Rupee Beer Expands to Las Vegas with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, North America's Largest Distributor

PORTLAND, Maine — Rupee Beer, the multi-award-winning Indian-inspired beer brand named Best Beer to Pair with World Food, has officially launched in Nevada with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, North America’s largest distributor, marking a major milestone in the brand’s rapid national expansion.

The launch brings Rupee Beer to Las Vegas and the entire Nevada market, expanding the Portland, Maine-based brand’s growing national distribution footprint and bringing its award-winning beers to one of America’s most dynamic hospitality and culinary destinations, where Indian fine dining and global cuisine continue to grow.

Known for its distinctive Basmati Rice Lager, Rupee Beer was created to offer a new approach to beer and food pairing — particularly with Indian, spicy, and global cuisine. The brand has developed a loyal following among Indian restaurants, chefs, retailers, and consumers looking for beers specifically designed to complement bold, complex and international flavors.

Rupee Beer’s Nevada launch comes at a time when the brand is experiencing significant momentum across the United States.

Rupee is currently the #1 fastest-growing Indian beer in the U.S., the #1 selling Indian IPA in the U.S. market, and the only Indian beer growing in double digits for both volume and sales, according to NielsenIQ Total U.S. FMCG, Liquor, and Convenience Retailers data.

The brand has also received more than 150 global media features and industry awards, further establishing Rupee as one of the leading names in the emerging Indian beer category.

The company believes this momentum reflects a larger shift in American drinking and dining culture. As consumers become more adventurous with global cuisine, they are increasingly looking for beverages that are designed to complement the food rather than simply accompany it.

Why Now? The Future Drinker Is Indian

Rupee believes the long-term opportunity extends well beyond the growth of Indian beer.

India is now the world’s most populous country and has emerged as one of the world’s largest economies, while Indian culture, cuisine, and consumer influence continue to expand globally.

India is also one of the world’s largest alcohol markets, with beer representing a significant part of the country’s alcohol consumption.

At the same time, the Indian-American population represents one of the fastest-growing and most economically influential communities in the United States. The Indian diaspora is also the largest diaspora community in the world, creating an increasingly powerful cultural and consumer connection between India and markets around the globe.

For Rupee, these demographic and cultural shifts point toward a broader opportunity:

The American consumer of the future is increasingly global, increasingly interested in Indian culture and cuisine, and increasingly open to new food and beverage experiences.

Rupee has positioned itself at the center of that intersection — where craft beer meets import beer. 

Bringing the Curry-and-Pint Culture to Las Vegas

Las Vegas is internationally recognized for its world-class hospitality, restaurants, hotels, and increasingly diverse culinary scene, making Nevada a natural market for Rupee Beer.

The launch with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits gives Rupee a powerful platform to reach restaurants, bars, retailers, hotels, and consumers across Nevada while introducing the brand’s unique approach to Indian-inspired brewing to a new market.

“Beer has always been one of the best ways to experience food, but American consumers haven’t traditionally been taught how well beer can pair with Indian and global flavors,” said Van Sharma, Co-Founder of Rupee Beer.

“Las Vegas is one of the most exciting hospitality and culinary markets in the world, and we are very excited that Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits has given us the platform to introduce Rupee Beer to the Nevada market. We’re excited to show consumers how an Indian inspired beer and global spice can work together so perfectly.”

Rupee Beer’s portfolio is built around the relationship between beer, food, and spice:

• Basmati Rice Lager — The flagship beer and foundation of the Rupee brand, brewed with basmati rice for a crisp, refreshing profile designed to complement Indian and global cuisine.

• India Pale Ale — An IPA inspired by the historic connection between India and British brewing culture.

• Mango Wheat Ale — A seasonal summer beer inspired by India’s love affair with mango, the nation’s national fruit, and designed to complement tropical, spicy, and flavorful dishes.

• Non-Alcoholic Beer — Bringing the Rupee pairing experience to consumers choosing not to drink alcohol.

• Darjeeling Hard Tea — Extending the brand beyond traditional beer with a beverage inspired by India’s longstanding love affair with chai and tea.

Rupee Beer was developed by globally renowned master brewer Alan Pugsley, a British-born brewing pioneer with more than 40 years of experience and a career spanning more than 100 beer brands around the world.

Rupee Beer was founded by brothers Van and Sumit Sharma, sons of Indian restaurateurs whose family has spent more than 50 years in the restaurant business.

Their connection to Indian food began at home and in their family’s restaurants across Europe and the United States. After spending years living in London and Australia, the brothers returned to their hometown of Portland, Maine, during the pandemic.

They quickly recognized a gap in the American beer market: Indian cuisine was becoming increasingly popular, but the beer selection available alongside it was often limited to imported lagers that were not necessarily designed with food pairing in mind — and often lacked consistent, year-round, fresh supply in the United States.

That realization led the brothers to create Rupee Beer: an American beer brand inspired by India and built specifically around the food-pairing experience.

Since launching in 2020, Rupee Beer has grown from a regional concept into a nationally distributed brand, now reaching 24 states across the United States.

The company’s growth is being driven by a combination of consumer demand, restaurant adoption, national distribution expansion, and growing interest in Indian cuisine and culture.

Rupee has become particularly focused on the restaurant channel, where the brand believes its food-pairing proposition gives operators a differentiated way to enhance the Indian dining experience.

The company’s positioning is simple:

Rupee is not just another beer served with Indian food. It is a beer specifically designed to be served with Indian food and some of the most popular global cuisines. 

Rupee believes the rise of Indian cuisine represents a significant opportunity for the American beer industry.

Indian food has moved well beyond its traditional customer base, becoming increasingly mainstream across American cities and culinary markets. As consumers become more familiar with regional Indian cuisine, complex spices, and globally inspired dishes, Rupee believes the beverage category must evolve alongside the food.

That is the opportunity the company sees in front of it.

Indian cuisine is growing. Indian culture is growing. The Indian-American consumer is growing. And Rupee Beer is growing alongside it.

The Nevada launch with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits represents another significant step toward building an American beer brand around that cultural and culinary movement.

From its beginnings in Portland, Maine, Rupee Beer is now bringing its Indian-inspired beers to restaurants, bars, retailers, and consumers across the country — introducing more Americans to the curry-and-pint culture one market at a time.

Rupee Beer is bringing the curry-and-pint culture to Las Vegas — one perfectly paired pint at a time.