Think Mussoorie and you think of a popular hill station, with revelers on the Mall Road gorging on snacks and ice creams. Few however know that Mussoorie was once synonymous with fine wine.
The hill station housed some popular breweries manned by famous names like Sir Henry Bohle and Sir John Mackinnon who brewed legendary whisky. In fact, a popular story goes that Mirza Ghalib, whenever he had the money, travelled on a pony from Balli Maran in Delhi's Chandni Chowk all the way to the Meerut Cantonment to fetch the full quota of his favorite Mussoorie whisky. "Mussoorie ki hawa hi nahi paani me bhi nasha hai (Not only the air but even the water of Mussoorie is intoxicating)," he is reported to have quipped.
In fact, recounts local historian Gopal Bharadwaj, the Mussoorie breweries had many other fans too, most notably the British officers who served at the hill station. In a letter dated February 23, 1877, a Lieut Col Campbell of Landour wrote to Mackinnon & Co," I have the honour to inform you that the beer supplied by you to the depot under my command has invariably been of most excellent quality.... I hope that you will have no difficulty in obtaining authority to continue supply."
The brewing tradition in Mussoorie goes back to as early as 1832 when Sir Henry Bohle started 'The Old Brewery' on the outskirts of the hill station on the Mussoorie Haathipaon Road. "The British made provisions for two things when they moved. They had to have butchers since they were mostly non vegetarians, and they had to have their liquor, hence the breweries.," says Bharadwaj.
In fact, so popular were the products made by these breweries that Sir Bohle, who had the licence to make only beer, started brewing whisky as well since his patrons kept asking for it.
The hill station housed some popular breweries manned by famous names like Sir Henry Bohle and Sir John Mackinnon who brewed legendary whisky. In fact, a popular story goes that Mirza Ghalib, whenever he had the money, travelled on a pony from Balli Maran in Delhi's Chandni Chowk all the way to the Meerut Cantonment to fetch the full quota of his favorite Mussoorie whisky. "Mussoorie ki hawa hi nahi paani me bhi nasha hai (Not only the air but even the water of Mussoorie is intoxicating)," he is reported to have quipped.
In fact, recounts local historian Gopal Bharadwaj, the Mussoorie breweries had many other fans too, most notably the British officers who served at the hill station. In a letter dated February 23, 1877, a Lieut Col Campbell of Landour wrote to Mackinnon & Co," I have the honour to inform you that the beer supplied by you to the depot under my command has invariably been of most excellent quality.... I hope that you will have no difficulty in obtaining authority to continue supply."
The brewing tradition in Mussoorie goes back to as early as 1832 when Sir Henry Bohle started 'The Old Brewery' on the outskirts of the hill station on the Mussoorie Haathipaon Road. "The British made provisions for two things when they moved. They had to have butchers since they were mostly non vegetarians, and they had to have their liquor, hence the breweries.," says Bharadwaj.
In fact, so popular were the products made by these breweries that Sir Bohle, who had the licence to make only beer, started brewing whisky as well since his patrons kept asking for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment