Rupee Beer Co.

 

Sharma Brothers: Fizzing With Ideas

An idea created by Vanit and Sumit, the US-based Sharma brothers, during the pandemic to solve the shortage of supply of beer in their restaurant led to the crafting of the perfect Rupee.

Many Indian Expats in the US who relish their favourite native cuisine enjoy drinking a beer. Rupee Beer, a bright golden lager crafted by two Indian-American brothers, is created specifically for those who enjoy spicy Indian food. The brew, made from basmati rice, maize, malt, and three kinds of hops with lower carbonation, is crafted for a more enjoyable dining experience. The Rupee Beer's label boasts that it's "unforgettably smooth." And many beer lovers would agree with that claim. 

With a retail presence in 14 US States across the East Coast already established, Rupee's all three award-winning beers are now available for direct-to-consumer delivery in 45 States. In fact, Rupee has a larger footprint across most States, thanks to its new direct-to-consumer site via the company website.

Vanit Sharma and Sumit Sharma founded Rupee Beer Co. in March 2020. They understood that there would be a certain expectation among consumers. When they named the brewery after the currency of their native land, they designed the labels featuring that moniker in elegant Hindi script. Initially, the beer was served in their family’s Indian restaurant located in Portland, Maine, US, in 2021.

Sharma Family 

The Sharma family has been in the restaurant business for over 40 years. Parents of the Sharma brothers opened several Indian restaurants in Maine back in the early 1990s. The parents, who live in Portland, still run their flagship, Bombay Mahal, in Brunswick, the oldest Indian restaurant in the State, where Rupee Beer is served along with Indian cuisine to its loyal customers.

Vanit and Sumit were born in England, and their parents later migrated to the US. Their father was born in India, but their mother was born in Kenya. The two brothers grew up in Portland, Maine, and their family has been entrepreneurs. After formal education, Sumit went on to work in the hospitality industry in Australia, and Vanit went to the UK, where he worked in startups. But they returned to their parents in the US in 2020, due to the pandemic and other factors. The parents were happy that their sons were back at home. The brothers had worked in the restaurants while they were in high school. Both helped their parents to modernize their restaurants. But after arriving home they found out that Indian beverage firms did not want to sell their beers in Maine, partly because it was a small market. And when the pandemic began it impacted the supply chain, and Indian beer was not available in Maine. This prompted the brothers to hit on the idea.

Birth Of Brew 

Coincidentally, one of their parents' friends, Alan Pugsley, the co-founder of Portland’s Shipyard Brewing, offered to assist the brothers in their project. According to Sumit, he has helped set up 80 breweries around the world. He was excited to offer help in setting up a brewery for the Sharmas. He understood the nuances better, as he came from England where the curry culture is much more extensive than in America. After collecting 10 Indian brands of beer, the Sharma brothers held a tasting dinner at their restaurant. They then informed Alan about specific features they wanted for their beer from bitterness to colour to carbonation. After months of trial batches at Geary Brewing Company in Portland, they got the Rupee recipe ready. They kept the carbonation level a little lower, since Indian food can be heavy and spicy, and pairing it with a heavier carbonated beer can make you full. The brothers eventually got the perfection they were looking for in Rupee Beer. 

Rupee's alcohol level is a modest 4.75%, which is considerably lower than the 7-8% of many of the trendy craft beers. This, as a beer connoisseur put it, would offer consumers a smoothness in taste, since a prickly sense of carbonation can be unpleasant while your mouth is burning from spicy food. Rupee's striking blue and yellow label, designed by an Indian, shows the uniqueness of the brand that smartly blends traditional and modern features.

Thus, Rupee Beer was officially released in 2021. 

When Rupee took off, the brothers subsequently released a seasonal mango wheat ale. The first batch sold out earlier than expected. Hence, they had to brew another batch, which gave them an indication of the growing demand for Rupee. This year, the two brothers have plans to release their mango wheat ale again in July. Rupee Beer, named the Best Beer For World Food, has won silver for the summer seasonal Mango Wheat Ale at the US Open Beer Championship 2024.

Rupee Rises

Rupee was originally made to solve the problem the brothers faced in their restaurant, but it turned out to be much bigger than they expected. The demand for the brand is growing steadily by the day. Enquiries are pouring in from people in England, Australia, Canada, Trinidad, and Thailand. But the Sharmas have plans to initially cover all the States in the US. 

Rupee brings more iconic Indian inspired items to an audience that wants a little more masala, a little more flavour to be inventive and fizz with ideas.

(Disclaimer: Top Expats does not promote alcoholic beverages or support their consumption. The article is about two young Indian-origin US entrepreneurs.)

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