Taj Hotels may soon have an in-house microbrewery

Anheuser-Busch InBev, the maker of Budweiser, Corona, and Hoegaarden, and the Tata-owned Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) have partnered to launch micro-breweries inside Taj hotel properties in India.

Both companies will together invest Rs 150 crore to introduce 15 microbreweries in key Taj properties over the next five years. As part of this partnership, Ab Inbev will handle the backend like brewing and the beer recipes, while Taj will be running the outlets.

Ben Verhaert, President, South Asia, AB InBev, said, “We will leverage our collective strength to shape the beer category in India. While Taj will bring hospitality excellence and beautiful locations, we have a vast portfolio of craft brands globally and together, that can elevate the country's brew pub experience.”

“The idea is to sell a local product portfolio and it is a fairly large investment. We will spend Rs 150 crore in the first five years,” Verhaert further added.

Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IHCL, stated, “This partnership, exclusive to IHCL will be a first of its kind in the hospitality industry in India. With its diverse collection of over 500 beer brands, AB InBev will be involved in setting up on-site microbreweries at some of our iconic hotels; the first of which will be at Taj MG Road, Bengaluru, followed by Goa, Mumbai and Hyderabad.”

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