Indian drinking etiquette
Generally speaking beverages drank in India have dual purpose. They cool you off in hot weather or they warm you up in colder period of the year. Most of them are not alcoholic ones.
Because of religious reasons some Indian states (Gujarat, Nagaland, Manipur) and the archipelago of Lakshadweep imposed total ban on alcohol. Some others like the state of Kerala plan to ban beverages with high level of alcohol.
Desi daru with orange flavour
There are also sort of temporary bans on alcohol which are known as ``dry days''. Those days are actually set on important national holidays like for example Republic Day which is on the 26th January.
Ban on alcohol is also existing during elections. Despite everything the use of alcohol beverages is constantly rising.
The most popular and cheapest Indian alcoholic beverage is desi daru. It is a result of fermentation and distillation of different kinds of fruit with high level of sugar like for example orange, banana etc.
Desi daru is especially popular in the Indian countryside and among city people of lower income.
Masala kaju feni
It is often sold in special bars that are different from so called regular bars where other types of beverages are served. As it is cheap some people drink it to get drunk fast. Desi daru is one of major causes of alcoholism, various illnesses and family violence.
Desi daru is sometimes used in frauds in selling of whisky where it is mixed with real whisky.
Feni, fenny or fenim is an alcoholic beverage existing only in the Indian state of Goa. There are two varieties of feni available - cashew feni and coconut feni.
Cashew feni is produced as result of the triple distillation of cashew apples. It is made only from late February to mid-May. Coconut feni is made during double distillation of fermented toddy (sap) of the coconut palm. It is made only in the south of Goa all year round.
Feni on average has between 42 and 45% of alcohol per volume. It is traditionally produced in numerous small distilleries. Feni can be served without extras, with ice, mixed with various soft drinks or as part of cocktails.
Handia or handiya is a traditional beer type of drink made of rice in parts of central and eastern India.
Apart from rice the fermentation process includes so called ranu tablets which are actually a combination of over 20 various herbs. It takes a week for handia to be finished.
References Alcohol laws of India https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_laws_of_India Desi daru https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desi_daru Feni (liquor) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feni_%28liquor%29 Handia (drink) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handia_%28drink%29 List of Indian beverages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_beverages Nandni, Sip In the Most Popular Traditional Drinks of India http://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/india/sip-in-the-most-popular-traditional-drinks-of-india Images Desi daru with orange flavour (photo by Human3015, Wikimedia) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Desi_daru_%28desi_liqour%29_with_Orange_flavor.jpg Masala kaju feni (photo by ddasedEn, Flickr) https://www.flickr.com/photos/ddaseden/10104399556