Bira 91 - India's Craft Beer Pioneer

Ankur Jain's path to Bira 91 started in the United States. He moved to Chicago in 1998 to study Computer Science at the Illinois Institute of Technology and spent several years in the tech and healthcare sectors before returning to India in the late 2000s.

Back home, he noticed a glaring gap: the craft beers he had enjoyed in America and Europe simply didn't exist in India. In 2009, he founded Cerana Beverages - a company that imported and distributed premium European and American craft beers across Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. This gave him years of firsthand education in what made good beer good, and what Indian drinkers were ready to try.

By 2014, he had raised seed funding and was ready to build his own brand. He contracted a craft brewery in Belgium's Flanders region to produce the first batches of Bira, using ingredients sourced from France, Belgium, the Himalayas, and Bavarian farms. The result was a beer unlike anything available in India at the time.

Bira 91 officially launched in February 2015 - debuted by the Belgian Ambassador to India at an event in Delhi with over 500 guests. It started with two variants: Bira 91 White and Bira 91 Blonde. Within months, demand outpaced supply. By 2016, Sequoia Capital made Bira its first-ever investment in the Indian alcohol space, bringing in $6 million. The initial supply from Belgium couldn't keep up for long - B9 Beverages eventually built its own breweries across India, bringing production home while maintaining the same recipe and quality.

Today, Bira operates multiple breweries in India and distributes nationally and internationally, with taprooms in Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, and Ludhiana.

Signature Products

Bira 91 brews across several styles - which is itself unusual for an Indian beer brand:

Bira 91 White is the flagship wheat beer - hazy, fruity, lightly spiced, low on bitterness. It's the beer that put Bira on the map. At 4.7% ABV, it's light enough to be a session beer but flavourful enough to be interesting.

Bira 91 Blonde is a clear, golden lager brewed with Saaz hops. At 4.9% ABV and 21 IBU, it has a little more bitterness than the White - still approachable, but with more hop character.

Bira 91 Boom is the stronger offering at 6.6% ABV - fuller-bodied, with more malt presence and warmth.

Bira 91 Lite is the lightest in the range at around 3.5% ABV, designed for those who want a lower-calorie, easy-drinking option.

Bira 91 IPA is the most hop-forward - India's first IPA brewed and bottled in India when it launched in 2017.

What Makes This Brand Unique

Three things set Bira 91 apart in the Indian market.

First, it genuinely prioritises flavour over volume. Most Indian lagers are engineered for high turnover and affordability - Bira was built around the question "what would I actually want to drink?" That shows in every variant.

Second, its branding is among the most distinctive in the Indian alcohol space. The bold, colourful packaging, the playful monkey mascot, and the brand's association with music, art, and urban culture have made it an identity product - a beer people choose for what it says about their taste, not just what it tastes like.

Third, it made craft beer accessible. Before Bira, enjoying a wheat beer or IPA in India meant going to an expensive microbrewery or buying costly imports. Bira brought those styles to retail shelves at reasonable price points, and that opened up the craft beer category for a whole generation of Indian drinkers.

Flavor Philosophy

Bira's philosophy - "for this generation, beer means flavour" - is more than a tagline. The brand actively builds beers with aromatic complexity, lower bitterness, and interesting ingredient choices. The White uses coriander and other spices alongside wheat; the Blonde uses Saaz hops for a floral, herbal note; the IPA leans into bold hop bitterness. No two Bira variants taste the same, which is exactly the point.

Popular Bottles

- Bira 91 White (Wheat Beer) - 330ml / 650ml

- Bira 91 Blonde (Craft Lager) - 330ml / 650ml

- Bira 91 Boom (Strong Beer) - 330ml / 650ml

- Bira 91 Lite - 330ml

- Bira 91 IPA - 330ml

Who This Brand Appeals To

Bira 91 is made for curious drinkers - people who enjoy trying something new and want their beer to taste like something, not just feel like something. It's particularly popular with urban millennials, first-time craft beer explorers, and drinkers who are moving away from mainstream lagers and want a next step that's still approachable. The White is the best starting point for absolute beginners; the IPA suits those ready for more intensity.

Responsible Drinking Note

Always enjoy alcohol responsibly and only if you are of legal drinking age in your region. Occasional Drinker encourages mindful and informed consumption.