Doolally – Cheers To Pune’s First Micro-Brewery

Doolally - Pune's first micro-brewery

Over the past few years, Pune has seen the opening of an array of  fine new hotels, restaurants, casual dining options, bars and fast-food joints. These include iconic international chains like the Hard Rock Cafe. Fine dining restaurants like Stone Water Grill (which also has a fabulous lounge bar). A historic heritage hotel – Fort Jadhavgadh. There are the usual international fast food favorites in McDonalds, Subway, etc. And then there are my personal favorites in my local Deccan Gymkhana neighborhood like the Deccan Rendezvous.

But an important piece was missing…a micro-brewery. Why a micro-brewery in this list? And what is a micro-brewery…you might ask!

A micro-brewery is a place where beer is brewed the old fashioned way. The way it is supposed to be brewed. The way it’s supposed to taste – Fresh, free of synthetic additives, and flavorful. In a micro-brewery, beer is brewed onsite in small batch quantities, unlike large commercial breweries. Micro-breweries are quite popular in the U.S. and Europe. Successful pioneering micro-breweries like Gordon Biersch started in Palo Alto, California 20 years back and now have multiple locations all over the U.S. But this concept is virtually unheard of in India.

Four years back, two ex-IIM entrepreneurs Suketu and Prateek decided to change that. They are well on their way towards creating something special. Their first creation is ‘Doolally’ – Pune’s first micro-brewery (as well one of India’s pioneers in this area), which opened earlier this month. Along this long and interesting entrepreneurial journey, they were also joined by Oliver, a German ‘Brew-Meister’ (The Beer Specialist). Incidentally, Suketu is originally from Nashik (a city about 200 km north of Pune), which is also home to one of India’s premier wineries – Sula Wines. Maybe there’s something in the waters of Godavari there that creates and nurtures these entrepreneurs like Suketu and Rajiv Samant!

Weird name – ‘Doolally’, you might think… but I guess it’s very apt. Doolally is derived from the name ‘Deolali’ – a small army cantonment near Nashik that dates back to the British Raj.  It literally means ‘going insane’! British soldiers used to be stationed in Deolali (often for months) as a staging point before returning back to England. Here they didn’t have any active tasks and some used to go crazy of boredom and the summer heat. Well…coincidently, Doolally is located fairly close to the Pune Cantonment Area. From the point of view of those early 20th century British soldiers – I guess wrong cantonment and wrong century!

Doolally is located in the fabulous new Corinthian Boutique Hotel near NIBM Road, Kondhwa. They have done a great job on the decor. The lighting, the bar stools and the wood panels/floors set the perfect ambience. As you enter you see the huge stainless steel vats where the beer is made. You are greeted by the bar upfront with huge taps serving the different varieties of fresh brew. Presently they are brewing Premium Lager, Dark, Wheat, Rye and a Cider (not technically a beer (tastes more like aerated wine) - but on tap for the occasional rare non beer drinker amongst the patrons). They plan to add more varieties in future. My favorite is the Dark – which has a hint of bitter malt/chocolate like flavor. The Wheat is great as well.  But don’t take my word for it – you need to find out which one’s your favorite! You can try out the different samples before deciding on your order. Pints and Pitchers are available.

Doolally - Handcrafted Beer On Tap

The food menu is a little limited and primarily consists of snacks such as wraps and sandwiches. We understand that plans are afoot to extend this menu and introduce more conventional bar snacks such as Chicken Wings, Nachos, Chips, etc. On a side note – the Greek & Mediterranean restaurant ‘Salsa’ located right besides Doolally serves an excellent multi-cuisine menu. The Greek food we had there was probably the best in Pune. The Corinthian Hotel & Club complex presents a great location on top of a small hillock. The outdoor sitting of Doolally is also nice and Pune’s perfect weather, especially at this time of the year, is an added bonus.

My only initial reluctance in going to Doolally was the distance. Yes, in the minds of many Punekars, Kondhwa/NIBM Road area is virtually a different city, tucked away in the remote South-East corner. I myself ventured there for the first time in over a decade. However, now I realize that it is not that bad. At a distance of about 14 km from Deccan Gymkhana and only 7 km from M.G. Road – it will take you anywhere between 30 min – 1 hour, depending on traffic. Aundh, Baner residents have a slightly longer drive, but I am sure it will be worth it.

Doolally also plans to have live music on certain weekends. Check with them regarding the exact dates and artists. While Doolally is a perfect place to hangout with friends, it can also be a nice place for entertaining corporate guests, and for team events. One important note – do check if there’s a ‘Dry Day’, before you head over there – else you might be disappointed.

Some closing comments – Drink responsibly and enjoy! Don’t drink and drive. Have a designated driver.

 ‘Cheers’!

General Information

Web:   http://www.doolally.in/home.html

Address: Doolally, Corinthians Boutique Hotel, NIBM Road, Kondhwa, Pune

Phone: 020-2695 2226

Map (courtesy Sadakmap.com): http://www.sadakmap.com/p/Doolally-Micro-Brewery/

Timings: 7:30pm onwards

Is the paranoia around H1N1 in Pune / India justified? – A look at some factoids & information resources

Honestly, I don’t have the exact answer. Only time will tell whether we, the citizens of Pune (and India) over-reacted, or should have done a lot more. All we have right now are statistics, data-points, examples from other regions of the world, and expert advisories to look at and  learn from. 

In this article, I am listing out the various relevant factoids, observations and information resources that I have stumbled upon over the past few days. I will let the readers draw their own conclusions.

What is painfully clear though is that we don’t have enough data, and we often don’t rely on credible sources of information. In absence of data and facts, the common population is always swayed by ‘headlines’ and ‘sound bites’ – Sadly, this is true even in the 21^st century. Thanks to the latest technology, data can be accessed easily; yet this same technology can also help in spreading rumors a lot faster as well.

Here are some factoids and observations:

1. According to WHO and other estimates, there are nearly 1 Billion cases of normal flu (influenza) each year.  Around 3-5 Million of these are severe and 300,000 – 500,000 of these result in deaths.

Statistically speaking (based on a simple extrapolation that India’s population is apprx 1/5 of World Population) that translates to 200 M cases, 600,000 – 1 M severe cases, and 60,000 – 100,000 deaths.

For a city of Pune, that translates to 500 deaths/year or 10 deaths/week.

All these are huge numbers. And yet, until a few weeks back, we hardly even thought about ‘influenza’ as something serious! 

2. On a related topic – Pollution levels in Pune and in all major Indian cities are at very dangerous levels. Yet very few perceived the need to wear masks over all these years. Do we know the statistics of upper respiratory problems in major Indian cities?

3. According to WHO (World Health Organization), the recommended mask to protect against H1N1 infections is the one that meets the N95 standard. Yet, these constitute a miniscule amount of the ones being worn around in Pune. The others don’t really offer any significant help. For a complete list of Do’s and Don’ts regarding masks – please refer to the next section.

4. Commonsense tells us that it is better to wear masks in crowded places; but they are not very critical when walking or driving on uncrowded, open roads. Yet, what we are seeing around in Pune is quite the opposite. It is also amazing to see so many people wearing masks that are covering their mouths, but not their noses?!

5. Last year, over 200 riders lost their lives in 2-Wheeler Accidents in Pune – many of these deaths could have been prevented had the riders been wearing helmets. Yet I see so many people on Pune roads today wearing masks but not helmets!

6. According to what I have read thus far, the H1N1 strain is not significantly more virulent than the traditional influenza virus. The prescribed treatments are also very similar to normal flu.

7. Most individuals who get infected with H1N1 will get back to normal in a few days (similar to the normal flu). This is not a virus like HIV that an individual will carry with him / her for the rest of their lives!

8. Apparently, a vast percentage (by some accounts, up to 90%) of the Indian population tests +ve on the skin test for TB (Tuberculosis). Majority of these tests yield a –ve result on a follow-up (and more reliable) X-Ray test. Disease causing germs (viruses and bacteria) are present everywhere – in most of the cases, the immune system should be able to take care of them! It is only when the immune system becomes weak (in case of old age, young children, patients suffering from certain chronic ailments, etc.) do these germs present any significant danger.

 

Here are some useful information sources:

1. Flu related statistics (from Roche Laboratories – makers of Tamiflu)  http://www.flufacts.com/impact/statistics.aspx

2. Comprehensive Flue Related Information from US Dept of Health & Human Services and CDC (Center for Disease Control)  www.flu.gov  http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

3. Comprehensive Flue Related Information from WHO (World Health Organization) http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/

4. A map based depiction of Flu cases across the globe http://www.healthmap.org/en

5. WHO – FAQ about H1N1 http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/frequently_asked_questions/what/en/index.html

6. WHO – Document regarding use of masks http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/swineflu/masks_community/en/index.html

7. WHO – Document regarding cleaning hands as a key preventive measure http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/swineflu/AH1N1_clean_hands/en/index.html

Pune in the late 19th century – Through the eyes of New York Times

The New York Times Archives  on nytimes.com is a great source of articles published in the New York Times, dating back to 1851. I have often referred to this repository to look back and browse information (and the way it was covered in those days…) about various events and periods over the past century and half.

In this brief blog post, I would like to point the readers to a few interesting articles from these archives about Pune (or ‘Poona’ as it was known back then by the British)  from the late 19^th century. Overall, I felt that the New York Times towed the British ‘view’ of India (I guess that was to be expected…). They also had some correspondents based in India at that time who contributed  to the stories as well.

[NOTE - You might have to sign-in into nytimes.com to access these articles.]

The late 19^th century was tumultuous period in Pune’s history. The end of the century saw the most horrific epidemic the city has ever witnessed – the plague epidemic. Just when it couldn’t get any worse, it did. A severe drought hit the region. This double tragedy resulted in thousands of deaths. The local population was enraged with the way in which the British authorities handled the crisis. This eventually culminated in the assassination of Pune Commissioner Rand, by the Chaphekar brothers on the night of 22 June 1897. These events are very well captured in a famous Marathi movie ‘22 June 1897’ – directed Nachiket & Jayu Patwardhan (imdb link). Initially, I didn’t find any reference to this incident in the archives. Thanks to Yogesh Khandke for pointing this link out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caphekar_brothers  This wikipedia article references a couple New York Times articles related to this incident. (Apparently, I had missed out on this search since Poona was referred to as ‘Poonah’ in these articles.)

The New York Times did discuss the plague crisis through multiple articles:

India’s plague and famine (dated June 22, 1897)

Drought and plague in India (dated June 18, 1899)

Main symptoms of the plague (dated November 25, 1899)

Lokmanya Tilak and his work were not covered by NY Times in the 19^th century; but do find coverage in the early decades of the 20^th century.

 Here are few other topics that were covered.

Wrangler Paranjape becoming the first Indian to get the honor of ‘Wrangler’ at Cambridge, UK:

Foreigners win Cambridge Honors (dated June 18, 1899)

The work that Pandita Ramabai did in Pune in the late 19^th century.

Woman’s education in India: What has been done by the Brahmin lady now in this country. (dated March 7, 1886)

Pandita Ramabai’s work winning praises (dated July 30, 1893)

The graduation of Anandibai Joshi, the first Indian woman doctor, who got her degree at Philadelphia in 1886.

Thirty-three new female doctors (dated March 12, 1886)

A petition filed by the wife of Sardar Natu against the British Government for holding Natu and his brother in detention.

Topics of the times (dated May 29, 1898) 

Some ordinary observations that provide glimpses into the British Army life in Pune/India, are also mentioned. These include references about horse racing, golf and other pursuits of the British officers.

Golf girdles the globe (dated January 8, 1899)

Gossip of the horsemen (dated November 27, 1898)

 

Hope you find these historical perspectives interesting. I find history that ‘lives’ through the articles of an era gone by, to be more interesting, more alive, more fascinating…than mundane history books. I hope that someday, we can also have access to  free online archives of Indian Newspapers.

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Pune Trivia – 3

Continuing in the series on Pune Trivia (please also check: Pune History Trivia - 1 and Pune History Trivia – 2)  , here is the 3^rd article. I invite readers to update more specific information & comments around these items.

 

1. Amongst the major forts in Pune district, Torna is the tallest at around 4700 ft. Rajgad comes in at #2 at around 4500 ft, and Sinhagad is #3 at around 4300 ft.

 

2. ‘Vetal Tekdi’ the tallest point on the hill behind ILS Law College, is also the tallest point in Pune city; at a height of around 800 M. (Pune Station Height is 550 M).

 

3. The main building of the National Defense Academy (NDA) in Khadakwasala, Pune is named ‘Sudan’ Block. The donation made by the King of Sudan in 1941 (to honor Indian Soldiers who fought in North Africa in WW II) was used for the construction of this building.

  

4. The Synagogue opposite B.J. Medical College Ground (also referred to as ‘Lal Deul’) near Pune Camp is one of the largest Synagogues in Asia. It was built by David Sassoon in 1867.

 

5. Probably the most ancient route from the Arabian Sea to the Deccan Plateau was through the ‘Nane Ghat’ just north of Junnar in the Pune district. The present day motorable ‘Ale-Malshej Ghat’ is built just a few kilometers near the ‘Nane Ghat’. Recently quite a few historic artifacts (dating all the way back to the Greek/Roman period…) have been discovered near Junnar by archaeologists.

 

6. The Aga Khan Palace was built by Aga Khan III, in 1892. It was an infrastructure development project specifically designed to generate employment for the famine struck neighbouring areas. Mahatma Gandhi was put under house arrest here in the 1940s. Kasturba Gandhi passed-away at this palace, and her Samadhi was built here.

  

7. Apparently (someone please confirm…) the large towers arrays complex that you see lying vacant for years, on Nagar Road, just past Kalyani Nagar are Short Wave Radio Towers used for international communications, prior to the advent of communication satellites! Talking about satellite communications, one of India’s first major satellite communication ground station was built in Arvi (near Junnar) in 1971. Until recently when under-sea optical fibers took over, this center was the primary gateway for India’s international telecom traffic.

 

8. The ‘GMRT’ Giant Meter Wave Radio Telescope is also located near Junnar and is the world’s largest array of meter wave radio telescopes. It was completed in 1995.

  

9. One of the oldest photos of Pune can be found in the book ‘Krishna-Dhaval Pune’ is that of Parvati Lake in 1857. Can you suggest any other older photos?

 

10. The Mobos Hotel was one of the more popular hotels Pune in the 1950s (and earlier). Later on it was converted into a government building, housing multiple offices. Years of neglect has resulted in its present dilapidated state. The Mobos Hotel has to its credit Pune’s first drive-in restaurant and discotheque (both in the 1960s). Any idea when this hotel was built?

 

11. Sadhu Vaswani Mission in Pune was established by Sadhu Vaswani in 1949-50. He moved to Pune from Hyderabad (Sindh, Pakistan) after the partition. The Sindh Society (near Aundh) was also established shortly thereafter – which at that point of time was way outside Pune City.

 

12. Probably the oldest library in Pune dates back to 1818, the year the British defeated the Peshwe Empire. This library – ‘The United Services Library’ is located near Pune camp.

 

13. The oldest hospital in Pune is Sassoon Hospital. It was established with the support of David Sassoon in 1867. The other old Pune hospital, KEM was established in1912.

 

14. The Erandwane Gaothan (original settlement) is located on the banks of the Mutha River, just off Karve Road and Mhatre Bridge (very near the new Persistent Systems Campus).

 

15. Here is some information I gathered about famous old schools in Pune that were established in the 19^th century.

 

Bishops – established 1864

St. Mary’s School – established 1866

St. Vincent School Pune – established 1867

New English School – established 1880

Nu Ma Vi – established 1883

Huzur Paga – established 1884

 

15. The Ranade Institute on Fergusson College Road was established by Gopal Krishna Gokhale (founder of Servants of India Society) in 1910. It was named ‘Ranade’ institute in honor of Gokhale’s guru, Justice Ranade.

Pune based Tech Mahindra wins Satyam bid

According to news reports today, Pune based Tech Mahindra has won the Satyam bid. Here is the coverage in The Economic Times “Tech Mahindra wins bid for Satyam Computers”

 

The other rivals in the race were L&T InfoTech and the American billionaire Wilbur Ross. This news is already being covered in great detail in all the national business media and I doubt if I can add anything new.

 

My thought would be from a Pune angle. Pune has been amongst the leading IT cities in India for a while now. Infosys and Wipro have plans underway to expand their Pune centers into their single biggest facilities. Yet, a ‘Pune-based company’ has never been in the big league!

 

It’s worth noting how Infosys started in Pune in the early 1980s and then moved on to Bangalore. In some sense this void can be filled today! Tech Mahindra has its roots in Pune for many years. Here are a couple of links that provide more information about the company profile:

 

Tech Mahindra Wikipedia Link

Tech Mahindra Official Website (About Us Link)