The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Vijayawada News : Beer guzzlers on the rise

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 12, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Beer guzzlers on the rise

By G. Ravikiran

VIJAYAWADA, JAN. 11. It is not the time for beer. But, in tune with the State-wide scenario, beer drinking is on the increase in Krishna district, including Vijayawada City. It reflects steady changes in the lifestyles with an increased number of occasional drinkers turning to beer.

The consumption went up during November and December, despite the season being wintry and cold.

The officials of Excise Department are surprised that beer sales increased by over 2,000 cases as against the target during December.

"The trend may be due to increasing number of people preferring drinks containing less alcohol. But, beer drinking in general is rising all over the State," says a senior official in the department.

Liquor merchants, on the other hand, attribute the trend to more and more people, who drink occasionally, choosing beer as a better option. Beer is mostly liked for its "lightness" without giving hangovers or such symptoms that often come with regular IML brands.

Soaring sales

Considering the festive season with people taking "deekshas" to different gods, December usually records very low sales. This is one reason for the Excise Department to set reasonable targets for liquor dealers during this time of the year.

A target of 19,466 beer cases was set for the dealers throughout Krishna district for December. But, the sales have reached over 21,953 cases. The target for January is set at 28,289 beer cases in the district. Each beer case contains 12 bottles.

Beer consumption reaches a peak during summer season with the district recording an average sale of 50,000 to 60,000 cases during previous years. "Summer is certainly a big season for beer. Its sales witness a steady increase as the hot season approaches," says V.U. Rao of the Liquor Merchants Association in the city. The IML generally goes strong with a significant chunk of business coming from the working and labour sections.

Targets for Jan.

The IML target for December in the district was 1.31 lakh cases (each case contains 48 bottles) and the dealers had lifted more than 1.32 lakh cases from the depot of Andhra Pradesh Beverages Corporation Limited (APBCL). The Government has set a target of 1.57 lakh IML cases for January with the total sales likely to come to Rs. 24.3 crores.

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