with onions and chilli. The liquid ferments quickly and must be drunk on the same day that it is tapped. Its sale is limited to local toddy taverns. Production The people who make Toddy are known as "Toddy Tappers". Thalanawa. The flower is beaten for three days. Labu Katey. A container is tied to the plant and the flower is cut, allowing the sap to drain into the container. The sap is fermented to produce Toddy. It can then be mixed with chilli or onions to create a 'masala' style drink. Beer Lion is the most popular beer on the island and it is domestically produced by a local subsidiary of the Carlsberg Group. It can be bought in 4.8% and 8.8%. History Brewing began in Sri Lanka in 1881 primarily to meet the needs of the colonial tea planters. Despite the country's tropical weather the preferred beer styles have remained relatively unchanged, with strong stouts remaining popular. Market In 2011 Sri Lanka’s beer market was estimated to be around 51 million litres per annum, with per capita beer consumption at around 2.7 litres. An increase from 50 million litres and 2.45 litres in 2009. The beer market only represents 39% of the total legitimate alcohol market, the market share, however, is growing compared to the hard liquor segment. In 2011 the beer industry grew by 23 per cent in volumes against 10 per cent growth in the hard liquor segment. Out of the beer consumed in Sri Lanka 90% is manufactured locally with the remainder imported from Asian markets such as Vietnam, Singapore and India. The local beer market is currently occupied by three main brewers. The largest of Sri Lanka's brewers is the Lion Brewery, which is also the oldest brewery in the country. It produces over 80% of Sri Lanka's beers. In 1988 it constructed a new brewery at Biyagama to replace the century-old facility at Nuwara Eliya. In 1993 the brewery became a subsidiary of Carson Cumberbatch & Co Ltd, and in 1996 the Carlsberg Group acquired a 25% share of the company. The brewery's portfolio includes lagers, strong beers and stouts, notably Lion, Lion Strong and Lion Stout. The company also brews Carlsberg and Guinness under licence. The brewery exports its beers to the U.S., Europe, Japan, Australia and the Maldives. Sri Lanka's second largest brewer is Asia Pacific Brewery Lanka Limited, which acquired local