A practical pairing guide for Indian food. Which beers, wines, whiskies and alcohol-free drinks go with biryani, tandoori, curries and spicy starters, and why.
Indian food is bold: chilli, smoke, tang, cream and a lot of spice, sometimes all on one table. The right drink makes everything taste better. Here’s a simple way to think about it.
Three rules of thumb
- Cold and crisp beats heavy and strong when there’s chilli. High alcohol makes heat feel hotter.
- Match weight with weight. Light drinks for fried starters and fish; richer drinks for slow-cooked meat.
- Dairy is your friend. Lassi isn’t just tradition; it really does calm chilli.
Beer
A cold Indian lager is the classic partner for almost anything, especially fried starters like Chicken 65 and smoky tandoori. Wheat beers, hazy and citrusy, lift charred meat from the clay oven. Hoppy IPAs are fun with fried food but can make chilli feel hotter.
Wine
- Sauvignon Blanc and other zesty whites: fried fish, dosa, chaat.
- Off-dry Riesling or Chenin Blanc: the spiciest dishes.
- Soft, fruity reds like Shiraz: lamb and goat curries. Avoid big, tannic reds with chilli.
India makes wine too, from vineyards around Nashik in Maharashtra.
Whisky
A rounded, honeyed Indian single malt sits well beside rich biryani and slow-cooked curries. Sip it with water between bites. Read our guide to Indian whisky.
Alcohol-free
- Sweet or salted lassi: the best friend of spicy food. Make one at home.
- Thums Up, India’s own cola, and Goli soda in its marble-stoppered bottle.
- Masala chai after the meal. Here’s how.
Our team’s pairings
- Chicken 65 with a cold Indian lager
- Hyderabadi Goat Dum Biryani with Rampur Double Cask
- Tandoori Chicken with Bira 91 White
- Andhra fried fish with Sula Sauvignon Blanc
These are suggestions, not rules. See the full list on the bar page.