Man hitch-hikes 5,000 miles using beer as currency

A veteran hitch-hiker has thumbed his way from Edinburgh to India – a journey of more than 5,000 miles – using only cans of beer as currency.

Innis & Gunn hitch-hiker Manny Marshall at the end of his 5,000-mile journey

Sponsored in beer by Scottish craft brewer Innis & Gunn, Manny Marshall this week reached the Indian capital of New Delhi following an eight-week journey that began in the Scottish capital.

With only cans of Innis & Gunn’s IPA beer as his currency, Marshall hitch-hiked his way to India in a journey that paid homage to the original IPAs of the 18th and 19th century, which had to withstand a six-month sea trip from Britain to India.

The 5,000-mile trip took Marshall across France, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Greece. To avoid politically unstable regions in the Middle East, Innis & Gunn flew Marshall from Athens to the coastal city of Mumbai in order for him to complete the final 900 miles to Delhi.

In exchange for transport and accommodation, Marshall shared more than 120 cans of IPA with strangers who helped him along the way, keeping the public informed about his two month-long journey with regular updates on Innis & Gunn’s blog and social media profiles with the #IPAtoIndia hashtag.

His journey saw him share a beer with a newlywed couple posing for pictures on Prague’s famous Charles Bridge, drink at the steps of the Acropolis in Athens and hitch a ride on a tuk-tuk in Mumbai.

Marshall’s journey ended on Tuesday 8 November with a final sip of IPA underneath the iconic India Gate in Delhi.

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“I’ve been hitchhiking for a long time now, but this was definitely my biggest challenge yet,” Marshall said on completing the journey.

“I was moved by the kindness of the people I met along the way. Language may have been a barrier at times, but this trip showed me that beer is truly a universal tongue.

“I’ve learned a great deal about the world over the last eight weeks and I encourage anyone who is thinking of a similar trip to quit hesitating and give it a go.”

Dougal Gunn Sharp, Innis & Gunn founder and master brewer, added: “This was no easy task. We’re elated that Manny has been able to share our beer with so many people from different walks of life on his journey to India.

“The India Pale Ale is a style of beer that has remained popular for over 200 years and it’s great to see it’s still embraced by people from all walks of life.

“Manny has been an absolute trooper throughout the journey, he has kept the team here entertained with his vividly described and hilarious tales from his trip.”

Innis & Gunn’s IPA is available on the Innis & Gunn online shop, in supermarkets in 330ml cans and in 50l kegs in the on-trade.

The hitch-hiking feat comes as Innis & Gunn announced that is has smashed its target of £1 million in an on-going crowdfunding campaign.

As reported in the drinks business, Innis & Gunn last week launched AdventureCapital™, its first equity crowdfunding campaign which raised £1m in 72 hours.

Due to its overwhelming crowdfunding success, Innis & Gunn is keeping the investment opportunity open to meet investor demand.

The money raised will allow the brewer to open four new Beer Kitchens in the next 12 months, increase its beer production at the Innis & Gunn Brewery and double its turnover to £25 million within the next three years.

Additional investments from this ‘overfunding’ round will go towards accelerating the programme of rolling out Innis & Gunn’s award winning Beer Kitchens in England and North America.