Old Monk set to return to Maharashtra shelves after five months with new label

Sales of Old Monk rum are set to resume in Maharashtra soon. They had been stalled for the past five months. The company is now ready to put the product back on the market with a new label. It has agreed to change what is written on the bottle label, and withdrawing its petition in the Bombay High Court has also cleared the way for sales.

The matter dates to May. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) inspected the Khopoli factory and found that Old Monk is made using neutral spirits and rum flavouring. On this basis, the authority objected that the product could no longer be sold as rum alone. It also said the "7 Years Old Blended" description on the label was incorrect because the liquor had not been matured in wooden casks. Sales were stopped at that point.

Under FSSAI rules, flavour may be added only through prescribed technical components. The inspection, however, showed that artificial flavours were being added from outside while making Old Monk, and that the liquor was being sold in the market as a "standard alcoholic drink". Most seriously, the bottle labels made no mention of this artificial flavouring. This was treated as plain deception of customers.

The company approached the High Court against the decision, but the court refused relief. The company then agreed to print "added flavour" clearly and in large letters on the label and to remove the "7 years old" description. It withdrew its petition on November 2.

The halt in sales has cost the state government about Rs 350 crore in excise revenue. Maharashtra received Rs 29,957 crore in revenue from all liquor sales last year. With the new packaging, Old Monk has now found a way to re-enter the market.