Top 5 Craft Beers That Capture the Essence of Goa

Goa is one of the top global party destinations, with lively shacks, serene beaches and much more. Beer lovers love the place even more because of the wide availability of Goa-based craft beer, which is basically beer produced in small batches, and has ample scope for experimentation when it comes to mixing ingredients. Traditionally made with malted barley, non-traditional ingredients like a variety of fruits, rose flavour, add to the distinctiveness of these craft beers. If you are game for beer that you will remember for a long time, here are some craft beers brewed in Goa, that keep the essence of this lively place alive.

Rocket Rice Lager

Maka Di’s craft beer – Rocket Rice Lager brewed by Latambarcem Brewers, Goan brewers with a global soul, has gained immense popularity amongst beer aficionados. Maka Di translates to ‘give me’ in Konkani, and truly one won’t be able to stop at just one. Packaged in a quirky bottle shaped like a rocket, Maka Di Rocket offers the best Goan vibes. The beer is a culmination of finest raw material sourced from across the globe, including handpicked hops from Germany and UK. Adding yeast strains and cold extraction ensure that the end result has maximum aroma and flavour. It is brewed with rice and barley malt for a refreshing lager. With 5% ABV, the light, crisp and clean-tasting beer is apt for those festive barbecues too.

King’s Beer

This one will set your taste buds on a roller coaster. Now run by Viking Beverages, King’s Black Label Premium Pilsner has 4.85% alcohol content and is a light flavoured and pale coloured beer with a smoky odour of malt. With a crisp factor in the beer and smoky malt aroma adding to the beer’s charm, it goes well with almost all Goan snacks be it prawn, crabs or spicy sausages. There definitely cannot be a better way to watch the sunset than having King’s Beer in hand, snacks and good friends for company.

Seven Rivers Hefeweizen

Seven Rivers Hefeweizen is a robust wheat beer tailored to the Indian palate. This one is not for the faint-hearted! This golden beauty is bready and malty sweet, with notes of banana and cloves. The fruity fragrances enhance the attractiveness of this wheat-based beer. It has ABV 6.5% and is brewed at Seven Rivers Brewing Co. in Goa.

Kokum Gose

Brewed at Susegado brewery, the beer is already popular amongst locals and tourists alike. This light, tart beer is refreshing with its tangy undertone thanks to the locally sourced Kokum from Goa’s fields. While you can have Kokum Gose anywhere in Goa, it is a different experience to have it at Susegado brewery. Also available are English Ale, Vanilla Porter and the likes that will enable you to try more than one craft beer from the same brewery.

People’s Lager

Brewed by The Goa Brewing Co., the beer can be enjoyed at restaurants and bars all over Goa. Made of malts handpicked by Goans, the brewery also uses Ukdo rice or parboiled rice, lending the beer a sweet, woody flavour. This beer too goes well with local Goan cuisine that is usually a little spicey. The beer is free of artificial ingredients, is freshly produced, and sourced directly from local farmers, giving them 25% more than the legal MSP. This way they are promoting local business too.