Mango Mirchi - Alcohol Free Lager | Curry Smugglers

A crisp pilsner base layered with ripe Alphonso mango and habanero chilli. Fruity to start, then a slow warmth at the back of the throat.

Most alcohol-free beers are built as a substitute for something else. This one was designed as a beer in its own right, by someone who spent years in the alcohol-free brewing world before starting Curry Smugglers. The mango is sweet and aromatic rather than syrupy, and the habanero builds gradually instead of hitting you.

Because there is no alcohol in it, it also does something useful with spicy food: alcohol amplifies capsaicin, so a 0% beer cools the palate down where a normal lager would turn the heat up.

• Built as a serious beer, not an afterthought for non-drinkers
• Style: Alcohol-free lager
• Flavour: Alphonso mango, crisp dry palate, slow habanero warmth
• Format: 440ml can
• Dietary: Vegan

Allergens

Contains barley.

FAQs

How hot is it?
Gentle. The habanero gives a warming finish rather than heat - most people notice it as a tingle after swallowing rather than as spice in the mouth.

Why is alcohol-free better with a curry?
Alcohol makes capsaicin feel stronger, so a high-strength beer can make a hot dish feel hotter. Take the alcohol out and the carbonation and sweetness get on with cleaning up the palate instead.

Curry Smugglers is a Margate brand built by Steve and Ruby Dass, better known here for their Desi snacks. Steve co-founded Nirvana Brewery and spent years in the UK alcohol-free beer scene before this, and the beers are a deliberate swipe at the tired "goes well with curry" line that Indian lager has been sold on for decades.