Craft bear manufacturing:UP is all set to join the big league

Lucknow,June 14(HS)Uttar Pradesh, which is often called by critics a socially and economically a backward state, will soon join the list of illustrious states which manufacture and sell craft or unbottled beer.This soft alcoholic beverage will be manufactured,like them,by hotels ,restaurants and pubs in different parts of  the state.

Necessary arrangements have been made and new rules and regulations framed.Licences are expected to be issued soon. The U P Brewey Rules,1961,which could come in the way will be amended shortly,an official said .Initially,licences are likely to be given to public bars.

This is a part of the new excise policy which is aimed at promoting tourism and earning extra revenue.A cow corpus to protect stray cattle will be created from the extra revenue earning from the new scheme which will also provide additional employment opportunities.

The microbreweries have been already set up in states like Maharastra,Karnataka,Delhi and Telangana.The breweries in the state will be modelled on some of these states.

According to one licence seeker,the cost of setting a microbrewery will be around Rs 1.5 crore.The cost includes payment of Rs 50,000 for registration and Rs 1.5 lakh as licence fee.The licence is renewable. The craft beer will  have maximum eight per cent alcohol.

Using largely barley and fruits this soft drink has already become popular in some of the states and may find many takers in this.

A restaurant,pub or hotel can serve up to 600 litres of  beer per day.Flouting  of norms will attract penalty of the order of Rs 5,000 per day. With the setting up of these breweries, the annual liquor sales will jump.So will revenue earning.It has already increased by 38 per cent .

A microbrewery or craft brewery which produces small amounts of beer was set up in the UK nearly 50 years ago.More units came up later and some existing ones expanded .According to one source,the first microbrewery in India was set up in Pune in 2009.Manufacturing of different brands of beer began in Bombay( now Mumbai) a year later.

Bangalore(Bengaluru now) which has a large number of pubs is reported to already have over 60 microbreweries.It may be a record of sorts.