13 Must Try Indian Beers (Don’t Miss These When You Go to India)

The Indian beer culture is fast growing. From the first time I visited India to my last trip there have I seen tons of new beer brewery´s opening up, with a fun thing being the almost every Indian state has it´s own big brewery.

You do get the world´s famous Kingfisher in almost every state, but some states offer it own beer that I have only seen in it´s own state you got Goa Kings, in Goa. You get the Bullet beer in Rajasthan and the Royal Challenge in the southeastern part of the Country.

But even if the Indian beer culture is fast growing, so have I never before have seen so much import beer in the country either.
With the absolutely horrible beer “Fosters” being the most popular one. I can´t understand why since most of the local beers are so much better than Fosters.

Kingfisher Premium.

Pale Lager, 5%.
Brewed by: United Brewery Group in Bangalore, India.

By far the most common beer in India.
Clear light beer with a white top.
A bit boring aroma taste, but a beer that´s very easy to drink, especially in the sun.

Aroma: 6/10.
Appearance: 5/10.
Taste: 5/10.
Overall: 6/10.

Kingfisher Blue.

Malt Liquor 6%
Brewed by: United Brewery Group in Bangalore, India.

Pretty similar Kingfisher Premium beer, but you can taste it´s a bit stronger and the color is a bit darker.
Clear golden with a white head. Aroma is sweet, malty and grainy with a tiny sweet aftertaste.

Aroma: 5/10.
Appearance: 5/10.
Taste: 6/10.
Overall: 5/10.

Kingfisher Ultra.

Pale Lager 4,2%.
Brewed by: United Brewery Group in Bangalore, India.

Also very similar to Kingfisher Premium, but more expensive than the premium one.
Served so cold the beer began to ice up at the top of the glass.  Very standard issue pale lager here and to my tastes lacked the weight of the Kingfisher Blue. Some low bitterness but not much else.

Aroma: 8/10.
Appearance: 6/10.
Taste: 6/10.
Overall: 7/10.

Kingfisher Draught.

Pale Lager 5%.
Brewed by: United Brewery Group in Bangalore, India.

Another easy Kingfisher to drink, not much different from the other light Kingfishers.
Clear light to medium yellow color with a small, fizzy, fair lacing, fully diminishing, white head. Aroma is light to moderate malty, vegetable, cardboard, light toasted. Flavor is light moderate sweet and light bitter

Aroma: 4/10.
Appearance: 5/10.
Taste: 5/10.
Overall: 5/10.

Bullet.

Malt Liquor 6%.
Brewed by: United Brewery Group in Bangalore, India.

The main Rajasthan beer, but stilled brewed by the same brewery as Kingfisher.
Pours a golden body with a medium white head. Aroma of grain, light grass, and sweet malt.
A funny part is that the beer is sold next to the state next to Pakistan and holds the name “Bullet”.

Aroma: 3/10.
Appearance: 4/10.
Taste: 4/10.
Overall: 5/10.

Bullet beer from RajasthanGoa Kings.

Pilsner 4,8%.
Brewed by: Sachiin Joshi’s Viikings Group.

A good beach beer from the state of Goa.
Clear pale yellow lager, with a small head. The aroma is dominated by hops, malts, some distant fruits. The taste is a bit fuller than most Indian beers, a great beer to enjoy on a sunny day in Goa.

Aroma: 5/10.
Appearance: 6/10.
Taste: 7/10.
Overall: 7/10.

Goa Premium.

Pale Lager 5%. (Gluten free)
Brewed by:Impala Distillery & Brewery.

A new microbrew from Goa, and my favourite Indian beer.
It has a light golden colour and an initial pilsner like taste, with a bit of a metallic hit and a hint of sweetness it´s an average Lager, but it´s an amazing beer to drink in warm Goa.

Aroma: 8/10.
Appearance: 7/10.
Taste: 8/10.
Overall: 8/10

Wave.

Lager 8%.
Brewed by: Wave Distilleries and Breweries Limited.

It´s not much to say about “wave” its just a Larger, beer with a high alcohol strength, not exactly my favourite Indian beer but still easy enough to drink if ice cold.
The beer is a clear gold with no head of foam at all. The aroma has bread and corn with a bit of grass.

Aroma: 4/10.
Appearance: 3/10.
Taste: 3/10.
Overall: 4/10

Haywards 5000.

Malt Liquor 8%.
Brewed by: Shaw Wallace.

Another average Indian beer. Nothing to brag about.
Pours a clear pale gold with minimal head. Aroma of corn and grains with a hint of skunky. Taste is medium sweet.

Aroma: 4/10.
Appearance: 3/10.
Taste: 3/10.
Overall: 3/10

Bira White 91.

Witbier 4,9%.
Brewed by: Cerana Beverages.

Bira White and Bira Blonde, a New Delhi craft beer lunched in feb 2015.
Bira 91 White is a quintessential Belgian style Witbier. It has low bitterness but a lot of aromas, citrus and coriander being the prominent ones.

Aroma: 8/10.
Appearance: 8/10.
Taste: 8/10.
Overall: 8/10

Bira Blonde 91.

Blonde Lager 4,9%.
Brewed by: Cerana Beverages.

Lunched togheter with Bira white in feb 2015, and one of my favourte Indian beers.
A lager with a small bitterness. They’ve used hops from the Himalayas.
It is a clear beer where the bitterness comes in right at the end.
It is a very smooth and easy drinking beer I really enjoyed this one.

Aroma: 8/10.
Appearance: 8/10.
Taste: 9/10.
Overall: 9/10

Magpie Royal Strong.

Strong Ale 8%.
Brewed by: CMJ Brewery.

Another newcomer on the Indian beer market. The CMJ brewery is from the far is from the state of Meghalaya.
A strong ale where you can really taste the alcohol taste, not a fan. A dark yellow color with a small head, most of the taste was just the alcohol.

Aroma: 3/10.
Appearance: 2/10.
Taste: 2/10.
Overall: 2/10

Magpie Royal Lager.

Lager 5%.
Brewed by: CMJ Brewery.

A newcomer on the market together with the Strong Ale one, not really sure where to place this one, it wouldn’t be my first choice when it come to beer, but i would rather drink this one then the Strong Ale one.
Deep golden yellow colour on the body, little activity in it, good sized white head, frothy, with average retention.

Aroma: 3/10.
Appearance: 3/10.
Taste: 3/10.
Overall: 3/10