Depending on who you ask whisky, gins, wine, all seem to be having their ‘moment’ right now. Hell, even rum refuses to be left behind; there’s an entire bar dedicated to it. Beer too has had its own revolution when, some years ago, an entire generation that had only known Kingfisher and Tiger growing up, suddenly discovered the joy of craft beer. No matter what you drink you will likely agree that we’re living in the golden age of alcohol. But there’s something about beer that makes it perfect for a Saturday rager as well as for a Sunday brunch. It’s comfortable, it’s relaxed and it’s a perfectly stress-free, inexpensive way to hang out with the boys.

20 best beers under Rs 200

Over the last few years, beer has been at the end of many a crazy experiment. There’ve been CBD-infused brews, pastry beer, even glitter beer happened for a while and died out as quickly as it emerged.

But while trends are amusing for a while, they almost never live up to the hype. And they’re invariably expensive. If you’re on a budget, there’s nothing worse than springing for an extravagantly-priced beer and having turn out to be mediocre (or worse, full of glitter).

Conveniently, we’ve cut through the clutter and picked out the classics and not one of these is priced so high for you think twice before you order your next one.

Here are the 20 best beers under ₹200 (in no specific order of preference)

1. Hopper Witbier Beer

The curacao orange peels and spicy coriander seeds make Hopper Witbier the drink of choice for those of you torn between cocktails and beers.

Hopper Witbier Beer Price: ₹185 approx.

2. Hopper Blonde Beer

For people who like their beer bitter, this wheat- and hops-based Belgian beer is right up your alley.

Hopper Blonde Beer Price: ₹185 approx

3. Sol Beer

This easy-to-chug beer is on several ‘Mexican Beers to Try’ lists for a reason. It has light, citrus undertones, so the best way to drink it is teeth-hurting cold, with a slice of lime.

Sol Beer Price: ₹185 approx

4. Edelweiss Snowfresh Wheat Beer

This earthy, floral beer has an almost comforting, herbal quality to it. Why eat healthy when you can just straight-up chug a small garden?

Edelweiss Snowfresh Wheat Beer Price: ₹200 approx

5. Simona By Thirsty

There’s a heady, clove-and-banana vibe going on with this wheat beer. And a light spicy aftertaste that gives a little extra kick. Avoid Simona if you like your brews light, keep her close if you don’t.

Simona By Thirsty Price: ₹175 approx

6. Sapporo Premium Beer

A simple, crisp Japanese lager, this one will do you well if you’re looking for something simple and unfussy (and something suddenly popular in the Philippines, because it was used in a movie).

Sapporo Premium Beer Price: ₹150

7. Hobgoblin Legendary Ruby Beer

Think of this as a beery Christmas in a bottle. With cinnamon, spices and raisins rising to the fore, it’s almost as if mulled wine decided to have a fairly enjoyable identity crisis.

Hobgoblin Legendary Ruby Beer Price: ₹195 approx

8. Fuller's London Pride Beer

You know you can trust this beer because it won (arguably the most British sounding) Champion Beer of Britain Award in the Best Bitter Class. Expect a strongish pale malt with this one.

Fuller's London Pride Beer Price: ₹154 approx

9. Fuller's London Porter Beer

If you like a good mocha latte, you might enjoy its cousin in beer form. With a rich, chocolate-coffee vibe, London Porter goes down best with a chocolate dessert on the side.

Fuller's London Porter Beer Price: ₹154 approx

10. Viru Premium Beer

With a little bit of vanilla and a clean, hoppy flavour, Viru is a great beer if you can manage to find it (it’s available, but rare). It also wins the ‘sleekest bottle on the list’ award.

Viru Premium Beer Price: ₹185 approx

11. Tsingtao Beer

Tsingtao Beer is a Chinese lager that is brewed from fresh spring water from Laoshan Mountain in China. The beer's rich flavour profile is courtesy of yeast sourced from Germany, barley malt from Australia, Canada and France and hops and rice from Western China.

TsingTao Beer Price: ₹195 approx

12. Budweiser Premium

This rootin’ tootin’ all American beer has been the broke man’s bar favourite since it arrived in India in 2007. That might be in part due to its slightly higher alcohol percentage than most (5% to the usual 4.5%), but also because it’s pretty damn good for its price range.

Budweiser Premium Price: ₹100 approx.

13. Carlsberg All Malt Premium Beer

Dope bottle aside, Carlsberg All Malt is an easy, entryway beer. If you’re not a regular drinker, you’ll find this mild, lightly spicy beer easier to adapt to than most.

Carlsberg All Malt Premium Beer Price: ₹100 approx.

14. Carlsberg Elephant Strong Super Premium

If you’re after something that’s a bit of punch to the (beer) gut, this super-strong Pilsner is worth trying. If you can, tucked away under all that super-strength, you’ll find some notes of apple, caramel and oak.

Carlsberg Elephant Strong Super Premium Price: Approx. ₹110 (For 500ml can)

15. St. Bernardus ABT-12

Don’t be fooled by the chipper, glass-raising priest on this kitschy bottle. This dark, robust-headed beer packs a bigger alcohol hit than anything else on our list by a long shot, with a whopping 10% alcohol content.

St. Bernardus ABT-12 Price: ₹199 approx

16. Peroni

Peroni Italy

Ok we know this one draws some mixed opinions. People that aren’t fond of bitter beers hate this with the fire of a thousand suns, but people that are really love this Italian beer. It’s a citrus-laced, grassy-tasting beer that, all things considered, does a great job washing down a big meal.

Peroni Nastro Azzurro Price: ₹130 approx

17. Heineken

Heineken Beer

If fussy extras don’t rank high on your list, you’ll like the crisp, basic vibe of Heineken Lager. Since it only has three, all-natural ingredients (barley, water and hops), it’s healthier than most of its counterparts. And apparently has even fewer calories than a glass of milk!

Heineken Lager Beer Price: ₹115 approx.

18. Kingfisher Ultra Max

Kingfisher Ultra Beer

Its dated, black-and-gold bottle notwithstanding, this clear yellow beer is popular for its light, peppery flavour. While it’s fairly well-rated on beer forums of the world, many will tell you to watch out for a slightly metallic aftertaste.

Kingfisher Ultra Max Price: ₹100 approx.

19. Tuborg Beer

Tuborg Beer

This lager, with its flowery aroma and slightly bitter aftertaste, is definitely a crowd-pleaser. Pair with spicy Asian food.

Tuborg Green Beer Price: ₹90 approx.

20. Miller High Life

A fruity, refreshing summer beer, you’ll find that Miller High Life is corny enough to have its own rom-com. However, we wouldn’t recommend this one if you normally gravitate to beer that’s higher on intensity.

Miller High Life Price: ₹90 approx

All prices listed are for 300/330 ml, unless mentioned otherwise.

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