Alcohol is still frowned upon in general in Tamil Nadu, and apart from five star hotels and places that serve beer illegally under the table (literally) there are very few places to get alcohol here. The only place to buy the stuff are state-controlled 'wine shops', often in backalleys with bars over the window where they will hand you your beer through the bars. These places are very sketchy though, often full of shady characters and very smelly. In addition, they only sell Indian liquors and there is no place in the state to buy imported beer or liquor. Because of this, there is quite a black market for imports in the state. I remember during my time in Chennai a common question expats would ask each other was "So, who's your bootlegger"? If you're curious for more on liquor policy in the state,
this article does a good job.
Kingfisher is clearly the beer of choice over here and it is delicious. However, even after having one at night, I'd wake up the next day with a headache and feeling awful. I asked around and found out that all beers made in India put in a preservative (ie poison) in them called glycerol. This is what give you the splitting headache the next day. However, the glycerol is heavier than the beer, so if you turn your beer upside down into a glass of water, the oily-looking glycerine will come out, leaving you with pure beer. You might loose about 2oz in the process but it'll be worth it the next day!
Alcohol is still frowned upon in general in Tamil Nadu, and apart from five star hotels and places that serve beer illegally under the table (literally) there are very few places to get alcohol here. The only place to buy the stuff are state-controlled 'wine shops', often in backalleys with bars over the window where they will hand you your beer through the bars. These places are very sketchy though, often full of shady characters and very smelly. In addition, they only sell Indian liquors and there is no place in the state to buy imported beer or liquor. Because of this, there is quite a black market for imports in the state. I remember during my time in Chennai a common question expats would ask each other was "So, who's your bootlegger"? If you're curious for more on liquor policy in the state, this article does a good job.
Kingfisher is clearly the beer of choice over here and it is delicious. However, even after having one at night, I'd wake up the next day with a headache and feeling awful. I asked around and found out that all beers made in India put in a preservative (ie poison) in them called glycerol. This is what give you the splitting headache the next day. However, the glycerol is heavier than the beer, so if you turn your beer upside down into a glass of water, the oily-looking glycerine will come out, leaving you with pure beer. You might loose about 2oz in the process but it'll be worth it the next day!
OMG!!!I dont think any Expat uncovered this part (especially) of India other than you!! Good Luck for more exp, welcome back.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the props, Imran! Let's get a (glycerol free) beer together next time I'm back!
ReplyDeletethanks for the info.. but could someone tell me the reason y it is added in the first place apart from the fact that it supposedly acts as a sweetener....
ReplyDeletealso wat the side effects of glycerol?
vitamin C is a preservative, does that make it a poison? In High amounts vitamin D is toxic. Does that mean it is bad for you? Glycerin is a natural product derived from plants and you are spreading misinformation.
ReplyDeleteWell, glycerin might not be a poison if your definition of poison is something that kills you, but the substance is widely known to cause a very bad headache, even after just a little bit of the stuff. I never get a headache from one glycerin free beer but certainly can here after just one beer with glycerin.
ReplyDeleteGlycerin is a natural preservative they put in beer in India because beer goes bad very quickly in the tropical climate and without refrigeration, which is why it is used in India and not in the US.
Thnx Greg for ur information.
ReplyDeleteThts a good idea to remove glycerin from beer. I will try next time and I hope kingfisher sholud learn some lesson.
Any idea of other brands are also doing it in India. Of late beer is not going well with me maybe your re reasoningng is correct
ReplyDeleteWell, you can rest easy cuz you're not pouring or separating glycerin from the beer. You're just wasting beer. Its called chemistry, check it out.
ReplyDeleteI really like your blog. I really appreciate the good quality content you are posting here for free. I was looking to buy an glycerine but was looking for all the characteristics. Thanks for sharing all the information with us.
ReplyDeleteWe hear this all the time. The oily substance in Indian beers is Glycerine. This is the biggest myth and is actually complete bunkum. The oily substance in Indian beers and for that matter in most commercially brewed beers is in fact hop oils that are used to give the beer its bitterness and this also helps to preserve the beer. Remember IPA (India pale ale) this beer was infact created by accident when the British were trying to get the beers manufactured in England into India. They found that adding more hops to the beer actually allowed it to survive the long journey by ship to India. Thus was created the IPA !!! SO no glycerine. Its just hop oils !!!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how the imported beer cans and bottles survive in the Indian climate... and if glycerin is added to Indian beers, then I would also check the German or British beers for glycerin, using the pseudo-scientific method of inverting a bottle in a glass of water��. Worth a try to settle this issue.
ReplyDeleteA very awesome blog post. We are really grateful for your blog post. You will find a lot of approaches after visiting your post. beer garden table and benches
ReplyDeleteYeah, Indian beer is undrinkable. Ugh. Worse tham oaked California Chardonnay.
ReplyDeleteAlso, why do they need it? Some people say it’s a preservative used in tropical beer, but that’s not the case in Vietnam or anyplace else I’ve ever drunk beer in.
ReplyDelete