The locals drink two kinds of alcoholic beverages: Lugdi plains or Chang Himalayan, a kind of crude beer made from fermented rice or barley and Sharab plains or Arak Himalayan, an alcoholic drink distilled from Lugdi/chang. Arak can also be made from jaggery or apples or any other fruit.
It might be an interesting experience to visit a local home when the ladies make arak quite regularly. You can sit in the fields where the ladies make it, have hot water from the distilling to wash with and "test" the product at frequent intervals.
Because there are apple orchards all around Manali, it's often possible to find apple cider. Besides this, there is alcohol available in bars, larger restaurants and the larger hotels.
Kullu-Manali Valley is known as fruit bowl of India. Himcoop Juice Bar at The Mall Manali is one of the well know corner shop since 1972 selling 100% Natural Apple Juice and fruit drinks made from local fruits besides some syrups known as Fruit Crush to carry home to prepare fruit drinks after deluting with fresh water. Himcoop Juice Bar is located on the Main Mall as one of the corner shop next to Temple.
