In an exclusive interview with HospitalityTALK, Hospitality veteran Dhananjay Kumar better known as DJ, the general manager of Hotel The Royal Plaza, New Delhi, introduces the freshly fermented and launched Delhi’s first microbrewery.
Perfect Launch
Pouring a mug full of cheer and happy times for Delhiites, Hotel The Royal Plaza New Delhi gets the capital city its first brewery. “The goal was to obtain the appropriate drink at the appropriate location since beer is in great demand. Gurgaon and Noida both had microbreweries that catered to the residents of Delhi-NCR. Delhi, though, was noticeably absent. To capitalize on this, we launched one of the finest microbreweries in the capital.” explains Kumar.
Potential in the segment
There is a lot of potential in this space as the appetite for the drink is only growing in the Delhi-NCR region. About 70% of NCR beer is consumed by young people who purchase it from microbreweries. So, you see a great deal of demand. While Hotel The Royal Plaza is the top microbrewery in Delhi, it ranks fourth in the NCR region. There is no other microbrewery in any other hotel in Delhi, which makes Royal Plaza the first microbrewery in Delhi.
All beers are produced with various German malts and European hops. Refreshing German wheat beer with hop bitterness and a very thick, mousy, long-lasting white head, with a characteristic banana-and-clove yeast character, high carbonation, and a dry aftertaste. Lager, with light gold hues, is refreshing crisp and bitter with a medium dry finish and medium-light body with high carbonation. A must-try for beer lovers!
Dark Stout Rises is a dark as midnight with a thick tan head, a deep velvety sense of chocolate and coffee, and a pleasantly roasty aftertaste. Belgian Wit is a wheat-based beer with a light to medium body, moderate sweetness, and a zesty orange-fruity taste, low hop bitterness, and strong carbonation with a huge white head, flavoured with coriander.
Collaborations with the Travel Trade
Kumar further shares, “We are collaborating and talking to a few corporatess. Since we sit right in the heart of the city, we have our regular clients who have appreciated this move. We do have plans in place to tie up with some of our existing clients and explore new opportunities in this space.”
Incentives for the trade
“At the moment, we are giving them as and when they require. For consumers, however, we are offering a unique deal. For only Rs.1850, they can purchase an unlimited beer package that allows them to consume as much beer as they choose. This is one of the finest Austrian plants that is installed here and the ingredients that are being used are all German,” says Kumar.
