In contrast to the amazing and excellent variety of Indian curry, the beer landscape is not as well-developed. Indian culture has a fairly long history of alcohol prohibition; and while you can definitely find alcohol, bars, and other places to drink throughout the country today, it is definitely not on the same level as other regions we’ve visited.
Indeed, most restaurants you’ll find (outside of fancier places or those catering to westerners) won’t even serve beer. When you do find it, it will almost undoubtedly be a variety of Kingfisher – a brand introduced during British colonial occupation, and still holding almost 40% of the country’s market share today. I did manage to enjoy a few kingfishers during our visit, but it was few and far between.
On the flip side, India has some great and very popular non-alcoholic beverages – Chai masala tea and lassi were some of our favorites. You can also find coke and pepsi for dirt cheap everywhere!
India definitely has a lot going for it – incredible unique and colorful culture, amazing food, tons of history – however, I wouldn’t put it at the top of your list for places to take a beer tour.
