Non-alcoholic beers lift spirits in dry Gujarat

Non-alcoholic beers lift spirits in dry Gujarat
JIGNESH VASAVADA

AHMEDABAD, OCT 9: Amdavadis can now drink to their heart's content because dry Gujarat suddenly has a lot of beer flowing. Not the sort that you would get high on but non-alcoholic varieties that will lift your spirits. Most juice shops, custom shops and bakers now stock these varieties, albeit in moderate quantities. And telling these non-wine bottles apart from the real thing needs the eye of a professional.

``The first time I saw them I was surprised. How could alcohol be selling so openly. I personally went and inspected them and was even further intrigued at their likeness to the original,'' says Shalini Maitra, a student from Mumbai who was visiting Ahmedabad for the Navratris.

The similarity begins with the name. Ironically, one brand calling itself `Swadeshi 6001', and the other 5555, synonymous with the Haywards brands, is quite popular. ``These bottles are much in demand. More often we get people willing to experiment and satisfy their curiosity by drinking this. There are some regulars too,'' says Narendra Chauhan, a shop owner on Satellite road.

Next in popularity is Berry's which bears a striking resemblance to the Kingfisher bottles. And these are not only available in bottles, cans too have found a place on the display shelves. Foreign brands, especially from the Middle East, can be found with names like Classe Royale and Cone's Beer. Then there are White Rock Root beer and California. A premium segment, `Ambrosia', offers an interesting package to pop open a celebration.

Tasting slightly bitter, these beers contain mainly carbonated water, and claim to have no fruit pulp or juice and only permitted synthetic flavours. In certain cases, there are flavours added which only add to the taste and make it much more drinkable. The top part of the bottle is wrapped with golden or silver foil, with a cap and in a couple of cases the bottles have corks. The price ranges between Rs 30 and 40 for ordinary brands and the top end ones cost anything from Rs 100 to 150. ``It does not taste any different from a sweetened soda. We ensure that whenever there is some kind of a celebration we buy them to satisfy ourselves that there is wine of some kind, which can be openly had,'' says Gautam Barot, an executive.

The similarity these bottles have with original beer bottles makes some shopkeepers wary of selling it. When asked whether he sold fruit beer, one shopkeeper in Vasna hesitatingly showed a lone bottle. ``We stock it behind the regular soft drink bottles to avoid any controversy. Most of our customers know that we stock it, besides we have a lone bottle indicating that we have it,'' says owner of a dairy shop on Gurukul road.

And this likeness has even caused some amusing scenes. ``I remember once I was returning home from Gandhinagar, slightly late in the night on a two-wheeler. We had just stopped by for a meal and were sipping from this bottle of non-alcoholc beer when a couple of constables came up to us and threatened to book us under the Prohibition Act. It took a lot of effort to explain to them the harmless nature of the contents. We had a hearty laugh later,'' says Harwinder Singh, a businessman.

But not everybody is happy with the way these bottles and cans sell. Old-timers still see no reason for the sale of these drinks, no matter if they are non-alcoholic. The debates may continue, but one thing is sure: The next time you want one for the road, you can have it without any qualms. Cheers to that.