Beer in Nepal

Expensive, but clean and pure, beer, and other harder alcohols are available in Nepal. Even American alcohols like Johnny walker are avaivlible, unlike in India where the quality of alcohol is abysmal.

Attached is a photo of Everest beer, as found in Pokhera.

My new favorite beer is by far Chyang, which is a simple unclarified unfiltered beer, made commonly from rice, but also wheat and barley variants can be found. It is quite thick, and most often freshly squeezed from the mash by hand after ordering. It is made by simply steaming and letting the grain ferment. It is a clean beer with almost no hangover noticeable, and quite nourishing with a lot of carbohydrates left. It can be described as so thick it is chunky. Certainly an acquired taste, but I definitely have a taste for rice Chyang now.

Barley Chyang is more sour and somewhat yellow clear, while wheat Chyang is more like fermented flour with bits of whole grain mixed in. Of the three I prefer rice, but wheat is second, an I only tried barley once, so probably have to try again. Rice Chyang was available quite cheap (20-40 rupees a cup, or 100-200 per liter, sometimes less for a pitcher.) at most spots on the trail.