SOM Distilleries and Breweries Ltd (SDBL) has introduced its Woodpecker premium beer in Karnataka. The range has two variants - Woodpecker Glide, a premium mild beer, and Woodpecker Crest, a strong, bold beer. The company also plans to launch an Indian single malt in the premium category by the end of the year.

“We’ve already been making waves in Karnataka with our various product portfolio over the past three years, and we are the fastest-growing beer brand in the State. Now, with Glide and Crest, we’re taking our presence to the next level,” JK Arora, Chairman and MD of SOM Distilleries and Breweries Ltd, said.

The beer range, crafted with imported two-row barley & Indian malts and hops sourced from the Rainier region of Germany, has a blend of two malts, making it India’s first cross-malt beer, according to the company.

The Woodpecker beer, which sports a twist-style cap, undergoes a brewing process of 30 days, with only one batch brewed per month to ensure consistency and flavor. The beers will be available in 650ml and 330ml bottles, and 500ml cans.

t Karnataka is one of SDBL’s fastest-growing markets, said Arora. “Our brewery in Hassan, Karnataka was upgraded from 0.3 million HL to 0.9 million HL in five years. In Karnataka, in just three years, we went from a 4 per cent market share to 20 per cent, which is very substantial. Karnataka is considered the country’s beer capital, so achieving these kinds of figures here is essential,” Arora added.

In the domestic market, SDBL caters to almost all of India’s main Sates through its 3 breweries either through civilian supplies or through the CSD route. “With beers, we are in number 1 in Madhya Pradesh and Delhi, number 2 in Odisha and number 3 in Karnataka and Jharkhand.”

SDBL’s brands are present in 26 countries including Europe, the US, South Africa, UAE, and China. Last year, the market split between domestic and international sales was recorded at 94 percent and 6 percent respectively.

SDBL specialises in manufacturing beer and blending and bottling Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL). Its product portfolio includes beer, rum, brandy, vodka, and whisky. The company operates three breweries across Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha with a combined capacity of 35 million cases.  

The company’s market cap is around ₹2,300 crore. In Q1 FY25, it reported a total income of ₹513.7 crore, marking a growth of 33 per cent compared to ₹386.6 crores in Q1 FY24.

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