In a city of over 8 million people, in the top ten most diverse cities in the world, and with close to 50 craft breweries, it might come as a surprise to learn that there are just two Asian-Indian-owned craft beer bars in New York City. Carmine Street Beers in Greenwich Village, and Brooklyn’s Queue Beer are both owned by the Monteiro family. Dad Brian opened Carmine Street back in 2013, with sons Shane and Dean later joining the business. Inspired by hours spent working at Carmine Street between college classes, Shane launched Queue in hip Park Slope in 2023, with 24 taps, 80+ cans and seating for 46 guests. Committed to showcasing the best of local, national and international craft beer, the Monterios are also keen to highlight their Indian heritage and the endless possibilities Indian flavors offer to the craft beer market, to which end Queue operations manager Shane Monteiro has collaborated with Alternate Ending Beer Co. across the water in New Jersey to launch Small Things In Big Countries — a beer to celebrate Indian culture and cuisine.

“I think this project is important because I’ve been in craft beer for well over a decade now, and it’s still surprising to me that my family owns the only Indian-owned craft beer-focused places in a location as diverse as NYC,” said Shane Monteiro. I think about this a lot, especially as it pertains to the quality of the places we run, the beers we carry, the breweries we consider friends, and our regulars. When you’re the only one representing an entire demographic in a localized area, the weight of it all kind of sits with you. We’re always committed to being the best places to buy and drink craft beer, regardless of who else is in our industry, but I’m happy that we’re able to find people like Scott and the team at Alternate Ending who share the same passions we do, and who are also happy to provide a platform to give minority, immigrant, and family owned businesses like ours a much-needed spotlight.”

Beer, Bollywood and Basmati!

The beer’s name is a nod to the Bollywood blockbuster Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (The Brave-Hearted Will Take The Bride), one of the most successful Indian films ever made, and was released to celebrate Indian Independence Day on August 15^th. The quote, “In big countries, such small things keep happening,” features several times in the film, and Monterio sees it as a reflection of an Indian cultural mindset of not stressing out over minor inconveniences, and believes it adds to the humor and charm of the film. It’s also become a modern-day Indian idiom, making it a great fit for the beer. The collaboration also brought together Queue and Alternate Endings as neighbors and film lovers, pooling the Bollywood theme and Alternate Ending’s location in a repurposed cinema.

“The beer is definitely an open conversation about Bollywood,” said Monteiro. Part of the reason we chose this route is due to Alternate Ending’s unique history as the site of their town’s movie theater. Since they wanted to keep the spirit of the movies alive in their space, all of their beers and the space itself are movie-themed. I also believe that a collaboration should be a mesh of two brands, so when the opportunity arose, I used it to create a Bollywood-inspired beer, incorporating movie references through Alternate Ending, and of course, my own Indian influence.”

Monteiro brought on board highly acclaimed Indian multidisciplinary artist Chiraag Bhakta to design the striking, sumptuous beer can artwork, and worked with Alternate Ending founder and CEO Scott Novick to create a beer that brings forward the delicate umami flavor profile of that most prolific of Indian foodstuffs — basmati rice, making it suitable for pairing with Indian cuisine.

“We went about bringing Shane’s vision for a beer that would represent Indian flavors while also pairing well with Indian food by using basmati rice sourced from India in a very unique way called a cereal mash that enabled the flavor of the rice to come through in the finished beer,” said Novick.  “Additionally, our Head Brewer Brendan Arnold choose two hops, one from New Zealand that has strong notes of lime and the other from Czechia that has an almost spicy characteristic, which combined to simulate subtle notes of ginger.”

The dual launches for the beer also brought in Aarzu, an Indian restaurant in Freehold, NJ, who created a Smoked Chicken Tikka Detroit Pizza for the events, crafted to emphasize the beer’s paring potential.

Following previous collaborations with Gunhill, Interboro and Wild East, Queue are establishing themselves as an integral part of the Brooklyn beer scene, championing South Asians in craft beer and fostering local community partnerships.

Small Things In Big Countries is available at Queue Beer (Brooklyn, NY), Carmine Street Beers (Greenwich Village NY), and Alternate Ending Brewing Company (Aberdeen, NJ).

Beer provided by Queue Beer, opinions writer’s own

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