Beer with a twist: BEOR360 bets on chamomile and Himalayan spring water to build a Rs 6 Cr business

Beer has become the go-to drink for urban India. Today, the Indian beer market has evolved from the usual lagers and stouts as customers seek to explore new variants and flavours.

Today, traditional beer is combined with flavours and aromas of lemongrass, citrus, and even coffee to please the crowd. With this trend in mind, Delhi-based beer startup BEOR360 is betting on chamomile and Himalayan spring water to create unique blends.

“We wanted to give a distinct aroma and smoothness to the beer and adding this special herb (chamomile) made a big difference,” says Founder Rishabh Ranjan.

Unique blends

BEOR360 is an artisanal craft beer brand which uses the pristine Himalayan spring water and all-natural ingredients of Bhutan. Founded in July 2020 by Rishabh and his cousin Amit Tiwari, it manufactures its beer in small batches.

“We are experimental in our approach to beer making while still being true to our craft,” Rishabh says.

At present, BEOR360 offers two variants of beer — wheat and lager.

Its craft wheat comes with a blend of chamomile. “It is a beer to sit back with, sip, and enjoy. The chamomile soothes one's senses and its calmness helps find the balance within,” Rishabh explains.

The craft wheat has a right mix of barley malt, wheat, and hops that allow the chamomile to emerge from the hazy, unfiltered brew. “A swirl towards the end of the pint while pouring the BEOR360 craft wheat into the glass will help you savour the flavour,” he adds.

On the other hand, the lager is soothing and refreshing with a unique ingredient — Himalayan spring water.

Available at more than 150 locations in bars, restaurants, and liquor outlets across Delhi-NCR, BEOR360 beers are priced at Rs 120 for a 330 ml bottle.

The beer is available in restaurants like Cafe Delhi Heights and Tonino, and in hotels like Hyatt, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, and The Roseate, among others. It is also available in Delhi Golf Club and Niti Bagh Lawyers Club.

“We plan to expand in other parts of the country — Uttar Pradesh, Hyderabad, and Mumbai by this year,” Rishabh shares.

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Passion for the craft

Prior to starting up, Rishabh has worked with Uber as its Regional Head, and with CarDekho as an Associate Director.

Amit, on the other hand, is an experienced entrepreneur and an active investor in hospitality, infrastructure, and healthcare industries.

“Our passion and love for beer set us on a path to craft the perfect brew. We wanted a beer that can become a companion for passionate individuals and bring like-minded people together for deeper conversations,” Rishabh explains.

For this, the duo travelled across countries to understand the markets in Europe, as well as in India. Then, they worked on their recipe for up to four months before introducing BEOR360 in the market last year.

“The idea was to experiment with high-quality ingredients and not add any preservatives or chemicals,” Rishabh adds.

“We saw the pandemic as the right time to introduce a product that speaks of passion, and get people to taste the unique taste and flavour of BEOR360. The response was phenomenal, which led us to expand through Delhi in no time,” Rishabh says. However, the startup did face supply chain issues during the lockdowns.

“We learnt a lot from the lockdowns when our goods movement was hampered and the team is now well equipped to tackle such hurdles,” he adds.

Within the first two months since its launch, BEOR360 was able to reach more than 50,000 customers.

Talking about the challenges, Rishabh says that the regulatory issues are the biggest hurdles that the startup faces. “Every state has its own excise policy. So, it is like entering a new country altogether. One has to be very well versed with the excise policies of India to grow in the alcohol or beverage industry,” he adds.

Brewing business

BEOR360 has an exclusive tie-up with a brewery in Bhutan to manufacture its beers. The finished product is then imported to India and eventually into relevant cities and states. Once it is approved by the government, the startup pushes it to retail outlets, hotels, bars, and restaurants. 

“We supply the imported goods to an excise approved distributor at a price which factors our cost of goods and our margin. We further utilise this margin to give any kind of incentives in the market for promotion as well as running our daily operations,” Rishabh explains.

BEOR360 is on track to achieve revenue of Rs 2.5 crore in FY2021. In FY2022, it is targeting to hit Rs 6 crore as it expands its presence.

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Indian beer market

According to Statista, the Indian beer market is expected to generate revenues of $14,981 million by the end of this year. It is projected to grow annually by 10.1 percent between 2021 and 2025. Additionally, the report suggests that the average per capita consumption of beer will stand at 3.4 litres.

The Indian beer market includes many startups, including the likes of White Owl, Bad Monkey Beer, Medusa, and Maka Di. However, BEOR360 seems to offer a differentiator.

“We have added chamomile to our wheat, which no other player in the market has. It was quite interesting to try it with our test batches...We offer an altogether unique drinking experience with best quality ingredients imported from across the globe, together with the Himalayan spring water,” Rishabh says.

Road ahead

Going ahead, BEOR360 plans to enter the voluminous strong beer category by the end of this year. “It will enable us to increase our footprint substantially as a brand in the markets that we operate in. It will also help us increase our revenue and ensure a clear roadmap towards profitability in the coming years,” Rishabh explains.

The beer startup has not raised any external funds as of yet but it is open to like-minded investors coming on board. The fundraising will be critical in locking capacities and expansion into new markets such as Telangana, Maharashtra, and Goa.

“Our passion is beer and brewing, and we want to be a companion for you and your passionate pursuits,” Rishabh says.