PALAKKAD: The Kerala government is all set to foray into an uncharted territory. For the first time, the state will produce its own brandy, building on the roaring success of its popular rum brand ‘Jawan’.
The brandy will be produced on the sprawling campus of the state-run Malabar Distilleries Limited in Menonpara, Palakkad, and is set to be rolled out by February 2026.
“Construction work on the Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) manufacturing unit at Malabar Distilleries — where the brandy will be made — will begin at 11.30am on July 7. The ground-breaking ceremony will be inaugurated by Excise Minister M B Rajesh in the presence of Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty,” Harshita Attaluri, chairperson and managing director of Bevco, told TNIE.
The fully automatic unit will be equipped with three-line production capacity, and authorities have set a target of 13,500 cases of liquor daily. Initially, at least 40 workers will be employed on-site on a single shift. At the unit, extra neutral alcohol will be added with certain chemicals, blended and bottled. The brandy will be brown in colour — not the now trendy white one.
From blending and bottling to capping and final packaging, the entire process will be fully automated. The daily manufacturing quantity will be much higher compared to the Jawan Deluxe XXX Rum. Currently, 6,000 to 8,000 cases of rum are made daily at Travancore Sugars and Chemicals Limited plant at Pulikeezhu in Pathanamthitta — that too, completely manually.
“The state’s unique alcohol culture plays a key role in the new venture. Rum may rule south Kerala, but in the north, brandy is king. This consumer insight is the driving force behind the strategic location and product decision,” sources said.
Kerala sees an annual liquor trade of Rs 20,000 crore, says Min Rajesh
With this production line, the state aims to meet its own growing demand, reduce reliance on outside distilleries, boost internal revenue and ensure quality control — all under one roof, they said. While the name of the new brandy remains under wraps, the Bevco insiders hint it might follow the marketing playbook of Jawan — a brand that has built both recognition and loyalty across Kerala.
“The government considers liquor manufacturing as an industry which offers employment as well as revenue to the state. Kerala sees an annual liquor trade of `20,000 crore. The government aims to increase the share of public sector units in this market while ensuring the availability of quality liquor. We hope to begin production from the Menonpara facility by February,” M B Rajesh told the TNIE.
The project is being executed by the Kerala Electrical & Allied Engineering Company Ltd and is expected to be completed within six months. The brandy manufacturing unit represents a major expansion of Malabar Distilleries, which was established in 2009 with the primary objective of producing IMFL and other alcoholic and related products.
In June 2022, the state government approved the establishment of a five-line IMFL blending and bottling unit at the facility. Subsequently, in July 2023, the project received administrative sanction, paving the way for its implementation. The entry into brandy will mark Kerala’s formal foray into premium spirits manufacturing.
