Abhishek Chinchalkar

The man behind Bombay Duck Brewing and part of the community that pioneered India’s craft beer revolution tells us why he is in no hurry to grow and wants to invest in educating people instead

- PRIYANKO SARKAR

Most students travelling to the US to study, aspire to become university toppers. Except for Abhishek Chinchalkar often referred to as Chinsi’ in the F&B community who thought it would be a better idea to become a brewer instead. After spending a part of his twenties working corporate jobs, he decided to open a brewery back home in India along with his college buddies from the University of Michigan.

Today, that has shaped into Bombay Duck Brewing BDB), which has a presence at various F&B outlets in Mumbai and Pune, including top restaurants like, Woodside Inn and The Bombay Canteen, among other taprooms. How did a simple home brewer become a leading voice in the country’s craft beer revolution?

It started a decade ago, when Chinsi moved to Dallas, Texas, for work, after graduating in the middle of the recession in 2008. A comprehensible home-brewing kit kindled his interest in craft beer, and after brewing his first batch in 2012, he turned into a home brewer with bigger ambitions. Il am mostly self-taught. joined a group of home brewers in Dallas, who would meet once a month and learned more about the process,” he remembers, adding that many from that crop, went on to set up their own breweries, which gave further impetus to Chinsi to do the same.