After finishing school at St. Paul’s High School, Belagavi, Vishwanath chose to study Dental Mechanics at SDM Dharwad. This course needed careful hands, creativity, and precision — skills that would later help him become a brewer.
He first worked in Kolhapur, then returned to Belagavi, where he opened his own dental lab. He supplied dental prosthetics, crowns, and bridges to more than 25 dentists and also trained around 10 technicians.
“I always enjoyed working with my hands,” he says. “Making a dental crown or brewing beer — both are about craftsmanship.”
How Brewing Entered His Life
In 2013, when Bengaluru’s craft beer culture was just beginning, Vishwanath got interested in studying food-related courses. While searching, he found a program at Le Cordon Bleu in Food Entrepreneurship and moved to Australia to study.
He thought he would study and return to India, but life had other plans. During his three-year course, he completed two internships.
The second internship was at Sydney Brewery, Australia’s oldest licensed brewery. This changed everything for him. He learned about fermentation, beer quality, brewing science, and met experts who guided him into the industry.
Growing in the Brewing World
After completing his studies, he joined Big Shed Brewery in Adelaide. A simple job soon became his passion. Over five years, he rose to the position of Senior Brewer, handling:
Wort production
Quality analysis
Fermentation
Beer consistency
He deepened his knowledge with a Diploma in Brewing from the Chartered Institute of Brewers and Distillers (UK), mastering water chemistry and microbiology.
“Beer is 99% water. Its chemistry decides the taste,” he explains.
In 2019–20, he experimented with smoothie beers, a new trend in the U.S. His Mango and Coconut Smoothie Beer stood out — not only for taste but also for the can artwork that he painted himself. It won 6th place out of 100 entries in Australia’s Beer Artwork Awards.
He next joined Pirate Life Brewery, now part of Asahi, where over 260,000 litres of beer are produced every week. It required precision, discipline, and consistency — things he enjoyed.
“Brewing isn’t glamorous,” he says. “It’s scientific, repetitive, and demanding. But that is what makes it special.”
He describes beer as “bread in liquid form” because it has yeast and sugars, making it delicate compared to wine or spirits.
Looking Back Home
With more than 10 years of brewing experience, Vishwanath now dreams of returning to India and starting something here.
“Someday, I want to brew in India — maybe even in Belagavi,” he says. “All I need is good water and partners who believe in beer. In Bengaluru, food becomes the focus — I want to build a place where beer is the hero, with simple local food.”
Vishwanath is married to Kawaljit, a Malaysian of Indian origin. He visits Belagavi once a year, carrying stories of flavors, brewing techniques, and the joy of creating the perfect pint.
For him, brewing is more than a job —
It connects him to his roots, his craft, and the art of bringing people together.
