Quick answer
On a luxury 7-day Sri Lanka itinerary, expect imported wine to start at roughly US$40 to US$60 a bottle in hotels, because of high import duties, with champagne well over US$100. Local beer and arrack, a spirit distilled from coconut flower sap, are good and inexpensive. Alcohol is not sold or served publicly on full moon poya days, about once a month. Many travellers bring a bottle or two within the duty-free allowance and pay corkage of roughly US$10 to US$25.
Key takeaways
- Imported wine in Sri Lankan hotels typically starts at US$40 to US$60 a bottle, two to three times shop prices in Europe.
- Alcohol is not sold or served in public on full moon poya days, which fall 12 or 13 times a year.
- Arrack is a Sri Lankan spirit distilled from the fermented sap of the coconut flower.
- Hotels commonly charge corkage of roughly US$10 to US$25 on bottles guests bring.
- Tap water is not drunk in Sri Lanka, and luxury hotels supply filtered or bottled water without charge.
Why wine is expensive
Wine and drinks on a luxury 7-day Sri Lanka itinerary are shaped by tax. Sri Lanka imports all its wine and levies heavy duties on it, so a bottle that sells for US$12 in a European shop appears on a hotel list at US$45 or more.
Lists at luxury properties are respectable, drawn mainly from Chile, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and France. A glass costs roughly US$8 to US$15. Storage in the tropics is not always careful, so order what the sommelier or manager recommends and send back a bottle that has plainly cooked.
- →Bottle of everyday wine: US$40 to US$60.
- →Glass of house wine: US$8 to US$15.
- →Champagne: usually well above US$100.
What Sri Lanka makes well
Local drinks are the better choice on most evenings. Sri Lankan lager is light and suited to the climate, at US$3 to US$6 in a hotel. Arrack, distilled from coconut flower sap and aged in wood, ranges from rough to very fine, and the premium bottlings stand comparison with a good rum.
Hotel bars have built cocktail lists around it. An arrack sour with lime, or arrack with local ginger beer, is the island's signature long drink. Toddy, the fresh fermented sap, is sold in village taverns and is an acquired taste.
- →Lager: light, cold, inexpensive.
- →Aged arrack: neat, with ice, or in a sour.
- →Arrack and ginger beer: the classic mixer.
Poya days and other dry days
Poya is the full moon day, a Buddhist observance and a public holiday every month. On poya, alcohol may not be sold in shops or served in bars and restaurants, hotels included. Vesak in May and a few other holidays carry the same rule.
Hotels handle this in different ways. Some stock the minibar the evening before, some allow drinks in rooms, and private villas are generally left to their guests. Check whether a poya falls in your week, and move a celebration dinner by a night if it does.
Bringing your own
Bringing a bottle is common practice among regular visitors. Sri Lankan customs allow each adult a limited quantity of wine and spirits duty-free, and the allowance has been revised over time, so check the current figure before you shop at the airport.
Hotels charge corkage of roughly US$10 to US$25 a bottle, and villas usually none. Wine travels well in a padded sleeve in checked luggage. Keep bottles out of a hot car, which will ruin them within an afternoon.
- →Check the current duty-free allowance before flying.
- →Expect corkage in hotels and none in most villas.
- →Buy at the arrivals duty-free shop to save carrying bottles.
What is included where
Drinks policies differ at each stop. Tea bungalows and tented camps on all-inclusive terms cover house wine, beer and local spirits, with premium labels extra. Hotels on half board cover no drinks at all. Villas buy what you ask for at shop prices.
Licensed shops, called wine stores, sell beer, spirits and a small range of wine in every town, and close in the evening and on poya days. Your chauffeur-guide can stop at one, and a villa manager will stock the house before you arrive if sent a list.
Tea, coconuts and water
The non-alcoholic drinks are among the pleasures of the week. King coconut, the orange thambili sold at roadsides, is opened with a machete and drunk through a straw. Fresh lime juice, passion fruit, wood apple and papaya are served everywhere.
Tea is served black and strong with milk and sugar in local cafes, and as a single-estate pot without milk in bungalows. Tap water is not drunk. Luxury hotels provide filtered water in glass bottles, which also spares the plastic.
A sensible approach
Drink local on most nights, bring two good bottles for the evenings that matter, and check the moon. That approach keeps the drinks bill for a week under US$300 for a couple, where wine with every dinner can pass US$700.
Lankan Stays & Trails notes poya dates on every itinerary and asks hotels in advance about their arrangements. If wine is important to you, say so. A few properties keep serious cellars, and the route can favour them.
Frequently asked questions
Is alcohol expensive in Sri Lanka?
Imported wine and spirits are, because of high duties. Wine in hotels starts at roughly US$40 to US$60 a bottle. Local beer and arrack are inexpensive, at US$3 to US$6 for a beer and US$5 to US$10 for a cocktail in most hotels.
Can you drink alcohol on poya day in Sri Lanka?
Not in public. On full moon poya days, shops, bars, restaurants and hotel outlets do not sell or serve alcohol. Some hotels permit drinks in guest rooms or stock minibars beforehand. Private villas are usually unaffected. Ask your hotel in advance.
Can I bring wine into Sri Lanka?
Yes, within the duty-free allowance for adults, which permits a limited quantity of wine and spirits. The exact amounts have changed over time, so confirm before travelling. Hotels generally allow you to drink your own bottle for a corkage fee.
What is arrack?
Arrack is a traditional Sri Lankan spirit made by distilling the fermented sap of the coconut flower, then ageing it in wooden vats. It tastes somewhere between rum and whisky. Premium aged arrack is drunk neat, and standard grades are mixed with ginger beer.
Is wine included at all-inclusive hotels in Sri Lanka?
Usually house wine is, along with local beer and spirits. Premium wines, champagne and imported spirits are charged extra. Policies vary, so ask for the list of included drinks. Tea bungalows and safari camps are the most generous.
Is the tap water safe to drink in Sri Lanka?
No. Visitors should drink bottled or filtered water, which luxury hotels provide free in rooms and vehicles. Ice in good hotels is made from purified water. Use bottled water for brushing teeth if you have a sensitive stomach.