Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Imported Beer in India

India has the largest population of whiskey drinkers in the world, beer on the other hand is a different story. Though there are foreign brewers like SABMiller who brew both local and international brands in India, finding a pint of imported beer in India is quite hard. Here are a few I've come across in Delhi. I will review them individually over a series of posts.

Hoegaarden

It is a Belgian witbier(white beer) with 4.9% alcohol content. This has to be one of my favourite imported beer for 2 reasons.
> It is easily available in most high end liquor stores
> It tastes like heaven!


Tasting Notes(courtesy betterbeerblog.com)

Hoegaarden pours out a clear, pale straw color with a white head. The aroma is comprised of a slightly sweet wheat malt component, fresh citrus notes, a low yeasty pepperiness with coriander undertones and a very, very slight tartness. No discernible hop aroma. Hoegaarden has a medium-low spicy/peppery aspect in the flavor that is supported by a low, wheat malt sweetness. There is a low level of spice/herb quality that is from the coriander that persists into the finish. Very, very low hop flavor. Hoegaarden is medium-low bodied and effervescent in it’s carbonation.

The Glass

Different styles of glassware complement different styles of beer for a variety of reasons, including enhancing aromatic volatiles, showcasing the appearance, and/or having an effect on the beer head. The traditional Hoegaarden glass is a Belgian Witbier glass, i.e., a multi sided tumbler that displays the hazy, straw body and voluminous white head.

What its Costs, Where you get it?

Hoegaarden in Delhi can cost you between Rs 120 - 150 at a liquor store and between Rs250 -500 at restaurants/pubs. Also you should look out for the Hoegaarden draught beer straight out of the keg! Its really something else and surprisingly not that hard to find. Available in most fine dining restaurants and high end liquor stores, it is easily one of India's most common fully imported beer.

Have a say? Let me know!

Cheers!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

dude this blog is awsome. really enjoyes this last posting. keep it going on!!!!!!!!!!!! i will try to spread this blog to all my frends. cheers bro !


Arun Sinha

Prashant said...

thanks for your feedback arun, really appreciate it!

cheers

jayashree kurup said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I am not much of a beer expert. But i loved Hoegaarden, especially the draught variety. Had it with an exotic meal at Oak Tree restaurant in Gurgaon.
JK

Sumeet Singh said...

True that!!...Drinking from the keg is a different experience altogether....I had Fosters tap once, it had a different and better taste than the usual bottled variety.Also, beers like heineken, Amstel and Corona are now easily available in the Indian market. Do let us know if you find Guiness somewhere in Delhi..

Prashant said...

Yes guiness is available in delhi, well gurgaon actually. The only place i know is the liquor shop in galleria market, dlf phase 4. Though he you are looking at stout in general, i would recommend rockmans beer island, ambience mall, gurgaon. They have exceptionally good home brewed stout.

shiv said...

arey wah!
i'm waiting for a review of Asahi! haha.
also, Tuborg! there's some at home, abhi exams hain toh not drinking as such, but you can come to try whenever. phone kar.

Sawan Pareek said...

I have a knower in Austria Europe . i live in INDIA and i want to bring some bottles of beer from there. how it could be possible. Plz tell me the Procedure and what the extra cost i will have to pay for this
Plz mail me @ sawan.k.pareek@gmail.com

Thank U