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South Asia-inspired challenger brand Curry Smugglers has entered the UK’s craft beer market with the launch of two new Indian-inspired lager innovations – one alcoholic, as well as an alcohol-free offering.

The brand, co-founded by husband and wife team Steve and Ruby Dass, has focused on premium snacking options influenced by authentic Desi street food for the past couple of years. However, leveraging Steve’s previous experience working with an organic Belgian brewery, the start-up has now entered the beer category.

Described as ‘clean, crisp and light-bodied,’ the 4.2% ABV Basmati Rice Lager celebrates India’s rich brewing history – before the India Pale Ale boom, beer was already being brewed in the country using locally sourced ingredients like rice, inspiring Curry Smugglers to spread this ‘lesser-told history’ with its latest NPD.

Also launching is the Mango Mirchi, an alcohol-free lager catering to rising ‘low and no’ demand. It is crafted from a clean lager base, combining ripe Alphonso mango with habanero chilli to create a ‘fruity and refreshing’ beer with a ‘gentle, slow-building warmth’.

Curry Smugglers said the beer is intended to be ‘a serious beer in its own right, rather than an afterthought’ for those opting out of alcohol.

Co-founder Steve Dass said: “For decades, ‘goes well with curry’ seems to have been the entire lazy conversation around Indian beer. And, frankly, most beer goes well with curry.”

“There’s a much richer story to tell. Beer was being brewed in India before IPA became the headline, and rice forms part of that history. Desi Lager takes inspiration from that past but isn’t trying to recreate an old beer. It’s about asking what a modern Desi beer can be today.”