When you walk into a brewery, sip a beer, and say, “This is good”, you are complimenting the beer, but it’s the brewer behind it who deserves it. And when that beer is batch by batch consistently good, you are sipping the work of a Master Brewer. One such amazing Master Brewer is Antonio Rodriguez Giralt from Indian Craft Brewery, Bangalore.
With professional qualifications like Master Brewer, Master Malster, Certified Cicerone, and 14 years of international experience, he is here to create world-class beers that combine local identity with global standards of excellence. We, unsobered, got an opportunity to interact with him about his journey, culture shocks, and also busted some myths. Here’s a sneak peek!
unsobered: From Costa Rica and Panama to Bangalore, what initially drew you to India's craft beer landscape?
Antonio: What initially attracted me was the opportunity to grow professionally and push my own boundaries by moving to a country with a completely different culture and business environment.
The opportunity came through LinkedIn, and it came at that exact point when I felt I needed something more challenging in my career. For me, it was more than just a new job. It was an opportunity to challenge myself, adapt to a completely different environment, while I continued growing both professionally and personally.
unsobered: What was the biggest culture shock you faced when you first stepped into an Indian commercial brewery?
Antonio: The biggest culture shock was India's focus on hospitality and going beyond customer expectations. I was also surprised by the focus that is placed on the overall vibe and entertainment. In India, a brewery visit is about atmosphere, music, and social experience, unlike Germany, where beer and conversation are enough.
Lastly, the sheer scale of Indian breweries was impressive compared to the much smaller setups I knew from Costa Rica and Panama. I really had to get used to this huge scale of setup.
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unsobered: How is the palate of a Bangalore beer drinker different from that of other global consumers?
Antonio: Bangalore has a very interesting and diverse beer audience. You have people who enjoy familiar lagers, but also consumers who actively explore IPAs, wheat beers, stouts, sours, and experimental styles.
Compared with many markets, the craft beer experience here is strongly connected to food, socializing, and the pub culture. I think the curiosity is there, and the opportunity is to keep educating consumers while giving them beers worth exploring.
unsobered: Are Indian drinkers becoming more adventurous?
Antonio: I think Indian consumers are definitely becoming more adventurous, and I can see that in our own outlet at Indian Craft Brewery. We rotate our IPAs and fruit beers quite frequently, and they attract a lot of interest from our customers. We also have a beer brewed with honey that sells particularly well.
For me, this shows that consumers are willing to explore different flavors and move beyond traditional styles. Of course, lagers and wheat beers will always have their place, but there is a growing appetite for experimentation.
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unsobered: What does it actually mean to be a Certified Cicerone®?
Antonio: Being a Certified Cicerone means having professional knowledge of beer styles, brewing ingredients, service, storage, and food pairing. It goes beyond knowing how to brew beer. It means understanding how to evaluate beer, identify faults, and help people appreciate what is in their glass. Ultimately, it's about protecting the quality of beer from the brewery to the consumer.
unsobered: Many people know about wine sommeliers, but “Master Maltster” is a rarer title. Can you walk us through it?
Antonio: A Master Maltster focuses more on understanding the malting process itself. Like how barley is steeped, germinated, and kilned, and how these processes influence the characteristics of the final malt.
For a brewer, understanding malting gives you a deeper insight into the raw materials you work with. It helps you understand how different malts can influence color, flavor, enzymatic activity, fermentability, and the overall character of a beer.
This knowledge allows me to make more informed decisions when selecting malts for a recipe and to understand not just what a malt contributes, but why it contributes those characteristics.
unsobered: What is the difference between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer?
Antonio: The main difference is the alcohol content and how the beer is produced. Traditional beer ferments sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Non-alcoholic beer is either produced by limiting alcohol formation or by removing alcohol after fermentation.
The challenge is preserving the body, aroma, and flavor that alcohol normally contributes. A good non-alcoholic beer should still feel like a complete beer, not simply a beer with the alcohol missing.
unsobered: What is the role of ABV in beer?
Antonio: ABV stands for alcohol by volume. It tells you the percentage of a beer's volume that is alcohol. But ABV is more than a number on a label: alcohol contributes to body, warmth, flavor perception, and the overall drinking experience. A higher ABV doesn't automatically mean a better beer. What matters is whether the alcohol is integrated and appropriate for the style.
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unsobered: What is the golden rule for properly pairing craft beer with spicy, complex Indian cuisine?
Antonio: Balance is the golden rule. You want the beer to complement the food rather than compete with it. A malty beer can balance heat, carbonation can refresh the palate, and a beer with some sweetness can soften spicy flavors.
unsobered: Can you share a pro-tip for how everyday beer lovers should store and pour their craft beer at home to maximize flavor?
Antonio: Keep beer cold, away from direct sunlight, and avoid unnecessary temperature fluctuations. When pouring, use a clean glass and aim for a controlled pour that creates a moderate head.
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unsobered: If an amateur beer enthusiast wants to start developing a professional palate, what should they pay attention to first?
Antonio: Before taking a sip, smell the beer and try to identify what you notice: malt, fruit, hops, spices, or fermentation character. Then taste it and pay attention to sweetness, bitterness, acidity, body, and finish. Don't worry about identifying every flavor immediately. The key is to taste attentively and consistently.
unsobered: What is one popular way people drink or serve beer that genuinely makes a master brewer cringe?
Antonio: Serving beer with ice. That's a big no for me! Beer is carefully brewed to achieve a specific balance of flavor, aroma, and body, and adding ice dilutes it as it melts, changing the beer's original character.
If your beer is too warm, put the glass or bottle in a cooler for a few minutes. Don't put ice in the beer!
unsobered: What is a major misconception Indian consumers have about craft beer when they walk into a microbrewery for the first time?
Antonio: One common misconception is that craft beer must always be strong, bitter, or unusual. That is so not true!
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unsobered: Does beer cause stubborn belly fat?
Antonio: I wouldn't blame the beer itself. It's more about the person's habits and overall lifestyle. Beer contains calories, of course, but weight gain happens when you consistently consume more calories than your body burns. It's not just about drinking beer; it's about how much you drink, what you eat, and how active you are. At the end of the day, moderation and balance are what really matter.
unsobered: Does beer cause less of a hangover compared to whisky?
Antonio: Not necessarily. The amount of alcohol consumed is one of the biggest factors in how severe a hangover becomes. Beer can have a lower alcohol concentration than whisky, but drinking enough beer can deliver just as much alcohol. Drinking more slowly may help you manage consumption, but no alcoholic drink is hangover-proof.
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unsobered: Describe your signature brewing style using only three words.
Antonio: Sharp. Balanced. Innovative.
unsobered: If you weren't a master brewer and maltster, what alternate career path would you have chased?
Antonio: Before becoming a brewer, I worked in digital marketing at one of the largest banks in Central America. So, if I hadn't become a brewer, I'd probably still be doing that same boring job!
unsobered: Looking back on your 14-year career across three countries, what advice would you give a young, aspiring homebrewer in India who dreams of going pro one day?
Antonio: My biggest advice is to never stop learning. Brewing is a career of constant learning, and you need to be consistent, disciplined, and persistent. If this is your dream, educate yourself, experiment as much as possible, make mistakes, ruin batches, and learn from them. Every mistake is an opportunity to understand something better.
And above all, never lose your curiosity. Curiosity is what drives you to ask questions, challenge what you already know, and keep improving.
Stay curious, stay disciplined, and never give up on your dream.
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Indian Craft Brewery (ICB) is a massive, two-acre, 1,500-seater cultural microbrewery located in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Opened in December 2024, it is recognized as one of India's largest craft brewery brands.
Where: Sy no 90/3, K, 572/90, Outer Ring Rd, beside Manpho Convention Center, DadaMastan Layout, Manyata Tech Park, Nagavara, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560045, India
Time: 12 PM to 1 AM
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