Frothy fun
Beer cafes are emerging as the new hangouts for spending a relaxed evening with friends
Jasmine Singh

Beer cafés are generally informal in approach and set-up ; and (right) The Beer Café in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

Benjamin Franklin probably went overboard when he said "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” However, looking at the increase in the number of outlets that are dedicated to selling frothy, bubbly beer, it sure looks like god loves us a little extra!

A beer tap

These places lay open an interesting and chilled world of beer open to you. Beer cafes, as these are known, are increasing becoming popular with youngsters. People are now increasingly catching up over a mug of beer. A popular concept in the West, where people spend hours hanging around the bar, soaking in the live music, enjoying their chilled beer with pita bread, the trend has picked up pace in India as well. Borrowing the name 'cafe' from the neighbourhood coffee shop, beer cafés are the new hang-out joints, ideal for spending a relaxed evening, for the fair sex as well.

Bottoms up

They are pretty much like any other café, selling beer and food to go with it. There is music and even a small dedicated place for indoor games. Beer cafés are generally informal in approach and set-up as well! This means you don't have to be uptight.

The Pint Room that has outlets in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune and Panchkula, is a place serving more than 40 varieties of beer from around the world. It was started by Pradeep Gidwani, who is also the man behind the launch of three most successful beer brands in India — Tuborg, Carlsberg and Foster's.

Due to their friendly environment, these places are a hit with women as well

"The idea behind setting up a place was to bring about a new beer culture in the country — as an ideal place to chill, chat and catch up," he says.

So, unlike the conventional beer/alcohol-serving places with a dark and dingy atmosphere where people drink alcohol, a beer café is bubbling with life. The Pint Room has bright and cheerful atmosphere that is full of life. The interiors are vibrant and welcoming at any time of the day or evening. It is like a typical coffee shop that boasts of a warm and friendly environment which helps calm down your nerves and senses and allows you to have conversation with soft and soothing music strains in the background. The only difference is there is a pint before you instead of a cup a coffee.

Pints, pitchers, buckets or taps, a beer café caters only to beer and at some places it is pretty much freshly brewed. Ooze, The Brauhaus (microbrewery), launched last year in Panchkula strictly follows the Bavarian of the German purity law that says no chemicals, no preservatives, no artificial colours and flavours to be added during brewing. Aaftab Singh Sidhu, a partner and brewer at Ooze, has done various brewing courses in India and abroad. He, along with another brewer Himanshu Sharma, has produced a variety of craft beers — majorly Hefeweizens, Pilsners, dunkels, English ales and Belgium Trappist. While it takes 25 days to mature any beer, it only takes minutes to gulp it down.

The Pint Room in Mumbai has bright interiors and cheerful atmosphere

More the merrier

Beer cafes not only serve every and any kind of beer, these also serve food that goes with the frothy drink. Fuss-free food, as it is called, something like a platter or finger-food to go with beer. The newly-opened Beer Café at Elante Mall, Chandigarh, has various outlets in Delhi as well. It is India's first PYOB (pour your own beer) chain, the only café in India with a range of 50 different varieties of beer from across 17 countries in the world. With eight outlets "pouring" and 30 more locations planned for this year, The Beer Café is poised to become the largest, fastest and most profitable alco-beverage service brand in India. Rahul Singh, the man behind The Beer Café, believes that beer cafés offer a chance to re-discover the love of beer. "Apart from special RFID activated PYOB (pour your own beer) cards, ice-cold draught beer taps and beer tanks, the café promises to provide customers a unique experience on every visit. The classy ambience and bright, eye-catchy décor ubiquitously adds to the appeal of having a PYOB experience at the café."

Beer cafes are generally present in different formats like stand-alone, inside malls, part of restaurant. Outlets also differ in terms of sizes — the smallest is 750 sq ft and the largest is 2,400 sq ft carpet area. Most of these vary between 1,000-1,300 sq ft carpet area. Gidwani says the footfall is increasing. "The Pint Room attracts a broad range of customers — men and women in almost equal proportions, people of all age groups from 25 to 75; families; we get corporate, professionals, business man," he adds.

Price-wise

Unlike the hard alcohols, beer is relatively cheaper, it doesn't dig a hole in your pocket. The price of various beer brands range from Rs 150-Rs 1,000 for a pint. To top it all since the alcohol content is less, it is not much harmful, health-wise.

Brand wagon

There are umpteen choices to look for — from the legendary Trappist ales brewed in Belgian monasteries, Japanese 'dry' beer, German wheat beers, Belgian wit beers, stouts, European lagers and ice-cold beer off frosted taps, a place selling beer will have all this and lot more.

The Beer Café' houses variety of European beers, Asian lagers, England's Marston’s Pedigree, Australia's victoria bitter or Mexico range of Corona beers, Belgian beers like Stella Artois, Hoegaarden — the original Belgian wheat beer, or abbey beers like Leffe Blonde, Erdinger — one of the best known German beers, Weihenstephaner — one of the oldest beers, and Chimay, the world's best known Trappist beer, offer a heady experience to its customers.

Since these places are for genuine beer lovers, everything has to be revolving around beer only. Aaftab Sidhu who sees a regular footfall at Ooze with youngsters and people at 60 also enjoying beer, says "For beer lovers we serve beer in different glasses, so if we have four beers on tap, we will have four different glasses. People, who enjoy this drink, also know it too well. They know the taste, especially the youngsters who travel a lot and know the drink like the back of their hand."

So, if you are hitting a place that is dedicated to beer lovers, all you need to do is drop your I-mean-serious-drinking attitude, slip out from that formal jacket open the tap and let the bubbles hit the parched throat! 

Ties that talk
Its boom time for the necktie industry as power dressing becomes a norm for the upwardly mobile
Subodh Samuel

As the Indian man strides confidently into the next century, fashions for the boardroom are taking a turn for the bolder. The formality of the yore is now being replaced by a degree of casualness. It is hardly surprising then to see an element of weekend spilling into the week day.

Gone are the days when the Indian male considered the tie as being primarily a formal dress accessory. Today it is becoming an essential part of a stylish man’s wardrobe. The reason is simple. The tie is no longer a staid and formal affair. It is a vibrant fashion statement. Says Delhi-based fashion designer Lalit Mankotia, “If you wear a fashionable tie, your entire look changes. Suddenly your appearance brightens up.”

Rapid growth

It is not surprising then to note why the tie industry has seen a rapid growth in the new millennium with the entry of multinationals who ushered in the formal dress code. Two decades ago, the total production of neckties in the country was estimated at 20 lakh pieces with 90 per cent earmarked only for domestic use. Since then, the market has been expanding annually at a healthy growth rate of and now stands at more than 1.5 crore pieces.

Because an estimated 50 per cent of the tie production is in the unorganised sector, it is difficult to assess the exact turnover of the industry but guesstimates put it at around Rs 1,800 crore annually of which the organised sector accounts for around Rs 750 crore sales inclusive of exports.

A host of established names like Van Heusen, Zodiac, Park Avenue, Louis Phillipe, Konark and others are busy cashing in on the burgeoning demand. Of these, Zodiac is among the leading brands which entered the domestic market in 1956 and soon became synonymous with ties. It was the first to introduce polyester ties in India in 1961. Raymond's Park Avenue, too, has made a significant niche for itself and is vying with other brands for market leadership.

Fashion formal

Though per capita consumption of ties is negligible compared to shirts and trousers, among the fashion consciousness, it’s becoming a part of power dressing. Until recently, the tie market was characterised only by colour and design. It was basically impulse buying because the customer really didn’t know what he was looking for. Over the years, the customer has become more discerning and knows what tie to buy and for which occasion which, in turn, has made the leading brands come out with their exclusive collections from time to time.

While in the international market there’s a great demand for silk ties, in India, it is divided equally between silk and polyester. The price of most of these leading brands varies between Rs 600 and Rs 2,500 depending upon the design and texture. The predominant colours are navy blue and burgundy. According to designers, a man should wear a discreet silk tie provided the patterns are not too loud. Thus small geometric paisley prints are the top preference internationally though stripes and solids will also do in a pinch.

Most leading tie manufacturers claim they are not just blindly aping the West but have India in mind when it comes to designs. Leading collections feature a variety of designs, including classical, geometric, paisleys and abstracts.

Interestingly, different sets of customers are targeted by big players. Some specialise in ties for the stylish mature man while others concentrate on fashion-conscious executives. There are others that target their designs for weddings and other special occasions.

Marketing strategy

Categorisation, it would seem, is a sound marketing strategy as these segments are well established. If the marriage season works well, there’s a boom in the tie industry. But with professionals becoming tie-conscious, the office wear segment is increasing by leaps and bounds and is even surpassing the conventional marriage-based tie demand. Interestingly, 70 per cent of the total tie sales are clocked between September and March, which has a lot to do with the pleasant weather.

The domestic market apart, there is a growing export trade especially for silk ties.

However, there is stiff competition from other countries like Italy, England, France, South Korea and China. But industry experts say that it is a matter of time before exports pick up as Indian ties are far better in quality than many other countries as the fabric and designs of branded ties are of superior quality. What is lacking though is a serious marketing thrust to push Indian ties in the world market by either the manufacturers or designers.

Says designer Mankotia, “We’ve never really taken designing or marketing of neckwear seriously. That’s because we are under the misconception that the world tie market is very small. Nothing could be further from the truth. Once we realise that the world demand for quality ties is increasing by leaps and bounds, our exports will automatically start flourishing.”

Whether India flourishes or not in the world market remains to be seen but as of now, the domestic tie sales are booming. Market analysers say that the domestic boom in sales is due to the emergence of the new professional class of people who prefer formal wear to their workplace. Ties are suddenly in demand and are fast emerging as the essential wear of the upwardly mobile.

 

STYLE STATEMENT American design label Robert Talbott known for its classic designs specialises in exclusive ties suited to the stylish man. This traditional handcrafted dark blue woven silk tie with a 3.5 inch width construction would not just look great on a plain shirt with a double breasted suit but complement the entire attire. Price: Rs 11,700 ($195)

SPORTING AFFAIR One of America’s leading and most inventive tie makers, the Vineyard Vines company is known for oceanic to sporting themes on the ties. So, whether you are on the beach or just dreaming of a long walk in the sand, this men's tie with images of whales will take you a step closer in that direction of the sea. Price: Rs 5,100 ($85)

TIMELESS APPEAL Globally admired for his red carpet couture creations, Italian designer Valentino excels in neckwear as well. This tie is proof of the designer’s refined style. It is crafted in luxurious silk and can be the perfect partner to a well-tailored formal suit or jacket and can also lend a timeless sophistication to formal shirts. Price: Rs 13,500 ($225)

HANDCRAFTED ELEGANCE For those acquainted with the upper echelons of men’s apparel, a Brioni tie needs no introduction. However, those unfamiliar with the Italian master of menswear need just to look at this handcrafted paisley tie. It will immediately mark the wearer as an individual of impeccable taste and panache. Price: Rs 7,800 ($130)

CLASSIC COUTURE This Turnbull & Asser paisley tie in red and white tie draws its inspiration from a timeless, classic design originating from India and ancient Persia that was adopted into British culture in the first half of the 17th century. This pure silk tie handmade in England can be paired with any dark coloured jacket. Price: Rs 5,400 ($95)

ITALIAN LUXURY Established in 1910, Italian luxury fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna is known primarily for its impeccably tailored suits, shirts and for its stylishly designed ties. This pure silk tie featuring a fine dot pattern on a blue background is an example of the exclusive and elegant style of the haute couture company. Price: Rs 14,700 ($ 245)

THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR Ever since this tie, designed by the British Lee Allison Company, was worn by Pierce Brosnan in The Thomas Crown Affair, it has been in great demand. The handmade pure silk tie has since been worn by a number of leading men in many movies and all top fashion magazines have featured it. Price: Rs 5,400 ($90)

THE PRINT EFFECT Charvet is well known for its exceptionally crafted accessories. And this printed silk tie proves why. The timeless maroon and navy blue version is ideal for those days when you want a great stylish option around your neck. Team this tie with a grey shirt and dark suit for a standout effect in a gathering. Price: Rs 14,100 ($235)

TURNIP TRICK Italian Salvatore Ferragamo has been a designer of luxury apparel for the rich and famous. An example is this Ravanello turnip classic tie. You don't have to be a green thumb to identify the exquisite nature of this turnip-patterned tie. Spun in rich Italian silk, it has a logo on the lining and spells class. Price: Rs 14,720

OF PINS AND SKULLS Give your formal collection a dash of colour with Alexander McQueen's embroidered silk tie. Designed and made in Italy, this streamlined silk piece with silver pin dots and skulls makes a rakish evening choice. Team it with a pair of burnished leather boots and see yourself outshine the others at a party. Price: Rs 10,500 ($175)

SILKY WEAVES Italian sartorial master Giorgio Armani excels both in clothing and accessories. This woven silk tie by subsidiary Armani Collezioni showcases style and elegance. Match it with a simple dress shirt for a professional look. The designer’s touch of understated elegance is unmistakable in this neck accessory. Price: Rs 13,500 ($225)

CHECKMATE Bold and bright in a check pattern, this silk tie by American luxury fashion house Ike Behar is bold and bright. Established in the 1960s by Cuban designer of the same name, Ike Behar’s ties are impeccably crafted in colourful hues. The white and pink checks are the underlying theme of the company for 2014. Price: Rs 6,000 ($100)

GET STRIPED Burberry is not just known for its trench coats and scarves, it is also known for its accessories. Bright ties are the highlight of Burberry Prorsum’s 2014 collection. This green striped tie crafted from pure silk for a premium finish was first showcased on the ramp paired with a classic black suit and a white shirt. Price: Rs 16,300	MEDUSA’S MAGIC The late Gianni Versace is one of the world’s most inspirational designers of our times. This vintage 1980 couture Versace tie is a perfect example of his classic styling. Made with pure Italian silk, the diagonal stripes patterned tie with images of Medusa all over, it is guaranteed to stand you out in a crowd. Price: Rs 5,950
SLIM STYLE British designer Paul Smith makes some of the most exclusive ties in the world. These ties are set apart with their colourful bold prints. This pure silk tie captures attention while exuding class and elegance. Wear with a crisp white shirt and your finest denim for a smart off duty or party look. Price: Rs 6,500 (£65)	SILK SPLENDOUR This stylish and elegant men’s tie from the legendary French design label Yves Saint Laurent is made from pure silk. With a brown and gold unique design, this made in Italy tie with fine attention to detail can make all the difference in a trendy ensemble. It will work particularly well with a crisp white shirt. Price: Rs 9,000 (£90)

PACESETTER Jash Sen
From corporate honcho to author
Jash Sen took the plunge to write a three-novel series for young adults and live her dream 
Vibha Sharma

Jash (Jashodhara) Sen is a graduate in Statistics from Lady Sri Ram College for Women and a major in marketing from IIM Calcutta. She worked in IT industry for a few years in US and in Bangalore. It was in 2002, while she was in London, that she decided to take up teaching as a second career. She taught mathematics to secondary school students. She had been dreaming about writing fiction since the age of six . But it was only when she was teaching that she picked up her pen in earnest. She soon realised that she needed to take time off to write. And one fine day she decided to take the plunge. She says, "Writing as a profession takes time to pick up, so I'm very grateful to my husband for giving me that sense of financial security while I wrote away."

For her very first book Wordkeepers (first in trilogy), she didn't have to do the usual rounds and the manuscript got accepted immediately. She started working on Wordkeepers in December 2010 and the book came out in January 2013. The actual editing to publishing process took 4-5 months for the first book and 3-4 months for the sequel Skyserpents. The story initially started as a ghost story about a giant eye watching a girl. But the story kept on evolving and more characters joined in. Soon it became clear to her that her story could not be contained to just one book. At that time she got signed by Duckbill and that is when she planned the whole plot into a three-book long story.

It has been a wonderful journey for her so far and the only roadblock that she encountered was her own mind. She says, "I wasn't brave enough for a long time. I thought of realistic things like — how will I sustain myself and some nonsensical things like — It has been so long, will I be any good?" What she learnt while chasing her dream of being a writer is that only immersing herself in writing could remove those roadblocks and it did.

Jash is delighted to see the changing Indian literary scene. She feels India is opening up to different genres which is always a good thing for writers and readers. There are plenty of options to choose from — new original works in literary fiction, YA, children's books, mysteries, thrillers, pulp, mythology, fantasy, translations of our own great writers. Though her book Wordkeeper has been categorised as Young Adult book but her readers come from all age groups. Jash says she did not write a book aimed at any particular age group. She says, "I do not mind being classified as an adventure or a fantasy book — I don't mind genres. But I do mind age related classifications because I am one of those readers who read all sorts of books at all sorts of ages." She enjoys reading adventures, fantasies, the classics Dickens, Maugham, Satyajit Ray, Bimal Mitra, Tagore's short stories and many more.

Though an amateur author, she has been an author in heart all her life. She is happy to share that she is actually living her dream of writing and plotting stories. But her thirst is unquenchable, she wants to 'write more, immerse myself much, much more in reading and writing'.

BLING IT ON

STEP OUT IN STYLE If you thought Google was just a multi-lingual search engine, perish the thought. Google now makes smartphones and tablets - under the Nexus label - and is soon to launch revolutionary glasses. Not many people know that Google is also making shoes, or rather collaborating with Nike to make shoes. The Google Nike Sneakers are a cool gift for geeks. The shoe incorporates Google colours and logo. They also feature Google promoter Larry Page's face on each tongue. Whether these will keep you on your toes or freak you out depends entirely on you. Price: Rs 6,000 ($100)

FORTUNE ON SAIL He may be 83 years old but he sure knows how to live the high life. Soon after divorcing his third wife Wendi Deng, media mogul and self-made billionaire Rupert Murdoch has done two things-found a new girlfriend and sold his 185-foot super luxury yacht for a price that mortals can only dream of. Called Rosehearty (the yacht)-which he had specially bought for Wendi--is one of the 25 largest in the world and built specifically for Murdoch. It has five guest cabins, a dining room, gym, and entertainment room and has both ski and diving gear. So what is he planning to do with the big bucks he's made from selling the yacht? Buying a bigger and a fancier yacht for his new found love! Price: Around Rs 178 crore ($29.7 million)

MOBILE ENTERTAINMENT Long distance driving can be boring especially if you have no company. But with the new Sony In-Car AV Centre you can drive the boredom away. The device which comes in three models provides access to music, navigation and smartphone apps while on the road or stuck in a traffic jam. It can be connected to a smartphone or iPod transforming it into an automotive application platform where content and apps can be conveniently accessed. The device which has a colour screen can work on voice command and can also read out incoming text messages, tweets and calendar reminders making driving entertaining and stress-free. Price: From Rs 27,990 to Rs 33,990

WATCH THIS TRANS-CONTINENTAL STUNNER It is a timepiece that will just take your breath away. Swiss luxury brand Piaget hired the services of American master engraver Richard Maier to create the Altiplano Scrimshaw Watch which is a stunning work of art. Its dial is made of 40,000-year-old fossilised ivory which has been engraved with maps of the Eastern hemisphere showing the African, European and Asian continents with India in the forefront. Each of the watches--in a limited edition with 40 pieces-took 65 hours of painstaking labour. And the effort shows in the elaborate detailing and dramatic design making each a collector's item which can be become a family heirloom aft3er a few generations. Price: Rs 33.36 lakh ($55,600)

SAY CHEERS TO LUXURY Every once in a while a cognac comes along that is a headturner for connoisseurs. The Remy Martin Louis XIII is one of them — a special edition packaged in a gorgeous 700 ml Baccarat decanter. Its aroma and taste can neither be predicted nor replicated as it contains Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie aged between 40 and 100 years. Quaffed by the likes of Queen Elizabeth and Winston Churchill, Louis XIII is surely the king of kings when it comes to cognacs. Price: Rs 1,35 lakh per bottle ($2,250)

CHECKMATED When it was established two and a half centuries ago the iconic French crystal company Baccarat was known only for its chandeliers. Today it makes some of the classiest tableware, decorative objects, figurines, jewellery, carafes and chessboards. Chessboards? Yes you read that right. Celebrating its 250th anniversary, the company has unveiled a limited edition chessboard of 50 units. Comprising 32 crystal chessmen cut by hand and resembling many of its glass and stemware, the Baccarat Nendo Chessboard is a timeless masterpiece and will showcase not just your love for the game but also the depth of your pockets! Price: Rs 16.20 lakh ($27,000)

ROLL OUT THE MUSIC If you are a musician you can be the life of a party with this mobile keyboard. The lightweight Kirstein Rollup Piano has 61 keys making it ideal both for an amateur and a professional. It is the ideal portable electronic instrument for setting up an impromptu piano concert. With 128 sounds of diverse musical instruments, 100 rhythms from various music styles and integrated loudspeaker, this instrument is capable of giving a command performance. It can also be connected to a hi-fi system or headphones for a personalised experience. But it is best meant to enchant an audience while on the go! Price: Rs 3,600 ($60)

GOLDEN PENMANSHIP Ironically even as the world moves to a paperless environment, the demand for bespoke writing instruments is spiking with stylish people willing to shell out big bucks for these objects of desire. Tibaldi , the Italian pen-maker for the elite and stylish, has collaborated with British luxury car maker Bentley to create a stunning collection of writing instruments that would be the pride of any high roller. The Tibaldi for Bentley Collection has a base material of brass with rhodium plating and features solid 18k gold nibs. The collection includes a fountain pen, rollerball pen and ballpoint pen that would up the style quotient of any socialite. Price: Ranging between Rs 90,000 to Rs 24 lakh (From $1,500 to $40,000)

BAGSFUL OF COLOUR Spanish luxury leatherwear label Loewe well known for its eccentric and colourful extravagance is celebrating 2014 with the launch of a brand new dyed leather bag collection titled Acids. Inspired by the brightly coloured plumage of the peacock, the collection boasts a vibrant palette of sunshine yellow, electric blue and neon green. The soft leather of the bags is saturated with densely pigmented dyes and all bags in the collection are accented with gold details on locks, clasps and rings for that eye-popping effect injecting a fun and youthful vibe to these classics. Price: Upon request

DESIGNING DREAMS & DESIRES After successfully bridging the gap between tradition and modernity J.J. Valaya now comes up with the spectacular Classic label which is a collection of women's wear that includes saris and other outfits and turns it into a journey of discovery and interpretation of timelessness. Having completed two decades in the business of high fashion, this is the designer's way of honouring his earlier creations. He revisits the past and re-interprets his best selling collections albeit in a completely new yet "Classic" manner essentially using the signature Valaya techniques of zardozi, metal and velvet appliqué, gota and resham to weave dreams in fabric! Price: Upon request