The ripples of the pandemic have been harsh on the food and hospitality industry in Mumbai but it is also paving the way for new ideas and products to make the home experience restaurant-like. The owners of Foo and KOKO had big plans to launch their first rice beer early this year before the lockdown caught everyone off guard. "We decided to go ahead with our plans, for what better time to launch a new beer than now, when the government has allowed home delivery of liquor," shares Keenan Tham, owner of Foo and KOKO. Foo Brew is one of the many to follow and is made by keeping a crisp, light, Japanese-style rice beer. "Personally, I enjoy the lightest beers, and we wanted to create something that went with our Asian menu; something that would complement our Chinese and Japanese flavour profiles," he adds.

Nakul Bhonsle, director of Pune-based brewery Great State Aleworks, says their first idea was a lemongrass-infused beer. "But that would have become niche in terms of flavour. Keenan suggested we do something neutral that would appeal to all palates. We all agreed on a crisp rice beer. It is almost like a palate cleanser," says Bhonsle. The beer is an ale, which uses a warm fermentation technique.