is the largest country in South Asia, whose brewing traditions come almost entirely from the British who imported beer for their colonial staff in the 18th century. This imported beer became known as “India pale ale,” a type of beer with a particularly high quantity of hops to help it survive the 5-month sea voyage from the UK to India. See india pale ale.

The first brewery in India was created in the early 19th century in the Himalayan foothills by British general Edward Dyer, who began to produce an India pale ale, called “Lion,” using the fresh spring water abundant to the Himalayan foothills around the town of Shimla. This beer was produced until the 1960s, when most other breweries in India at the time were beginning to produce lagers.

Today, the Indian market is dominated by two companies: United Breweries and SABMiller, who also import beers from both Europe and the United States. These two large companies and other smaller breweries have also begun to export beer, such as the Kingfisher and Cobra brands. Through this increasing diversification, the Indian market now has a whole variety of domestic beers, including ales, stouts, and lagers, in addition to the premium imported lagers. In the east and northeast of India there is also a tradition of brewing a beverage made from rice called Hadia, which is fermented in large containers and stored underground.

Among Indians, beer consumption has conventionally been low with a current annual per-capital consumption between 1 and 1.4 liters per annum, although recently, as a consequence of improved prosperity and a decreasing average consuming population age, this has increased dramatically. This is particularly true since 2002, owing to reduced beer taxes and improved beer distribution. Nevertheless, the popularity of beer still remains scant, particularly in comparison to distilled beverages like whiskey, rum, and gin.