By Neha Mehrotra
There’s something undeniably thrilling about breaking away from the herd and refusing to be defined by convention. It’s the mark of a true Lone Wolf. And it’s exactly this philosophy that childhood friends and entrepreneurs Atul Kumar Singh and Anurag Kedia have poured into their craft beer brand, Lone Wolf. I sat down with Atul, Co-Founder and Managing Director and Anurag, Co-Founder and COO, Lone Wolf Beverages, to talk about their brewing philosophy, their journey so far, and why being a Lone Wolf is about more than just beer.
Why the name Lone Wolf?
We were looking for a name that reflected our personalities and the way we see the world. A Lone Wolf is someone who forges its own path, defies conventions, and listens to its own instincts rather than the noise around. That spirit resonated with us deeply, and hence, we chose Lone Wolf.
Tell us about your presence and the operations of the brand in the Indian market.
We started in Delhi, our home ground, and have since expanded to Chandigarh. While we brew in Punjab, we’re not selling there just yet. Recently, we launched in Rajasthan and Goa about six months ago. We’re also looking at Kerala and plan to enter Uttar Pradesh next year. As for our market presence, Delhi has been going strong for three years now, and we’re grateful to have secured over a 4% market share. In Chandigarh, we hold around 2.7% to 3%. Take us through the brand offerings in terms of flavours and variants. When we started the brand, we studied the beer market and found that about 85% of beer sales come from strong beers, mostly through retail, while the remaining 15% falls into other categories. So we started with Lone Wolf Strong and launched two variants in the first year—Lone Wolf Strong and Lone Wolf Mild. We did little alterations and tweaking in the recipes, and then next year we launched two more variants, which were Lone Wolf Alpha, a Belgian-style beer, and Lone Wolf Maverick, a malted lager. We’ve recently launched the Lone Wolf Wild, which is the premium version of the Strong.
( In image: Anurag Kedia, Co-Founder and COO, Lone Wolf Beverages )
How does the Lone Wolf Wild stand out from other strong beers in the market?
Strong beers have a harsh aftertaste and give you a hangover the next day. We wanted to change that. After speaking with our brewer, we learnt that these issues come from the high sugar content in most strong beers. That’s when we decided our beer would have—no added sugar, just pure, natural brewing. Our beer goes through a slow, 15- to 18-day brewing process, compared to the usual 2 to 3 days. Our Lone Wolf Strong is well-aged, smooth on the palate, and free from the bitterness and artificial sweetness. And since we are marketing ourselves as the smoothest, strong beer in the market, we wanted to take things up a notch—so we introduced Lone Wolf Wild, an even more refined, premium version of our strong beer. It’s still new in the market, but the response has been incredible.
With so many brands already in the market, did you face any challenges in carving out a space for Lone Wolf?
What we saw was that there’s a lot of movement in the beer market, which means that people are open to trying new brands. Our typical beer drinker is 21 and above, usually ranging up to 30-35 years old—young, experimental, and always looking for something new. When we entered the market, we were just one among many. But people were ready to accept it, and they liked the taste. It is always difficult to convince the customer to pick up first, and then it is on your quality, genuineness, and taste.
( In Image : Atul Kumar Singh, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Lone Wolf Beverages )
Lastly, if you had to choose one variant of Lone Wolf, what would be your favourite?
Both of us love the Maverick, while our wives prefer Wild and Strong. Interestingly, more and more women are loving the Strong. Beer has always been seen as a “guy’s drink” because of how older brands have marketed it. But from the very beginning, we made sure to stay away from that stereotype. We wanted Lone Wolf to be for everyone. We do say Lone Wolf is a strong beer for a strong woman!
