A chilled beer is your best companion whether you are at the beach or wish to relax on a sunny day. With an exquisite variety of drinks, the world of Beer is beyond just bitterness and fizz. Each beer has its own unique taste, and as you take the time to learn about what you drink, you are sure to fall in love with various beer flavors and discover what you like. There is a world of food connoisseurs and sommeliers, and there is also a "Beer Cicerone". Evaluating beer is an art and like a full sensory exercise.

WHAT’S HOT IN MUMBAI would like to recommend GOBBY, a new Beer brand which is offering two styles of craft beer which are quite unique in the Beer Market segment. Launched with a soft opening, the brand has already cultivated a great fan following amongst beer lovers who are constantly on the look-out for quality brewed experimental flavours.

GOBBY BREWING is a new Craft Beer brand based out of Mumbai. The brand GOBBY means being Blunt, or Opinionated. This is usually a behavioral trait when a person gets high. That is what our logo depicts an Open Mouth in letter O.

On our test-and-taste reviews we noticed that the brewed beers have a uniqueness in terms of aroma and taste. The smoothness is quite evident, the liquid fluidity is a bit thicker compared to the local competition. While taking a deep sip and swallowing it post the the sensory inspection, you can notice the release of retained stimulations at a warmer temperature. This ascertains the complexity of the perfect brewing of the beer. The aftertaste of some beers lingers for minutes; others vanish almost instantly. GOBBY has passed the acidity test when conducted by the WHAT’S HOT IN MUMBAI TEAM.

We had a long chat with Mr. Rajiv, the Founder of GOBBY BREWING to get an insight into the branding, conceptualizing and other intricate about the two flavours they have currently launched.

Having been a fan of craft beer, what were the research notes that prompted you to come up with a brand like Gobby?

During my stint in the USA, there were some crazy craft beers I had a chance to sample. There always were loads of Oktoberfest and Summer festivals. But most of the USA market is all about IPAs which are usually juicy and bitter due to the presence of HOPS. These styles are yet to be a thing in India.

Our Dry Hopped American wheat beer bridges this gap of Indian and US market. Indians tend to drink wheat beers so we have a wheat beer which is bitter. Our regular clientele enjoy a heavy bodied wheat beer with a bitterness of an IPA.

What are the strong USP’s of your brand in terms of the two flavours you have launched?

Currently, we have 2 styles and both are our USPs. A Hoppy Jasmine Wheat Beer which gives you good floral aroma when you drink it. Other one is a Mexican Lager which has corn. This one tastes different from other lagers in the market. The intention of launching these two flavours initially was the fact that they aren’t available in the market.

Currently, which beers are trending and catching the fancy of beer lovers?

Wheat beers are trending and Lagers are relatable to Indian consumers due to commercial beers. And that's why we decided to have one of each style.

Compared to a beer can and lager beer, what tempts your clientele to your brand?

A beer lover is constantly looking for some uniqueness in the flavour. New experimental beers have always been a rage. We took our strategy one step further. We have made sure of correct food pairing that are mentioned on our labels, which is also something no beer brand does.

Selling beer in PET bottles? What’s the thought that went into that?

Frankly, we aren’t doing anything new here. Many craft beer brands do it. We prefer using PET bottles as they are food grade and recyclable. Since microbreweries are not allowed to bottle in less than 1 litres, PET bottles enable easy resealing if a consumer doesn't want to drink a whole bottle after opening.

The challenge with glass bottles is that once you open it you have to consume it completely else you will lose the carbonation and no one wants their beer flat.

On the pricing point, what has been your strategy to make your brand more competitive?

The price point for the brand is based on the market average and is quite competitive. Beer lovers and connoisseurs who love the taste are willingly paying for it. As an incentive, we do run a lot of combo offers for your loyal clientele.

What are your future plans to scale the business and take the brand forward?

We are partnering with local restaurants and bars. To scale up, we will be coming with more unique styles in the market. As of now, we are currently only operating in Mumbai/Navi Mumbai and Thane. Slowly we would try to move to other locations within Maharashtra. We believe in slow but firm growth.

WHAT’S HOT IN MUMBAI reviewed both the GOBBY flavours and here are some of the insights.

JAZZIEEE - Dry Hopped American Jasmine Wheat Beer

This beer was launched in ‘Tapped 2022’ festival in Mumbai. This is an American Wheat Beer which is dry hopped for bitterness and locally sourced Jasmine flowers were added to give it a Floral aroma.

How does this taste?

This Beer delivers a creamy smooth mouthfeel with a bright Golden Haze having medium bitterness which compliments the sweet floral aroma of Jasmine. This Beer bridges the gap of an IPA and Wheat Beer. Having bitterness of an IPA and a heavy body of Wheat Beer.

Alcohol Content – 4.9%

MEX-PERIENCE - Mexican Lager

This beer is a Mexican styled Lager brewed with Pilsner Malt and Corn. The brand went with a Lager style as Indian beer drinkers are used to having commercially brewed Lagers. This beer is a unique craft beer which has introduced corn in the brew process.

How does this taste?

This beer is smooth and crisp with a dry finish. It has a bright clear straw yellow color with low bitterness. It is a very sessional beer suitable for Mumbai Summers.

Alcohol Content – 4.8%

Do let us know about the sales points for ordering Gobby?
Currently you can order a pickup from www.drinkgobby.com

We also have our social media presence on Instagram @drinkgobby