People in Maharashtra will soon be able to carry their favourite craft beers home from the microbreweries. The excise department of Maharashtra has permitted microbreweries to sell beer in growlers to be consumed at home. The state had first launched the move on an experimental basis for generating revenue during the lockdown period. Now, Maharashtra is the first Indian state to permit takeaway of craft beers via growlers. Previously, New York eateries were offering liquor as take-out along with food. Now a similar initiative is being taken up in India too.
People In Maharashtra Allowed To Carry Craft Beer Home From The Microbreweries ‘In Growlers’
According to the amendments of the Bombay Foreign Liquor Rules and the Special Permits and Licenses Rules, the state will allow microbreweries to sell beer through bars and restaurants and also set up growler-filling stations. The buyers can fill up the growlers with the beer of their choice at these stations. Earlier, the state had also allowed home delivery of alcohol, maintaining social distancing guidelines.
The law has defined a growler as ‘a jar or container of at least one litre but not more than five litres made of any suitable food-grade material’. As per reports, Nakul Bhonsle, the President of the Maharashtra chapter of the Craft Brewers Association of India (CBAI) has declared this move to be a ‘game-changer’ as the state would not have to depend only on restaurants and bars for the beer sales.
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What Else?
The authorities had been planning to introduce these growlers for the last two years. This year, with the lockdown coming to effect, craft brewers were facing huge financial losses. Therefore, the excise department and CBAI decided to implement the idea of takeaway. The amended regulations have also allowed the breweries to produce five lakh litres of beer per year, instead of two lakh litres. A few days ago, in NCR, barmen had to pour nearly 1 lakh litres of fresh beer into the drains as they were unable to preserve the liquids for long.
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So, if you are longing to have a sip of your favourite beer, hit up one of these growler-filling stations, get your drink and enjoy it from the comfy of your home. For now, let’s take y’all on a virtual tour through the alleys of Mumbai.