Kingfisher Chennai

From its fiery cuisine to its weather that varies between hot and hotter, the city offers many reasons to open up a chilled bottle of Kingfisher, the multiple award-winning lifestyle brand that is associated with fashion, sports, music and food. It is available in over 50 countries, and with every third bottle of beer drunk in the country being a Kingfisher, it is indisputably India’s favourite tipple.

Chennai’s colonial past gives it a natural predilection for the brew. The watering holes of the British were the clubs that the army regiments founded for themselves and the executives of the British East India Company. After shaking off the torpor induced by the sweltering heat with games of polo, tennis or the rough and tumble tackle of rugby, they rewarded themselves with a strong, highly hopped ale called India Pale Ale.

Naturally then Chennai has perhaps the most enduring tradition of beer in South India. In 1915, the five breweries which first comprised United Breweries, which now dominates over half the beer market in India, had their registered office at 17 Armenian Street, Chennai. Bullock carts loaded with bulky barrels called ‘hogsheads’ would amble along its narrow roads, destined for the quarters of the British administrators and soldiers stationed here.

The city has several thoroughly modern watering holes which are tempting destinations for Kingfisher beer. The vibrant emblem of the bird from which the brand draws it name is sighted at the city’s chic clubs and hotels, and is also a ubiquitous presence in its many wine shops.

Kingfisher Premium brings cheer by actively aligning itself with a slew of exciting events and consistent associations with leading fashion brands and sports. As the ‘Good Times Partner’ of the Chennai Open 2009, Kingfisher ensured that it was indeed good times all around at the tournament, with fashion shows, parties and a Fun Zone where the audience could get their faces painted, play virtual tennis andget themselves photographed with the world’s top seeded players.

Across the country, Kingfisher has evolved into a fun, youthful brand with its finger on the pulse of fashion, sport and lifestyle. The most avidly watched for is the annual Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar which has made waves since it started in 2003, and launched the Indian film industry’s reigning stars, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif and Yana Gupta. The company has also supported the collections of Ritu Beri, Raghavendra Rathore and Manoviraj Khosla. The Kingfisher Fashion Awards has encouraged fledgling talent since its inception in 2002, and the Kingfisher Model Hunt provides budding models with a platform in India Fashion Weeks and prestigious shoots. Its strong association with Wills India Fashion Week has resulted in exclusive pouring

In the late 1700s, India Pale Ale, a light amber beer, was specially brewed for export to India, to quench the thirst of English troops in the sweltering tropics. A London brewer, George Hodgson, devised the method of adding more hops thereby infusing a deeper bitterness and aroma which helped the brew weather the five-month journey from London to Bombay. Pretty soon, every ship sailing out of England to the British colony of India carried the precious cargo of beer to sustain the boys from home. The brew quickly became popular not just amongst the troops and colonial officers in India but also in watering holes across Britain and North America. In due course, breweries began to be set up in India; the first was set up in the 1820s in Kasauli in the Himalaya mountains by Edward Dyer, and Indian beer began to acquire its own flavour. In South India, the first brewery was Castle which came up in 1857 and was purchased by Thomas Leishman, along with four other breweries, in 1915 to form United Breweries Ltd. The company was bought by the late Vittal Mallya in 1947, and has surged to greater heights. It has 17 brands of beer, all of which have their own fan following throughout India.

The company has also supported the collections of Ritu Beri, Raghavendra Rathore and Manoviraj Khosla. The Kingfisher Fashion Awards has encouraged fledgling talent since its inception in 2002, and the Kingfisher Model Hunt provides budding models with a platform in India Fashion Weeks and prestigious shoots. Its strong association with Wills India Fashion Week has resulted in exclusive pouring rights this year, and Kingfisher is the only beer that will be served during WIFW, at the venue and at the various parties.

Cricket fans everywhere have more reasons to cheer as Kingfisher associates itself with cricket teams in the Indian Premier League, the country’s leading series in the Twenty-20 format. Its brand ambassadors are some of the world’s leading sports personalities – cricketers Andrew Flintoff, Michael Vaughan, Ajay Jadeja and Sourav Ganguly, and F1 champion Giancarlo Fisichella. It is also the official refresher for the marathons held in Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai.

The brand connect extends across various media. For food lovers constantly in search of something new to stoke appetites, the Kingfisher-Explocity Food Guides are a comprehensive guide across multiple cities. Soon to be launched in Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata, the guide is currently available in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

NDTV Good Times, the brand’s tie-up with the reputed news channel New Delhi Television Limited, is a favourite for its well-packaged, urbane shows. With content that varies from a myriad shows on cooking and fashion to interior design and technology, it is the guide to the good life for millions of Indian viewers.

Come October, and its time to head to Bangalore in the neighbouring state of Karnataka, for The Kingfisher Great Indian October Fest. Spanning several days, the fest provides endless rounds of freshly brewed beer and entertainment for aficionados.

Picking up on evolving market trends, the company has launched Kingfisher Bohemia, a hip selection of fruity red, rose and white wines. This exclusive range of South African wines breaks away from the rituals of wine drinking, and encourages consumers to go by instinct, and find any occasion. Going by its swiftly rising popularity throughout the country, it is a safe bet that they will.