For the first time, the Kerala government is entering the brandy market, building on the widespread popularity of its state-run rum brand, ‘Jawan’. The upcoming brandy will be manufactured at the Malabar Distilleries Limited campus in Menonpara, Palakkad. The production facility is scheduled to be ready by February 2026.
Foundation Ceremony on July 7
Construction of the new Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) unit will officially begin on July 7. The groundbreaking ceremony will be inaugurated by Excise Minister M B Rajesh, with Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty also attending. The new unit will serve as the manufacturing base for the brandy, which will be distinctively brown in colour, unlike the currently trending white brandies.
Automated Facility with High Output
The new unit will be fully automated and include a three-line production setup capable of producing 13,500 cases of liquor per day. In comparison, the state’s current rum production facility at Pulikeezhu, which produces the Jawan Deluxe XXX Rum, handles only 6,000 to 8,000 cases daily — and that too through a manual process. Initially, the brandy unit will employ at least 40 workers per shift.
Complete In-House Production Process
At the Menonpara facility, extra neutral alcohol will be mixed with specific ingredients, blended, bottled, capped, and packaged — all under one roof and via an automated system. This will allow for greater quality control and faster output, helping Kerala meet its increasing liquor demand with local production.
Consumer Insight Drives Product Strategy
According to officials, Kerala’s alcohol preferences influenced the choice of product. While rum is dominant in southern Kerala, brandy is the preferred spirit in the northern regions. This geographic preference shaped both the product focus and the choice of location for the new facility.
Boosting Revenue and Reducing Dependency
The state sees an annual liquor trade worth ₹20,000 crore. With this brandy production line, the government aims to reduce its dependency on private and external distilleries, while increasing public sector participation in the market. This move is also expected to generate local employment and enhance state revenues.
Inspired by Jawan’s Success
Although the brand name for the new brandy has not been revealed, Bevco officials indicate that its marketing strategy may follow the successful model of Jawan — a brand that has become widely recognised and trusted in Kerala.
Execution and Timeline
The project is being implemented by Kerala Electrical and Allied Engineering Company Ltd and is expected to be completed in six months. Malabar Distilleries, originally established in 2009 to manufacture IMFL and related products, will now be expanding into premium spirits production with this brandy line.
Policy Support and Green Light
The state government had approved the setting up of a five-line blending and bottling unit at Malabar Distilleries in June 2022. Administrative sanction was granted in July 2023, and the current brandy project is part of that broader vision to strengthen the public sector’s presence in the liquor industry.
State’s Vision for Liquor Manufacturing
“The government sees liquor production as a sector that supports both employment and state revenue,” said Minister M B Rajesh. “We plan to begin production by February and ensure availability of high-quality liquor through public sector efforts.”
With this initiative, Kerala marks its formal entry into premium brandy production and strengthens its ambition to build a self-sustaining, publicly-led liquor manufacturing ecosystem.
