You may have had the choicest of wines, strongest of beers, smoothest of champagnes, but your alcoholic journey remains incomplete if you miss out on these exotic Indian local drinks.
1. Handia
Handia is a rice beer made with ranu tablets (combination of about 20-25 herbs). It is served cold and is local to Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
2. Apo or Apong
It is a local fermented rice beer famous in the states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
3. Feni
Feni is an alcoholic beverage made from either cashew-nut or coconut. It’s a country liquor indigenous to Goa.
4. Zutho
It is a rice beer local to the state of Nagaland. It has a sour taste and a fruity fragrance with whitish porridge like texture.
5. Kallu
This drink is made by fermenting the sap of palm trees. It has a sugary taste and is famous in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. It is also called Tadi in Maharashtra.
6. Coconut Toddy
It is made by overnight fermentation of the sap of the coconut tree.
7. Chhaang
It is a hot beer made by fermenting millet. It’s an awesome beverage during a cold weather and is local to the Himalayan region.
8. Bhaang
Bhaang/Thandai is a famous traditional Indian drink prepared from cannabis leaves, milk, ghee, sugar and other spices.
9. Zawlaidi
It’s a premium variety of Lubrusca grape wine, a local brew indigenous to the state of Mizoram.
10. Xaj
It’s a special type of rice beer from Assam generally served in traditional brass utensils.
Kal se daaru bandh! Local drinks chaloo!