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Non-Alcoholic Drinks of Amritsar’s Street
Amritsar, a synonym that goes well with food and lip-smacking beverages, has a profusion of mocktails and coolers available at your dispense. Being home to some of the most important Heritage & Cultural sites, it is estimated that over 1.5 Lakh people visit this town which is of great importance to them from its religious and historical point of view. Often heard as the Culinary Capital of Punjab, the city of Golden Temple has some interesting and most popular must-try drinks that you cannot miss during your tour to the Holy City. Many street-side shops tucked away in small lanes and alleys serve up some amazing melange with very unique flavors that are unique to this place. So let us talk about some of the Non-Aerated drinks peculiar to the city.
Non-Alcoholic Drinks of Amritsar
Apart from being the city of pubs and bars that offer some unbeatable night time experience to the people of the city, the place also offers some famous beverages that go very well with our foreign travelers as well. Though not many travelers are aware of them, so we at City On Pedals take this initiative to take our guests to a round trip of the city to make them familiar and aware of the places which can be a must-stop for them, the next time they take a tour for the same.
1. Aloe Vera Juice
(A Morning Drink For Many)
A gooey, thick juice made of Aloe Vera – a plant that grows in tropical climates across the world has traditionally been a part of many Ayurvedic preparations, medicines, and tonics. Also referred to as a “Miracle Drink” it is a powerful potent detoxifier packed with therapeutic properties. This is considered as the best remedy for burns and various skin problems. Other than this, this healthy elixir also treats hydration, liver functions, skin conditions like dermatitis, constipation and also acts as a natural beauty hack in makeup like a primer, remover, moisturizer, etc.
Available commonly in bottles at various shops, people gulp it down empty stomach during their morning walk time to get the best out of it. Being a safe and effective daily health tonic, you can even pour it over ice, mix it with your favorite juice or smoothie or just drink it from the bottle. Nowadays, almost every house possesses an adequate amount of pure Aloe Vera in the form of a plant in their garden.
2. Gian Di Lassi
(Mixed with Yogurt, Butter & Cream)
Situated inside the old walled city opposite to an old Cinema Hall, this is a famous place where you will find the famous Amritsar di Lassi – a smoothie churned out of fresh yogurt and topped with a dollop of thick cream. This is also the part of our Heritage Bicycle Tour. You can get it sweet or salty as per your taste buds. To enjoy an authentic glass full of Lassi – “Makhan malai maar ke” (topped with butter and cream), this is a generations-old shop that is serving a unique Pedewali Lassi as well. Pedas, which are sweets made of Khoya or dried whole milk and sugar, is churned and mixed in with the yogurt smoothie, for a glass of Pedewali Lassi. It is believed that the age-old shop is run by the fourth generation of this family.
3. Chatti Ki Lassi
(Thin Version of Lassi)
Again a Lassi?
Yes, but a more diluted form of it. Synonymous with Summer season, best served at Court Road, INA Colony, a liquified form of yogurt. This yogurt is set in a mud pot overnight and then water is added to it in the morning. The mixture is then churned to take out butter and the rest of the liquid is the Chatti Ki Lassi. Usually, people of Punjab have it in the afternoon and the butter so derived out of it is used in the rotis. As a usual practice, people of Punjab usually have a craving for Butter, Ghee, Milk and Curd which is taken by them in different forms. So this is one unique form of curd which also acts as a Summer coolant for the body and has a lot of advantages associated with its name. Starting from smooth digestion, it prevents bloating and boosts our immune system. In fact, the lactic acid found in lassi helps enhance the skin’s texture. Drinking lassi benefits the skin by cleansing it from within and thus removing all kinds of blemishes and freckles.
4. Sugarcane Juice
Commonly called as Cane Juice, it is a juice that is obtained from the tall sugarcane plants usually grown in the fields of Punjab. Famous as Ganne Ka Rass, the juice is basically a liquid extracted from pressed sugarcane. It is sold by street vendors throughout India. The vendors put the sugarcane in a machine, which presses and extracts the juice out. Sugarcane juice is usually served with a dash of lime and/or ginger juice.
Being a seasonal drink, it is usually relished in the scorching heat of Summers. It not only cools you down remarkably but will also benefit your body in many ways. Drinking a glass of sugarcane juice has some amazing health benefits and is packed with vital nutrients that our body needs. It can strengthen the bone, boost the immune system, enhance digestion and relieve stress. Also regarded as an instant energy booster, it normalizes the release of glucose in our body to regain lost sugar levels. According to Ayurveda, sugarcane juice is a boon to strengthen our liver and is a proven remedy for jaundice. It also has a magic effect in maintaining the radiance of our skin, if applied directly or mixed with face pack or scrub.
5. Fresh Fruit Juice
When talking about the Summer heat, it is very important to add to our list the availability of Fresh Fruit Juice at various common places and by innumerable vendors on the streets of Amritsar. Juicing raw vegetables and fruits can be a valuable addition to an already healthy diet. A natural and a better way of preventing food craving, fruit juices also have various advantages that include detoxification of our body and promoting weight loss. Enriched with Vitamins, the best part about fruit juices is that our body easily digests liquid and instantly provides the nutritional value.
As a touch of Punjabi Tadka, it is served with a dash of salt to it. Though it appears a little awkward to our foreign travelers the drink is sure to be relished by them, if once tried during their tour to the city.
6. CHAAI – Giani Tea Stall
Time for some hot beverage. As coffee goes synonymous with foreign people, we Indians prefer our much loved Chai. Usually made at home, the city has some strategic and much approachable places where the drink is served by various shops. But the best place known for the same is Giani Tea Stall located at Cooper Road. Came up in Amritsar about 58 years ago, it has established itself as the official tea shop of the city. The tea served there has an authentic taste of its own which is similar to one served some 58 years ago even. Every morning, the stall can be seen crowded with locals and tourists who come here for their breakfast of a nice cup of tea accompanied by other lip-smacking morning snacks. The shop is so much popular that various cabinet ministers, celebrities, etc. who so ever visit our Holy City visit there to have a sip of the tea which for them is equivalent to nectar and asked for the special recipe.
Ideally, tea contains less amount of caffeine, believed to be an antioxidant but for many, it is an energy booster that keeps them charged to work for the whole day around. Indian s prefer to take tea almost twice or thrice a day.
7. Fruit Beer – Verka Booth
A moderately occupied space at the corner of the famous Green Avenue garden, Verka booth serves the much talked about Fruit Beer. Non-Alcoholic and Beer does not go hand-in-hand, Right? Well, it’s not an alcoholic drink at all. It is a beer where some fruit flavors are added instead of unmalted grains that are used in beer. It does not intoxicate you or give you any damage, rather, it is enjoyed as a cold beverage in the scorching heat of summer.
8. Nimbu Masala Soda
(Aerated Lemon Drink)
A perfect Indian Summer drink flavored with lemon along with some sugar & soda. Also known as Banta Bottle (Banta means a small ball of marble), the drink is often sold mixed with lemon juice, crushed ice, chaat masala and Kala Namak (Black Salt) as a carbonated variant of popular lemonades Shikanjvi or Jal-Jeera. It is available at street-sellers known as Bantawala which are easily available on every street or corner of the city. It also helps in easing Indigestion, Weight loss, and various respiratory problems.
Isn’t the above list mouth-watering. So we suggest to all our followers and travelers to enjoy these tempting beverages during their next tour to the city of food & drinks.
