To strengthen quality control and ensure the safety of craft beer served in the capital, Delhi’s Excise Department has issued new directives requiring microbreweries to submit monthly samples for laboratory testing.
Under the updated rules, establishments holding an L-11 licence, which allows them to brew and serve beer on-site, must send monthly samples to the government’s excise laboratory for analysis.
In addition, the certification report from the lab must be prominently displayed at the premises.
According to The Times of India, Delhi currently has around six to ten microbreweries, mainly operating in areas such as Saket and Connaught Place.
The department's order builds on an existing requirement that in-house chemists certify each batch of beer as “fit for human consumption” before it is served to customers. The new mandate introduces a layer of external verification on a monthly basis.
Beer samples to be sent to excise labs for testing
The license holder should arrange for drawing the beer to draw the beer samples once a month and send them to the excise laboratory for analysis, the order says.
Certified reports from the laboratory must then be displayed within the brewery.
In addition to the public display, the chemical examiner’s certificate for each batch must be submitted to the Excise Department, the report said.
These measures aim to enhance oversight in Delhi’s emerging craft beer sector, ensuring that beer served to customers meets consistent safety and quality standards. Although microbreweries remain limited in number, their growing popularity has drawn increased regulatory attention.
The department has emphasised that compliance with L-11 licence conditions is compulsory. However, the order does not specify penalties for violations.
While the city has seen a slow start compared to other NCR regions like Gurugram, there's been a recent push to allow more microbreweries. The Delhi government also aims to allow growler and kegging to provide more choice for beer lovers.
