Old Monk rum may return to Maharashtra as company agrees to change label, withdraws HC plea

There is significant news in Maharashtra concerning Old Monk rum. Sales of products of the well-known brand have been stopped in the state for the past five months. The company has now agreed to make the necessary changes to the bottle label. It has also withdrawn its petition challenging the action in the Bombay High Court. This raises the possibility of Old Monk returning to the market with a new label.

However, approval from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is required before sales can resume. Customers are therefore keen to know when the rum will be available again.

The matter began with an FSSAI inspection of the production unit at Khopoli of Mohan Rocky Springwater Breweries, which makes Old Monk. The authority subsequently recorded objections to the product's ingredients and the information given on the bottle.

According to FSSAI, rum flavouring from outside had been used along with neutral spirit in making the product. This was not clearly stated on the bottle label. The authority's position was therefore that the product could not be sold as "rum". Following this action, sales of the products concerned were stopped in Maharashtra from May-June 2026.

The authority had also objected to the claims "7 Years Old Blended" and "Very Old Vatted" printed on the bottle. Changes relating to these will therefore be important in the new label.

The company had filed a petition in the Bombay High Court to challenge the FSSAI decision. When no interim relief came from the court, the company withdrew the petition on November 5, 2026. Instead of pursuing the legal fight, the company has decided to change the label and send the new label to FSSAI for approval.

The company claims the halt in sales also had an economic impact. It told the court that the stoppage of sales caused the Maharashtra government's excise department a revenue loss of about Rs 350 crore. The company also said it too has been hit by the restrictions.

The company is now preparing to bring the product to market with the new label. But for this, FSSAI approval of the new label is necessary. Only after approval will the way be clear for sales to resume in Maharashtra. It cannot therefore be said at present that Old Monk sales have restarted. When the new label is approved and when bottles reach the market will have to await official information.