You can be as fancy as you want with your drinks but nothing beats a pint of chilled beer after a long day of hustle in the scorching heat. Also, the buzz it hits you with is certainly low, so hangovers aren't much of a thought even on a weekday. Some say it releases endorphins in the body and also dopamine, but the uncomplicated fact is, it's a feel good alcoholic beverage. Malty, kinda roasted, robust (but not too in your face) with hints of fruitiness and loads of bubbles, beer is the one of the best things about summer and here are our favourite brands to try it from.
10 Best Beer Brands To Beat The Heat This Summer
Kingfisher
Kingfisher is India’s most loved beer brand. Not only is the taste brilliant but the brand's 'good times' branding appeals to most. What we like most about the brand is that it has something for everyone's liking- lighter beers like Kingfisher Premium Lager as well as stronger options like Kingfisher Ultra and Kingfisher Max for those who like it pungent. Something common in all their offerings is the crisp and refreshing taste, with a nice balance of malty and citrusy flavours.
Hoegaarden
Hoegaarden is a crowd-pleasing craft beer with fruity, spicy notes that make it standout in the Belgian witbier category. Its moderately bitter so if you are just starting out on your beer drinking journey, it's a great option to begin with. We also love their Hoegaarden Rosée, which is a fruit beer made with raspberries but is quite a task to find in Indian liquor stores and also the Hoegaarden Grand Cru, which is a stronger, more complex version of the classic Hoegaarden White.
Corona
Yes, it shares its name with the C-word (global pandemic) but moving on from that, Corona is one of the best beer brands not only in our country but worldwide. The taste is smooth and has that punch of dryness, brought by the graininess and maltiness one associates with most beers, minus the bitter after-taste.
Bira
Bira91 is one of the most successful homegrown brands in the country and has captured its fair share of the market with its variety of beers and colourful branding. They have five beer variants with Blonde and White being the hot-sellers. While White is a wheat beer with low bitterness and high aromas like citrus and coriander, the Blonde is a lager made from barley and saaz hoops.
Goa Brewing Co
The Goa-origin craft brand’s dedication towards doing something hatke has our heart. They brew small batch, seasonal farm-to-barrel beers from their brewery in Sangolda, Goa. Their offerings keep changing so you are in for a whole lot of uniqueness and variety.
Budweiser
Known for its signature bold, malty taste, Budweiser is one of the most iconic beer brands in India and worldwide. The regular Budweiser Premium is a smooth, medium-bodied lager with pleasant notes of rice and honey malt. Budweiser Magnum packs more punch at 6.5% ABV – it’s a rich, full-flavoured beer that goes down dangerously smooth. Budweiser offers a taste of American brewing tradition. Crisp, refreshing, and dependably tasty, it’s hugely popular at bars, restaurants and house parties across India.
Simba
Another homegrown beer, Simba is crafted and customised as per your palate. It has four different variants — wit, stout, light and strong. While the wit one is refreshing with infused flavours of Indian spices, the stout one is rich, dark coloured, with bold and roasty flavours, with hints of chocolate, caramel etc. On the other hand, Simba light is smooth and crisp and Simba strong has an overpowering taste and aroma.
Kati Patang
Kati Patang is a craft brewery based in Delhi making internationally-styled ales. they are currently selling in Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Chandigarh and Goa. With four beer offerings, there seems to be a bewr for everyone's taste palate. The Zesty Amber is a hit among the crowds with its all-natural malts and intensely complex flavours with a wonderfully smooth caramel finish. We also like the Saffron Lager which flaunts a clean and crisp taste with that leaves you wanting for more with its distinctive taste.
Tuborg
Tuborg by Carlsberg is a slightly more boozy beer with Tuborg Strong with some serious alcohol content (8% ABV). The pocket-friendly price point makes it a hit among the masses that enjoy a slightly more strong and dry-finish beer. It initially coats your mouth with faint sweetness that subdues to reveal a more bitter and potent malty flavour, great for those who enjoy a more filling brew.
Six Fields
Six Fields by Devans Modern Breweries is a homegrown Belgian style wheat beer with what one one would call a refined flavour profile. The feel of the beer is silky smooth with a beautiful light colour to it, with hints of Indian spices like coriander to give it that elegant aroma. This one feels like more of an indulgence over an everyday comfort beer pick.
