Delhi allows microbreweries

 Here's some good news for beer lovers in the national capital  - the Delhi government has allowed microbreweries for the first time in the city.

The Delhi Cabinet has approved a proposal of the excise department to allow microbrew pubs.

Currently, to taste freshly brewed beer, the residents of Delhi have to travel to Gurgaon and Faridabad in Haryana, where microbreweries exist in large numbers.

"The Delhi Cabinet recently approved a new excise policy for 2017-18, under which microbreweries will be allowed in the national capital," a senior government official said.

Hotels, malls and other establishments will soon be able to offer freshly brewed beer to their customers.

The official also said that three applications are currently pending with the excise department for opening microbreweries in Delhi.

"As the Cabinet has approved the department's proposal, a decision on these applications will be taken at the earliest," the official said.

Microbreweries produce small amounts of lager and are usually set up in pubs that cater to niche customers. Haryana was one of the first states to have microbrew pubs.

Microbreweries originated in Germany and have gained popularity globally in the past decades, including in the US, Japan, Canada, Belgium and the UK, where the term was coined in the 1970s.