Tapping into Change: How Arko Beer is Redefining India’s Craft Culture, One Pint at a Time

What happens when you blend a passion for approachable beer, a unique café-meets-bar concept, and an inclusive community space? You get Arko Beer, Mumbai’s freshest craft beer brand. As we raise our glasses to celebrate National Beer Day, it's worth remembering beer’s fascinating journey—a beloved beverage dating back thousands of years, first brewed in ancient Mesopotamia, enjoyed by Egyptian pharaohs, and refined through medieval monasteries. Founded in 2021 by Mihir Vyas and Madhvi Jagda, Arko taps into this rich history by redefining India's craft beer culture, emphasising accessibility, community, and conscious consumption, making beer an integral part of everyday social life freshly and inclusively.

A Vision for Beer Enthusiasts

Mihir, drawing on his extensive food and beverage experience in Canada and India, oversees Arko’s strategy and operations, while Madhvi’s deep expertise in branding shapes its visual and emotional identity. Together, they recognised a significant gap in India’s beer landscape, traditionally dominated by mass-market lagers or niche craft breweries. India’s beer scene is now evolving rapidly, reflecting changing tastes and urban lifestyles. Today, beer is not confined merely to nightlife; it effortlessly blends into casual afternoon lunches at trendy cafés in Bandra, relaxed weekend brunches, laid-back post-work sundowners in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, or vibrant evenings spent in upscale Delhi clubs vibing to house music. Arko Beer embraces and champions this cultural shift, crafting flavourful, session-able beers explicitly tailored to the Indian palate. The brand fosters a casual, inclusive atmosphere reminiscent of a café rather than a conventional bar, making craft beer an approachable, enjoyable part of daily life and diverse social experiences across India’s dynamic urban centres. By bridging the gap between exclusive niche breweries and mainstream lagers, Arko creates an inviting space where beer enthusiasts and casual drinkers alike can gather, socialise, and enjoy great beer without pretence.

Challenges and Triumphs

The alcohol and beer industry in India is no stranger to challenges. From complex licensing laws that vary drastically across states to high taxation, inconsistent policy enforcement, and advertising restrictions, navigating this sector requires both patience and persistence. For emerging players, the landscape is particularly daunting—distribution hurdles, stigma around alcohol consumption, and limited public knowledge about craft beer styles often hinder growth.

Arko Beer faced many of these industry-wide obstacles head-on. One of the biggest early challenges was changing consumer assumptions—many people believed craft beer had to be strong, dense, or bar-exclusive. Educating customers about their unique "beer-only, all-day" taproom model, which doesn’t serve spirits or cocktails, took time and effort. Moreover, as Mihir and Madhvi shared, “The government rules and regulations around alcohol in India are very strict, and it keeps on changing. It becomes difficult to deal with various departments being a startup, and it also incurs a lot of indirect expenses which are not usually accounted for when you start up.” Yet, despite these roadblocks, Arko’s founders stayed true to their vision, patiently cultivating a space where beer culture feels less intimidating and more inclusive, light-hearted, and accessible.

Distinctively Arko

What truly sets Arko apart in a crowded market is its ability to simplify craft beer without compromising on quality or creativity. While many breweries focus on replicating global styles that can sometimes feel too complex or unfamiliar for the average Indian consumer, Arko brews with intention—“our beers of simple styles and flavours that the audience can connect to and enjoy,” as the founders explain. They recognise that “we as a country are still new to the craft beer scene, and so there is not much knowledge about global styles,” which is why Arko positions itself as a bridge between commercial brands and niche craft breweries, catering to both curious newcomers and seasoned enthusiasts. Beyond just the product, Arko’s unique taproom-only model—where “we do not serve liquor or cocktails—only beers and cider”—offers a distinctive hybrid space that “feels more like a café than a bar.”  From solo laptop users enjoying a quiet pint to groups gathering for laid-back weekends, the space is designed to be inclusive, aesthetically pleasing, and centred on doing beer right: fresh, light, flavourful, and consciously crafted for the Indian palate.

A Flavourful Line-Up

Arko’s diverse portfolio features more than 20 styles of beer and cider, with 12 to 15 rotating on tap at any given time. Each brew is carefully developed to offer something familiar yet exciting. Their flagship, Arko Gold, is described as “a crisp, golden lager brewed with hints of lemon zest. Light in body, with a clean finish and a soft citrus aroma,” making it perfect for hot Indian afternoons. Brewed with noble hops and pilsner malt, it delivers a clean finish and smooth mouthfeel, earning recognition as India’s second-best craft lager at the Beer of India Awards. Another standout is Arko Light Wit, which the founders highlight as “a refreshing low-calorie Belgian with beer brewed with orange peel, lemongrass, and coriander.” With fewer than 100 calories per pint, it offers the zesty aroma and smooth texture of a classic witbier without the heaviness, making it ideal for health-conscious drinkers. Beyond these, Arko’s ever-changing tap list includes innovative options like a farmhouse ale made with rice, a rich coffee-based stout, and a traditional German hefeweizen. Their cider selection is just as vibrant, featuring flavours like mango, guava, apple, berry, and tropical blends. Seasonal specials—like strawberry ciders, tropical pale ales, and chocolate cherry stouts—keep things exciting for returning patrons, all inspired by customer feedback and experimental small-batch brewing.

Brewing with Intention

Every pint at Arko is brewed fresh in small batches at their local production facility in Mumbai, ensuring maximum flavour retention and minimal travel from tank to tap. The founders mentioned that the process involves “sourcing high-quality malts and hops,” followed by mashing, lautering, boiling, fermentation, and conditioning—each step carefully executed to deliver consistency and drinkability, especially in lighter styles. Arko also pays special attention to layering flavours, using ingredients like lemongrass, citrus peels, coriander, and seasonal fruits to enhance aroma and taste without overwhelming the malt base. Their ciders, too, are crafted using fresh fruits sourced from different parts of the country, staying true to their philosophy of keeping things local, clean, and flavourful. Temperature-controlled fermentation techniques ensure that even the subtlest notes come through in each pour, offering a beer experience that’s refined yet easygoing.

India’s Shift to Sessionable Sips

As Indian consumers become more discerning, there’s a noticeable shift in drinking preferences—“Consumers in India are evolving. There’s a clear shift from high-ABV, dense brews toward low-ABV, sessionable beers that can be enjoyed across longer durations,” the founders observe. All Arko beers are consciously brewed to stay below 5% ABV, offering what they call “light, flavourful, and suitable for everyday social settings.” This makes Arko not just a place for weekend indulgence but a space where beer can be part of everyday life—whether it’s a mid-day break, a post-work hangout, or an early evening wind-down. Their brews reflect this philosophy: crisp, balanced, and versatile, designed to suit everything from a light lunch to a relaxed night out. In a market that’s gradually embracing wellness and moderation, Arko offers a refreshing, beer-first experience that doesn’t compromise on taste or quality.

Looking Ahead

With a loyal community already brewing in Mumbai, Arko has set its sights on broader horizons. “Arko aims to expand its Taproom model across major Indian cities like Bangalore, Pune, and Delhi,” the team shares. Their vision is to create more “community-first, all-day spaces that break away from loud nightlife and offer a calm yet exciting beer experience.” These upcoming taprooms will retain Arko’s signature ethos—minimalist, welcoming, and centred around beer done right.

Beyond geographic growth, the brand is also exploring non-alcoholic beers, kombuchas, and hard seltzers to appeal to a broader, wellness-conscious audience that still wants craft quality without the buzz. Through these efforts, Arko isn’t just scaling its business—it’s scaling a movement. One that makes craft beer a part of everyday culture, not just an occasional splurge.