Curry favour

As World Curry Week approaches, Ben McFarland sacrifices a night off in front of the telly to sample a few of the leading brands of Indian beer​ Not content with devoting just a single day of the year to celebrate all things hot and spicy, Kingfisher lager has, this year, set aside an entire week for curry-related capers.Kingfisher World Curry Week, a "seven-day festival of the sub-continent's food and culture", from October 21 to 27, is upon us and although its primary aim is to boost business for Indian restaurants, there's little reason why pubs and bars can't get in on the act and have some fun.In recent years it has become an extremely rare occurrence to find a pub food menu that doesn't feature a curry of one kind or another and an increasing number of pubs are holding curry nights to drive business during quieter periods of the week.What's more, the path between pubs and Indian restaurants and curryhouses is an extremely well trodden one. A few beers down the pub followed by a curry is a ritual exclusive to British culture, no doubt borne from a combination of archaic licensing hours, a huge Asian community and the fact that no other food can quite satisfy the hunger induced by alcohol.But once your tummy is rumbling and your taste buds are rubbing their hands in anticipation of a spicy infusion, what should you drink with your curry?The obvious answer to this very important question is, of course, beer. The general consensus is that there are few things that can quench a vindaloo or poppadom-thirst quite like a cold lager. While many would argue that this synergy is due to a blissful marriage between the complex flavours and textures found in Indian cuisine and beer's refreshing characteristics, sceptics would disagree and attribute it to a lack of imagination among "post-pub diners" intent on after-hours boozing.Whatever the reason, the association between the two has not been lost on drinks companies and Indian beers are finally following in the footsteps of other Asian beers, such as Kirin, Tiger and Singha, and beginning to bridge the divide between the restaurant sector to the pub market.The principal battle for supremacy in the Indian-branded lager market rages between Kingfisher and Cobra, the two market leaders who between them reported sales of more than £20m last year and whose rivalry is fiercer than ever. Although these two brands command the lion's share of the market, a veritable plethora (or should that be paratha) of other brands have recently been launched or re-launched as the ideal complement to curry. Claims of authentic Indian origin seem virtually compulsory, and publicans can be forgiven for not knowing which one to go for. So, in the name of research and in an attempt to spend less time writing about beer and more time drinking it, The Publican's Indian Beer and Curry Test was launched!

Contenders:​Kingfisher ​​Kingfisher, brewed under licence by Shepherd Neame is the flagship brand of Bangalore-based United Breweries in India. It is the number one selling Indian lager in the UK and is one of few Indian-branded beers that is currently on sale in both India and the UK.Although Kingfisher's ABV is only 4.8 per cent, lower than its competitors, the general consensus around the table was that it tasted too strong to be drunk on its own as a session beer. No-one had seen the brand's advertising campaign, no doubt due to the fact that it had only been running since the beginning of the month.Cobra ​​Ten years ago, when Kingfisher remained relatively unchallenged, an Indian-born entrepreneur, Karan Bilimoria, started selling bottles of his new Cobra beer from his London flat and out the back of his Citroen 2CV.Mr Bilimoria has since modernised his sales technique after gaining listings in 80 per cent of the UK's Indian restaurants and annual sales growth of nearly 70 per cent. Cobra's latest advertising campaign, which repeats the "less gassy" message first championed by Dave the Curryholic, is designed to spearhead expansion into pubs and bars.The brand's to be "less gassy" than its counterparts was verified by the judges, and before the nosh arrived it was described as "refreshing," "light" and "very smooth".However, one dissenter did say it was "metallic" and compared it to licking a battery. During the meal, Cobra was hailed as "Red Adair" for its ability to dampen down the prolonged burning sensation. "It's a great easy-drinking all-rounder," summed up the panel's thoughts. Bangla​​Originally launched by the Far East Beer Company in 1998, Bangla has recently been given a new lease of life by Refresh UK which took over the brand last year. Refresh introduced a new look bottle and launched a London Underground poster campaign with the strapline: "Stronger brewed for stronger food."One female immediately picked up notes of oranges while another claimed it was "very sweet but strong".One of the men tried to say something but his comments were muffled by a mouthful of karahi kebab khyberi. Everyone liked the new bottle, although no-one knew what "Chamotkar" meant. Bengal ​​The latest beer to emerge from the sub-continent is Bengal Indian lager, which was launched in the UK this summer. Bengal is available in India but is brewed under licence in northern France."It's like Samuel Adams," claimed one incredulous tester. "The head stays longer than the mother-in-law," said another. The two females swilled it around in their mouths and then said nothing, when coaxed they gave it the thumbs up.If anything, Bengal improved with the food and its support of the Global Tiger Patrol - which helps protect the Bengal tiger - was unanimously praised.The Kingfisher Curry Week​Kingfisher has teamed up with international charity Action Against Hunger to launch the Kingfisher World Curry Week, October 21 to 27, 2001.Publicans who pay a registration fee of £50 receive:

• a free listing for their pub on the official website: www.kingfisherworldcurryweek.com
• a chance to run their own "Curryoake" competition.
• an Indian recipe booklet from some of the UK's top names in Indian cuisine not to mention a snazzy window sticker and tent card to show that they're taking part in KWCW.

The event will include a bid to enter the record books with the World's Biggest Takeaway, a national Currybus tour that will attempt to "curry" favour, sorry, with the residents of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester, Bradford, Birmingham and London and a Curryoake competition - a trend that is apparently taking the Indian restaurant sector by storm.Possible song suggestions include:

• Poppadom Preach​, Madonna
• Korma Chameleon​, Culture Club
• Bhaji Trousers​