Archive · 5 Aug 2026
British Brewer Lion Returns to India After 60 Years
Lion Brewery Co is a very old beer company that started in London in 1836, almost 200 years ago.
Long ago, it was one of the first companies to make India Pale Ale, a beer made to send to India.
Now the company has come back to India after being away for more than 60 years.
It brought two kinds of beer with it: Island Lager and Pale Ale.
You can buy them in Delhi in bottles that hold 330 ml.
A company called Copperdrop Spirits will help bring the beer to India and sell it.
Next, the beer will also be sold in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
The company thinks this is a great time to return because special 'premium' beers are becoming very popular in India.
That part of the beer market is growing by more than 40 percent every year.
People with more money to spend and a love of new tastes are driving this big change.
British brewer Lion Brewery Co has re-entered the Indian market after an absence of more than six decades.
The company launched Island Lager and Pale Ale in 330 ml bottles in Delhi.
Copperdrop Spirits will act as the exclusive importer and distributor of the beers in India.
Expansion of distribution to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh is planned in the next phase.
Founded in London in 1836, the company is targeting India's premium beer segment, which is growing by around 42-45% annually.
- Who
- Lion Brewery Co, a London-based brewer revived in 2018, its managing director Will Julius, and partner Copperdrop Spirits.
- What
- Re-launched its premium beer portfolio (Island Lager and Pale Ale) in India after a six-decade absence.
- When
- The article gives no exact date; the launch is a recent market entry.
- Where
- Delhi, India, with planned expansion to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
- Why
- To tap into India's rapidly growing premium beer segment, driven by higher urban disposable incomes, changing consumer preferences, and microbrewery growth.
- Brewer
- Lion Brewery Co
- Founded
- 1836, London
- Products launched
- Island Lager and Pale Ale (330 ml bottles)
- Launch location
- Delhi, India
- Import partner
- Copperdrop Spirits (exclusive importer and distributor)
- Planned expansion
- Haryana and Uttar Pradesh
- Premium segment growth
- 42-45% annually
- India beer market value (2023)
- About $4.5 billion (£3.34bn), per IMARC Group data