Telangana cheers to beer: Guzzling down 11 litre annually to top the bubble

HYDERABAD: Telangana is not just high on liquor, but also the beer capital of the south, bubbling over its neighbours in guzzling the foamy beverage. The state topped the charts with 11 litres annual per capita consumption and was distantly followed by other southern states, including Andhra Pradesh that consumed just 4.43 litres per capita. July figures also demonstrate higher beer sales than IMFL.
Going by pre-pandemic data of 2018-19, Telangana sold 3,912 lakh litres of beer, followed by Tamil Nadu with 2,526 lakh litres, Karnataka with 2,373 lakh litres, Andhra Pradesh with 2,186 litres and Kerala with 955 litres. Based on 2011 population data, the per capita consumption ratings of states vary. AP comes second with 4.43 litres per capita, followed by Karnataka (3.88 litres), Tamil Nadu (3.50 litres) and Kerala (2.86 litres).
Telangana Beverages Corporation dispatches beer in twin categories of 650 ml and 350 ml. Canisters with 650ml beer hold 12 bottles and those with 350ml beer carry 24 bottles, implying the state’s per capita consumption of bottles is around 15. With International Beer Day scheduled for Saturday, in retrospect the city’s pub circuit is yet to match prepandemic sales.
“The party culture is slowly picking up in Hyderabad and the state and beer sales have always been high due to its lower price tag, easy availability and a perception of low alcohol content,” said Kishan Peddapalli of Asav Wines. Even in rainy July, there was a spike in beer sales with Rangareddy district topping the state with sales of 6.5 lakh beer cases. “Beer is considered to have lesser health risks and a binging on foam will not make one sick,” said K Sadasiv, a Madhapur-based techie.