Bengaluru gets its first ‘books and beers’ club, but are readers ready?

On an unusually slow Thursday evening, I walked into The Biere Club—Bengaluru’s first microbrewery—to find 25-odd people crowded near a long black leather couch. 

It’s only 4 PM, but there’s a young techie from an early-stage startup, an expat from the USA, a new girl in the city who had just moved in for work, a sexagenarian visiting his son in the city, a columnist, and an author, among others. 

In one corner of the couch, a standee reads Namma Bengaluru: The Heartbeat of a Metropolis—a book reading session with author Shoba Narayan, in collaboration with the city’s celebrated Champaca Bookstore. On the table lies a stack of the same book, ready to be signed and handed to its buyers. 

A pioneer in its space, The Biere Club is breaking new ground in the city’s vibrant brewery scene.

‘Books and Brews,’ an initiative by founders and siblings Meenakshi and Arvind Raju, is for the busy bibliophiles of the Silicon Valley of India. The weekly literary rendezvous hosts book lovers every Thursday, from 4 PM to 8 PM, to enjoy their favourite books, alongside a pint of craft beer. 

“We love reading and we have earlier taken to the leather couch, with a book in one hand and a mug of beer in the other…so we thought why not open up the space for a couple of hours, for people to just walk in, read, and get lost,” Meenakshi tells YS Life. 

The Biere Club started the silent book club on March 18, 2024, in an attempt to build a community of like-minded people. The brewery has partnered with Champaca Bookstore to host book launches, book readings, and other related events every once in a while.

“We wish to continue to build a community of readers who come together for discussions around the books that matter to them—be in and around Bengaluru (as was in the case of Narayan’s book launch), or the upcoming Crime Book Swap that will have readers discuss their favourite crime book. Through this association (with The Biere Club), we hope to build new communities and deepen our relationship with the existing one,” says Krittika Vishwanath, a team member at Champaca Bookstore. 

A popular culture in the west, India—although home to multiple silent book clubs—is yet to have its ‘books and beers’ culture. With its English pub-inspired decor, The Biere Club transforms into a haven for bookworms.

The brewery had 15 attendees for its first ‘Books and Brews’ session, and the one with the book launch had 25 enthusiasts. 

“We put reminders on social media, but we don’t want to advertise and pull people to it…If there are 50-60 people, then the whole point of a ‘silent’ book club is lost…,” Arvind explains. 

Are readers ready?

“Breweries are of the moment now, they are exploding in Bengaluru! It’s (Bengaluru) is a tech city…a young city…And combining the youthful energy of a brewery with book clubs that have existed as long as people have been reading is a great idea! It makes absolute sense,” Narayan says. 

Unlike the usual traditional book clubs, there is no limitation in terms of the books and authors one reads during ‘Books and Brews’. 

“No one has to read a certain book and later discuss them…There’s no pressure, and one can come in with their own books, or grab one from the stack, and read at their own pace,” says Prarthna Vohra, a Bengaluru-based PR and Brand Consultant. 

Once an avid reader, Vohra struggles to find time out to read, amidst work and family responsibilities; but ‘Books and Brews’ has proved to be an escape for her. 

Sarthak Sahu resonates with Vohra’s point and says, ideally, he would want to read his preferred book or author, and at his own pace. However, “There are so many genres and authors that I haven’t explored, and I wouldn’t have discovered some of these books had I not attended these sessions,” he adds. 

While the concept sounds great for readers who are constantly struggling to squeeze in some time for their favourite reads, YS Life spoke to a few regular readers and book club members about what they think of the concept. 

For 36-year-old Sanna Pradhan, initially, the sole reason for attending Bengaluru-based Woodside-Garden Book Club was the very idea of discussing the books and listening to varied opinions. “The group has now evolved into friendships and we enjoy the company and conversations beyond the books too,” Pradhan says. 

Similarly, for Medha Ramamurthy, a member of Bengaluru-based Books Buddies club, attending a traditional read-a-book-and-discuss session works better. “It makes me read at least one book a month, and I get to read a variety of books,” she says. 

Sahu has earlier attended both online and offline book club sessions. “Book clubs like Lodhi Reads (Delhi) and Cubbon Reads (Bengaluru) are just like people drinking at a pub and approaching random strangers, but the alcohol is replaced by a book… I am not taking anything away from them and it’s fun to attend these sessions once in a while, but I couldn’t see the point of being a regular there,” the millennial confesses. 

And what about combining books with beers? 

“Depends,” Sahu says. 

“I feel reading is an extremely personal experience, and drinking or any kind of intoxication doesn’t go with the activity of reading…So, if it’s like one of Lodhi Reads with beer, then no. But if it’s something like a discussion on specific books/authors over a beer, I would definitely give it a try!” he adds. 

“We offer coffee to those who prefer it over beer,” Meenakshi clarifies. 

Narayan, a Bangalorean by choice, has been a member of 10 book clubs herself. While she believes that the discussions at book club sessions bring in more energy, “I am going to bring a book and definitely give The Biere Club silent book reading club a shot the next time,” she adds. 

For Ramamurthy, a regular at book clubs, the idea doesn’t sit well. “I enjoy reading in the comfort of my home.”

Similarly, Pradhan is pessimistic about the idea of reading at a microbrewery. “Beer is essentially a very social activity and reading requires you to withdraw from conversations…I may get distracted and start chatting!” she admits. 

“Might also get the book dirty with my snacky fingers…Who drinks without chakkna (bar nibbles) after all?!” Pradhan quips. 

What do you think about the concept of ‘books and beers’? Let us know!