In Nepal they serve a millet beer called Tongba. It’s served warm in a tube and drank through a straw.  Yes, in certain parts of the world you can actually drink beer with a straw. Wikipedia has a good description (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongba)

I opted to try it with a meal of Indian chicken curry and buffalo kothey (fried momos – dumplings).  You can find it in Kathmandu at The Yak restaurant.

Tongba to me tastes earthy, with a very strong grain flavor, and just a hint of tartness in the finish.  It’s served warm, and you keep topping off the tube with hot water, which continues to steep the beer out of the millet.  I think this would be a great beverage on a cold day after a long hike through the snow. But I don’t expect it to become as popular as a west coast style IPA.

It quickly results in a pleasant buzz. Probably not the beverage to have the night before crossing a 17,000 foot mountain pass. But perhaps the night after.

I would recommend you try it when in Nepal. But it’s definitely an acquired taste.