http://books.google.ca/books?id=XuQC5pgzCw4C&pg=PA6&lpg=PA6&dq=H.G.+Meakin&source=web&ots=gCn5LNEAKr&sig=p7hTagqtqFVA3ix4TTP4Xu_CnBQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result#PPA6,M1

I have also come across a description of him being from a brewing family from Burton on Trent. Unfortunately it is always hard to find out about people 150 years later unless you can speak to their living descendents. I hope this helps.

Perhaps another way of thinking about this: I was at Rajun Cajun many, many years ago. I can’t remember if I used to have a typical drink I’d get there with my combo meal, but one day I asked Tushar what would be “authentic” (I didn’t say that, but that word highlights the absurdity of my question) to drink along my samosa, parotha, chana masala, etc. He said that a person would probably just drink a Coke.

How is a beer different?

I’m keeping your beer. Way to set off the authenticity pet peeve.

BEER IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT

FIVE MONTH LONG OCEAN VOYAGE WITHOUT REFRIGERATION - CREATION OF INDIA PALE ALE (IPA)

The history of modern brewing in the Indian Sub-continent goes back to the early days of the British Empire - the mid-1700’s. The demand for beer in the hot Indian climate by the British administrators and the troops was so great that it led to the creation of a completely new style of beer by George Hodgson in his London brewery - India Pale Ale. India Pale Ale is a strong, highly hopped ale designed to survive the five month ocean voyage to India without spoiling. India Pale Ale was shipped with every voyage to India for over a century and has now become very popular in Britain and North America.

INDIA’S FIRST BREWERY & BEER - LION

In the early 1840’s Edward Dyer came from Britain to set up the first brewery in India at Kasauli (later incorporated as Dyer Breweries Ltd. in 1855) in the Himayalan Mountains near Shimla producing India’s first beer called “Lion”. He set up more Breweries at Solan, Murree, Rawalpindi and Mandalay. Another entrepreneur H G Meakin came to India from Britain and bought the old Shimla and Solan Breweries from Edward Dyer and added more at Ranikhet, Dalhousie, Chakrata, Darjeeling and Kirkee. In 1935, when Burma was separated from India the company was restructured with its Indian assets under the name “Dyer Meakin Breweries Ltd.” - as a public company on the London Stock Exchange. Following independence, in 1949, N.N. Mohan took over the management of the company and the name was changed to Mohan Meakin Limited. The company continues to produce beer across India to this day and Lion beer is still available in northern India.

INDIANS TODAY ONLY HAVE LAGER - HOPE FOR A COMEBACK OF IPA

However, nowadays no brewer in India makes India Pale Ale. All Indian beers are either lagers (5% alcohol - such as “Australian” Lager) or strong lagers (8% alcohol - such as the popular “MAX” Super Strong Beer). International Breweries Pvt. Ltd. have recently announced their intention to work with Mohan Meakin Ltd. to produce and launch an India Pale Ale called “Indian IPA” from India’s first brewery at Kasauli.

TRADITIONAL RICE BEER - WATCH OUT FOR THE DRUNK & DISORDERLY ELEPHANTS!

In various parts of north-eastern India, traditional rice beer is quite popular. Several festivals feature this nutritious, quite intoxicating, drink as part of the celebrations. The rice is fermented in vats that are sometimes buried underground.

It is quite popular, and not only with humankind. Elephants are known to attack villages, with the primary agenda of raiding these vats and having a good time generally.