Traditional Drinks of Nepal

Nepal's drinks tell the story of its land and its many peoples — fermented from mountain millet, distilled in village kitchens, brewed sweet with milk and spice, or poured cold from a churn of yoghurt. This collection gathers the country's most important traditional and everyday beverages, from celebratory home-brews to the daily glass of tea, so you can understand what to sip, where, and why it matters.

The short answer

If you want the single most distinctive drink, seek out tongba, the hot millet beer of eastern Nepal, sipped warm through a bamboo straw. For the most widespread home spirit, try a careful measure of raksi, Nepal's clear distilled liquor, and for a gentler ferment, the milky chhyang rice and millet beer. In the Kathmandu Valley, the Newar community pours aila, its own traditional liquor. For everyday refreshment, nothing beats Nepal's milky spiced chiya, a cold lassi yoghurt drink, or a cup of Nepali coffee from the hills. And to relax after a trek, there is always a cold local beer in Nepal.

Fermented and distilled traditions

Nepal's alcoholic drinks are overwhelmingly homemade and tied to ethnicity, festival and altitude. The mountain and hill communities ferment grain into mild beers and distil them into stronger spirits, all central to weddings, funerals and seasonal feasts.

• Tongba — fermented finger millet packed into a wooden vessel and topped with hot water; the signature drink of the Limbu and Rai of the eastern hills.
• Chhyang — a cloudy, mildly alcoholic beer of fermented rice or millet, drunk across the hills and Himalaya.
• Raksi — a clear, potent spirit distilled from millet, rice or other grain, found nationwide and especially in Tamang, Gurung, Magar and Newar homes.
• Aila — the Newari distilled liquor of the Kathmandu Valley, integral to feasts and rituals.

To understand the communities behind these drinks, see how they fit into the broader story of Nepal's food and drink.

Everyday and non-alcoholic drinks

Most of what Nepalis actually drink each day is not alcohol at all. Tea is the social glue of the country, and other refreshments fill the gaps between meals.

• Masala chiya — milk tea simmered with cardamom, ginger and cinnamon, the warming everyday cup.
• Lassi — a sweet or salted yoghurt drink, perfect for the Terai heat, sometimes topped with cream or fruit.
• Nepali coffee — increasingly grown in the hills and served in cafes from Kathmandu to Pokhara.

How to drink responsibly and safely

Traditional brews are made without standardised strength or hygiene, so treat raksi, chhyang and tongba with respect — small amounts, from a host or a reputable eatery. Be wary of untreated water added to chhyang and tongba; our drinking water and food safety guide explains how to stay well. Boiled drinks like masala chiya are among the safest choices anywhere in the country.

Cultural context

Drinking in Nepal is rarely casual; it is woven into ritual and identity. Among Hindu high-caste communities, alcohol is traditionally avoided, while for many Janajati (indigenous) groups, home-brewed raksi and chhyang are sacred offerings as much as refreshments. A glass of tea, by contrast, crosses every line — it is the universal gesture of welcome. Learning to accept what is offered graciously is part of travelling well here, as our Nepal culture and etiquette guide explains.

Planning your tasting

Time your trip to a major festival like Dashain or Tihar and you will encounter home-brews at their most generous; visit the eastern hills for tongba, the Kathmandu Valley for aila, and the Terai for cold lassi. Whatever you sip, drink slowly, stay hydrated, and treat each glass as a window into the community that made it.