7 Most Expensive Alcoholic Beverages in India

Published on January 23, 2017 at 1:11 am by Jay Martin in Lists

What are the 7 most expensive alcoholic beverages in India?

Booze is an important product, cultural symbol, traditional component, and tasty fun thing (for those over 21 in the U.S.) Alcoholic beverages are tied to camaraderie and familial rituals like toasts, weddings, cultural rites of passage like the college experience, becoming an adult, and, of course, certain religious ceremonies such as within Catholic Masses. It makes sense to use alcoholic beverages as a filter with which to explore other countries and to compare them to your own–this unifying liquid has a long history.

Alcoholic beverages and their consumption date back to 3000 BC. The Babylonians worshiped wine goddesses and, by all accounts, knew how to have a good time. The Greeks were making mead from honey and water in 2000 BC and–as we all know–they were even more fun than the Babylonians. Ancient Greeks were basically the best. From these far-off imbibers to today–the alcoholic beverage industry reached more than $1 trillion in 2014.

7 Most Expensive Alcoholic Beverages in India

The most common alcoholic beverages are beer, wine and liquor derived from wheat, grain, corn, or potatoes. They are produced through a process called fermentation. This is a 7th-grade science process of breaking down sugars in yeasts and bacteria into alcohol. I recall my teacher leaving apples on his desk for months to degrade and we took exquisite notes on the different stages. The smell left something to be desired.

Many, but not all, people can enjoy drinking alcohol in moderation. There are certain studies on the health benefits of alcoholic beverages that linked to red wine and others to reducing cancer or stroke risks. Yet, for the most part, alcoholic beverages are linked to health risks like heart disease, cancers, liver and digestive issues. Of course, only a doctor can advise you on this topic–especially as it relates to your individual situation–but seemingly these risks are vastly lowered for those who only have the occasional glass, whereas alcohol abuse is very dangerous for both your physical and mental health. Abusive use of alcohol could result in serious health problems like liver damage and accidents when you drink and drive. Alcohol addiction is something that should not be neglected, there are many resources online and in-person that can help anyone experiencing difficulty with alcohol addiction.

Alcoholic consumption in India is on the rise, and our list of most expensive alcoholic beverages in India is here to prove that. Indians are drinking alcoholic beverages at a rate that is up 55% over the past 20 years. In the states that do allow drinking the age limit ranges from 18-21 depending on the location. There are also certain Indian states which have banned the consumption of alcoholic beverages altogether. According to an LATimes article, one-fifth of India’s 1.2 billion people live in states that have banned alcohol.

Prohibition of liquor in India is resulting 7% of the 7000 stores selling liquors to close down. This action was taken in order to reduce crime rates thought to have been caused by alcohol’s influence. A few states in India like Nagaland, Manipur, Gujarat, and Bihar totally banned alcohol–while the others only imposed restrictions. Hinduism, the largest religion in India, does not encourage drinking alcoholic beverages although it also does not forbid it. There is also a connection to Ayurveda the medicinal practice rooted in Hinduism, that uses wine as a treatment for certain ailments. Some also claim to interpret passages in the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, as describing a ritualistic drinking of Soma an intoxicating juice derived from a plant. However, many argue that this is a spiritual intoxication or a metaphor and that it has little to do with modern alcohol consumption.

Prohibitions and restrictions seem unlikely to ever guarantee a full stop on drinking alcoholic beverages–throughout history when people have sought to drink booze they have found a way.

However, it does seem like a winning idea to impose high prices on alcoholic beverages. The government can benefit from these “sin” taxes. It doesn’t trample on the freedom of people who want to drink, yet it can help discourage drinking to excess which is universally agreed to be unhealthy. A lesser number of drunk people lowers the probability of public nuisance–which I would personally welcome in my neighborhood. Still, we must not forget that this will create an impact on beverage companies as it may result in loss of sales. Although there are a lot of affordable beverages, there are also those which are already pricey. Using MRP (Maximum Retail Price) we gathered the most expensive alcoholic beverages in India. We also have our list of 10 Most Expensive Alcoholic Beverages in the World and you might want to guess how much each beverage cost.

Let us now check out 7 most expensive alcoholic beverages in India.