Will the beer we have in India find a mug in the world-famous Oktoberfest in Munich? Well, about 85 per cent of it might not, say some. For, a four-fifth of the domestic beer sold is 바카라strong바카라바카라a unique Indian favourite with 7 to 8 per cent alcohol content. Brewers say alcohol, as a byproduct while making beer by adding yeast to barley or wheat malt to hasten fermentation, is never more than about 5 per cent by volume. So, how does it go up? 바카라Some beer-makers simply add ENA (extra neutral spirit or hard liquor) to the beer. This is the reason strong beer has a medicinal whiff of ethanol when opened, gives the drinker an instant high, and a bad hangover later,바카라 says Rahul Singh, a beer fanatic who is the founder and CEO of Beer Café chain of bars which now has 40 outlets in 12 cities. He says the alcohol content in some strong beer is so high that one bottle of 650 ml is equivalent to 150 ml of hard drink (as most spirits sold in India have alcohol of 40 per cent by volume), or about two-and-a-half Patiala pegs.
The beer industry froths at the mouth when asked about it. 바카라Absolute rubbish! It바카라s simply not possible. It would be downright illegal to do so,바카라 says Kalyan Ganguly, a veteran of the beer industry who headed United Breweries for two decades. 바카라Besides, it is certainly possible to get higher alcohol content in beer. Something like Carlsberg Special Brew, which is sold internationally, I think, has 11 to 12 per cent alcohol.바카라
Concurs Shobhan Roy, director-general, All Indian Brewers Association, which represents about 90 per cent of the country바카라s beer industry: 바카라With high-gravity brewing, it is easily possible to get high alcohol content. Distillery and brewery licenses are given out separately in India and there is no way that hard spirits can be added to beer. Do you think global brands like Heineken and Carlsberg will do illegal business here?바카라
바카라Carrying pure alcohol in a brewery is not legal,바카라 says Samar Singh Sheikhawat, senior vice-president, United Breweries, which commands a 52 per cent market share in India. 바카라No major beer-maker would do it.바카라
Yes, it is possible to get higher percentage of alcohol from brewing, but for that it will take very high quality of malt and yeast that the Indian industry does not use, argue others. 바카라If you want double the alcohol, you have to add twice the quantity malt, which is absolutely cost-prohibitive for the price strong beer is sold in India,바카라 says Gaurav Sikka, managing director of Arbor Brewing Company, a popular brewpub in Bangalore. 바카라There is this allegation that some breweries add sugar to the malt to increase the alcohol content. The beer-makers use the loose term 바카라adjuncts바카라 which are added to beer but one can바카라t say what specifically goes into it,바카라 he adds. 바카라Look,바카라 says Roy, 바카라a beer-maker may add sugar or salt or anything else that is part of the brewing process and is permissible. Strong beer in India is perfectly legal and is made with all the necessary permits and ingredients.바카라
Pradeep Mehta, secretary general of CUTS International, a leading consumer advocacy and research organisation, also wonders why this oddity called 바카라strong beer바카라 even exists. By definition, beer should contain no more than 3-5 per cent alcohol; it is not a hard drink.
The fact is that all바카라from truck drivers to stock traders바카라lap up the strong brew. All the four big global brands, Heineken (which controls United Breweries), SAB Miller, Carlsberg and AB Inbev that make up for up to 90 per cent of the Indian market (estimated at Rs 24,000 crore) have many strong beer brands. They may not have it in other markets but that is because in most countries it바카라s the light lager which rules. 바카라What is unique to India is the popularity of strong beer. It바카라s there in Singapore, Australia and Europe too, but is a small part of the beer market,바카라 says Sheikhawat.
Strong beer is popular in emerging countries in Africa, Central Asia and our subcontinent, says Ankur Jain, founder of Bira 91, the runway hit craft beer he launched in 2002. 바카라In premium beer or craft beer, taste is the main criterion, but in strong beer it바카라s the alcohol strength,바카라 he points out. 바카라Now, with a lot of young people with disposable income, who meet to have a beer with friends after a hard day바카라s work, not to get drunk, the taste for craft beer is growing. It was a big surprise for us to see such a huge demand for Bira.바카라 Bira too will be coming out with a strong beer soon, but Jain says it will be based more on taste and texture rather than just high alcohol content.
The beer-drinking culture in the country, so far primarily to get a hit (바카라testosterone, not taste바카라 as Rahul Singh puts it) may be changing. Sheikhawat says even within strong beer, it바카라s the premium brands like Kingfisher Ultra Max, Budweiser Magnum that are growing fast. But it will still take a lot to knock off a KnockOut, dethrone a Godfather or tame a Thunderbolt.
