'Un-Beerable': Why Delhiites Are Finding It Tough To Get Beer This Summer

Delhi Beer Shortage: There are a combination of factors that has led to beer being elusive for Delhiites in summer and this situation is likely to persist till July.

New Delhi: Failing to find your favourite beer in Delhi or of any other brand? Blame it on the unusually hot summer that has led to a spurt in beer demand combined with a supply crunch from neighbouring states. There are several other factors as well that has led to beer being elusive for Delhiites and this situation is likely to persist till July, reports said.

According to a report in TOI, vendors have said this was the first time that all popular brands and variants -- cans, pints and bottles -- of lager and strong beer are out of stock. Beer has disappeared from resto-bars too. There have also been reports of some vendors charging a premium from customers. 

Delhi recorded several days of heatwave in March and April. The national capital saw the hottest March in the last 122 years in 2022.

Demand For Beer Has Spiked

A senior excise department officer said the demand for beer rises during summer in northern parts of the country. Vinod Giri, director general of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies, told PTI that the demand for beer shot up by 30 per cent in March.

"Normally, beer is stocked during March for sale during the peak summer months of April, May and June. However, as demand started rising from March, shops could not stock up adequate cases," Giri said.

Usually, the annual sale of beer in Delhi is around 315-320 million cases. Of this, about 40 per cent gets sold during the summer months. This year, the annual sale of beer is expected to rise to 330-340 million cases.

Why Is Delhi Facing A Beer Shortage?

One of the reasons behind the sharp increase in demand is the revamped Delhi excise policy 2021-22 that was implemented last November. Private retail vends have been making attractive offers to the consumers, leading to an increase in demand for all kinds of alcoholic beverages, PTI reported. 

On April 2, the Delhi government permitted liquor stores to offer up to a maximum of 25 per cent discount on the maximum retail price. 

The early onset of summer and scorching temperatures have also fuelled a record demand for beer.

Another major reason for the shortage is that beer manufacturers in Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab have been asked to prioritise local demand before supplying to Delhi and other places, PTI reported. It must be noted that Delhi has no beer manufacturing facility. 

"Shortage of beer in Delhi is a normal feature during the summers but this year it is more due to less supply from states like Uttar Pradesh," PTI quoted a senior excise department officer as saying.

"The demand for beer rises during summer in northern parts of the country. Supply to Delhi, which has no manufacturing facility, is affected since manufactures in major supplier states have to meet the local demand too," the officer said.