Lone Wolf rages on

The branding of our newly launched beers reflects minimalism and the symbol we use is of a wolf. We want our consumers to channel their true spirit, which is through breaking and making their own trajectories, their own paths. This is where you shine, says Arijit Ghosh, VP – Sales, Onkara Beverages & Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.

The brand Lone Wolf from Onkara Beverages & Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. believes in celebrating free-spirited, self-assured individuals who are willing to carve out their own path and deviate from established standards. “They are daring enough to wander, explore, and defy trends! Lone Wolf would like to invite everyone to join in on this adventure and be a part of the conception of a counterculture. #Unfollow,” exhorts Arijit Ghosh.

Justifying the introduction of a new beer, he says the beer market in India is growing impressively. Particularly, after the massive beer shortage in the national capital and other cities, there has been a tremendous shift in the paradigm in this eco-space. “With many consumers demanding homegrown and indigenously crafted beverages, many new entrant brewers took this as an opportunity to introduce the consumers to a more inclusive ecosystem,” he observes.

Branding Reflecting Minimalism

Lone Wolf is a premium quality beer brand where the hops and yeast are imported from Germany. “We use barley malts which is a mix of German 2 row barley and Indian 6-row barley roots. The current production of the beer is carried out in a brewery in Punjab. The company intends to expand its manufacturing capacity in Northern India,” disclosed the entrepreneur.

“Our branding reflects minimalism and the symbol we use is of a wolf. As mentioned, we want our consumers to channel their true spirit, which is through breaking and making their own trajectories, their own paths. This is where you shine. With the wolf symbol in mind, we encourage the consumers to embark on their spirited conquest,” he adds.

Lone Wolf’s USP

The company has launched two variants of beer which are made with high quality ingredients such as German hops and imported barley malts.The first is a high ABV beer called Lone Wolf Strong, which is unique in that it does not leave a bitter aftertaste and “goes down easy.” Unlike most strong beers, this one is extremely smooth. The second variant, Lone Wolf Mild Lager, is a full malt that lets you enjoy the earthy and aromatic tones. This particular variant is an all-day lager, ideal for your brunch gatherings. Furthermore, these carefully crafted beers are relatively low in terms of additives, providing you with beer in its purest form!

Market Movements

“Since we are new to the industry, we are pacing ourselves accordingly, as evidenced by our production capacities. We are focusing our efforts in North India; on expanding our sales and distribution footprint. At the moment, we only operate in Delhi and Haryana. Chandigarh and Punjab will be our target areas in the coming months. After that, we intend to expand our operations to Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. We are currently self-funded and bootstrapped,” explains Arijit.

Sooner than later, he says they envisage to expand into the LABs (low alcohol beverages) and RTDs (ready-to-drink) segments.

Initial Response

Lone Wolf Strong is presently available in 650 ml and 500 ml sizes, while Lone Wolf Mild Lager is available in 650 ml, 500 ml, and 330 ml sizes. Due to differences in excise policies between states, the prices for the 500ml and 650ml packaging sizes range between Rs. 110 and Rs. 180.

In Delhi, the 330 ml pint costs Rs. 90. “We are just a three-month-old brand in the industry, an infant I would say, but we are dreaming big already! We aspire to have a 4-5 percent market share in the years to come. It won’t be easy at all with the competition and growing number of brands every year but we are confident of our product offerings to the consumers,” he elaborates.

Currently, the company is promoting its brands via the social media channels. Further, they are organising various tasting events for the consumers to get real-time experience. As they tap into events and music festivals, they hope that the consumers will surely appreciate the rich tones that the Lone Wolf brand has to offer.

Talking about niche markets, he feels the need to shift to organic and locally sourced F&B products seems to have taken momentum when it comes to the needs and wants of the consumers. He opines that there is going to be a large influx of domestic entrants in the eco-space as the demand increases further.