- Summer is here and people in Bengaluru can finally enjoy freshly brewed beer. The Karnataka excise department allowed microbreweries to sell their stock as takeaway.
- However, microbreweries cannot be open in containment zones.
- Also, they can only sell their existing stock of beer.
However, there are some conditions. Firstly, microbreweries cannot be open for business in containment zones. Secondly, they can only sell their existing stock of beer.
According to a senior official in the excise department, microbreweries can only sell beer in ceramic glasses or stainless steel containers of up to two litres. Moreover, the permission is valid only till June 30. The Karnataka excise department is charging thrice the additional duty for the sale.
Rekansh Karamchandani who runs XOOX Brewmill told Bangalore Mirror, he has 6,000 litres of beer stored and will now sell beer with a discount of upto 40%.
“The move will help generate liquidity and increase cash flow to pay salaries,” Prashant Kunal, CEO and Founder of The Bier Library told Bangalore Mirror. Kunal also wishes to get permission for home delivery of beer soon.
Bengaluru’s over 60 microbreweries are set to rejoice over this news, even though it comes a bit late. The liquor industry across the country reported that eight lakh litres of beer had gone to waste.
With Lockdown 3.0, the Karnataka government allowed liquor shops to open. It also allowed sale of liquor in hotels, bars and restaurants at retail prices only. However, with the surge in demand for alcohol, the government also hiked liquor tax by 17% in the state.
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