MUMBAI -- India's thirst for booze is winning out over conservative values, as generational changes and economic growth have sent consumption soaring in a country where alcohol sales are often banned on designated days.
On a mid-October evening, a pair of men wearing suits declared they were headed to quench their thirst at an Oktoberfest celebration as they hurried toward a Mumbai horse-racing track. They apparently aimed to drown their work-related cares at day one of the venue's three-day German-style festival, where many like-minded people lined up to buy beer and sausages.
