little bit of the language and culture,” Patel said. “Also I was thinking it would be really cool to see some
of the flavors I loved growing up in beers. India has such a variety of fruits, flavors, spices, sweets to integrate into my beers.”
Desi refers to a person with roots in the Indian subcontinent. Patel, 32, of Wallingford, came up with “Other Desi” after being asked what kind of “Indian” he was, South Asian or Native American.
“I was with friends on the train coming back from a Yankees game. Somebody on the train asked the question, what kind of Indian are you, and he put four fingers behind his head like feathers, and then a finger on his forehead like a dot. I was astonished he was asking that question. It was just weird and awkward. He was being racist but in the most joking way possible,” Patel said.
“I figured it would take that name and turn it into something positive rather than negative. Yes, I am the Other Desi. I am South Asian,” he said.
Craft brewers of South Asian descent are rare in New England, he said. “There’s a lot of South Asians in Chicago and in Texas right now brewing beer. It’s fantastic. ... But not in New England.”
His first beer, which hit stores in 2019, was Hoppy Hathi, an IPA made with Cashmere, Amarillo and Saphir hops, with cantaloupe and lychee flavors. His second was Bangin’ Bhangra, a pale ale with Amarillo and Centennial hops, grapefruit rind and citrus. High Chai Stout came next, an Imperial stout brewed with chai and Parle-G biscuits, a popular Indian snack. It has notes of
black tea, cinnamon, cardamom, black peppercorn, ginger, mint, vanilla and chocolate.
Patel’s fourth beer, a pink guava hibiscus sour called 3 Ranis, was created with a sense of sentiment. The title, which means three queens, was dedicated to Patel’s mother and two aunts. “I wanted to thank them for all the hard work, taking care of us whenwewere young,” Patel said.
Currently, Other Desi is manufacturing two beers. Dishoom! Is named after the sound in old Bollywood movies to show when one character punches another. The IPA has notes of tropical fruit and melon. The name Jalebae, an IPA with flavors of citrus, tangerine and pepper, combines two words, the Indian sweet Jalebi and bae, the slang term for significant other.
The labels of Patel’s beer cans were designed by Jessica Batista of Hartford.
Like everyone else, the coronavirus pandemic hit Patel hard. There were no brew festivals to get people to try his beer. Many package stores closed to foot traffic, operating only on pre-ordering and takeout.
“It’s great when someone goes into a liquor store to look around. They discover something new, maybe my beer, or the owner says, why don’t you try this beer. You can’t do that with curbside pickup and online ordering,” Patel said. “That made it difficult to grow as a company. It put a drag on my business.”
He considers 2021 as a resurrection of his business, and he has recently placed his beers in stores in Pennsylvania.
Patel works part time at a A&D Liquors in Wallingford while he perfects his brewing company.
He contracts space at Thimble Island, using its equipment and workers. His dream is to have his own brewery and tap room.
Meanwhile, he uses his beer to give back to the community. In 2019, he gave 5% of his proceeds to Kid U Not, a living organ donor fund based in Branford. In 2020, he gave 5% to Greenwich-based Breast Cancer Alliance. This year, he is giving 5% to the Connecticut Hospitality Education Foundation (CHEF), the nonprofit philanthropic arm of the Connecticut Restaurant Association, which operates to attract, develop and retain career-oriented restaurant professionals.
Patel said there is another meaning to Other Desi.
He said South Asians often are stereotyped as belonging in certain professions: owning gas stations and package stores, becoming doctors and lawyers. His title seeks to inspire South Asian people to follow their dreams.
“We’re more than that. We also have other interests. You can be in this industry as well,” he said. “If there is something you want to do, I get it, your parents may not want you to do that, but if you want to go for something, go for it.”
A map of package stores that carry Other Desi is at otherdesibeer.com. In addition, the beer is available at Thimble Island Brewing, as well as restaurants including the House of Naan and Pataka, both in New Haven; The Dawg House Bar & Grill in Meriden; Side Street Griille in Hamden; and Tap & Vine in Wallingford.