What is notified as country liquor under maharashtra country liquor rules (bpa 1949)?

Under the Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949 (now Maharashtra Prohibition Act) and the rules framed under it, particularly the Maharashtra Country Liquor Rules, 1973; “Country Liquor” is a specific, notified category of potable alcohol that the State regulates separately from Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL).

1. What is “Country Liquor” as per Maharashtra law?

The Act itself does lay the specifics of each product.
Instead, the State Government of Maharashtra notifies of what qualifies as Country Liquor from time to time.

Under Rule 3 of the Maharashtra Country Liquor Rules, Country Liquor is defined broadly as:
“Potable alcohol manufactured or prepared from rectified spirit or ENA (Extra Neutral Alcohol) that has been obtained from any agricultural or natural sugar-containing source, and supplied to retail shops under the State’s Country Liquor supply system.”

This includes:

·       Plain, unflavoured Country liquor: Produced by reducing Rectified Spirit/ENA with potable water to the required strength.

·       Flavoured Country Liquor: Rectified Spirit/ENA blended with permitted essence/flavouring.

·       Spiced/Coloured Variants: Allowed only as per the flavours and colouring agents notified by the Commissioner of Excise and underlined by Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

·       The Excise Commissioner for Maharashtra is the one that issues Product Approval Orders specifying approved formulations/blends.

2. What raw material(s) can be used?

As per the Maharashtra Prohibition Act 1949; Country Liquor Rules, 1973; and Maharashtra Excise Manual state;

Country Liquor must be made from Rectified Spirit or ENA obtained from:

·       Molasses-based distillation

·       Grain-based distillation (maize, corn, rice, jowar, bajra, wheat)

·       Fruit or palm-based fermented material

Any agricultural, fermentable source, approved for producing Rectified Spirit/ENA is deemed permissible.
The final product does not directly come from the fermentation of the raw material. It is always Rectified Spirit/ENA – Dilution – Blending – Country Liquor.

3. What is not included in Country Liquor?

·       Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL): Whisky, Rum, Brandy, Gin, Vodka

·       Traditionally Fermented Liquors: Tadi (Toddy), Mahua (These are licensed/regulated under different provisions.

·       Beer, Wines, Cider: come under a different umbrella

·       Illicit local Bhatti sharab (hooch): Notified under Prohibited Liquor, not Country Liquor.

4. Where can you get official and updated information?

The following sources provide authoritative lists, circulars, notifications, and permitted compositions:

1. Maharashtra State Excise Department Website

https://stateexcise.maharashtra.gov.in
Sections:

• Acts & Rules
• Notifications
• Circulars
• Country Liquor Rules, 1973
• Technical formulations and approvals

2. Maharashtra Government Gazette

All notifications regarding flavours, strengths, packaging, and formulations of Country Liquor are published here.

3. The Maharashtra Country Liquor Rules, 1973

Available through legal databases or State Excise publications.

4. Commissioner of State Excise (Pune) Technical Branch

You can file an RTI or send a written request asking for:

• List of approved country liquor formulations
• Raw material standards
• Permissible flavours & colours
• Specifications for ENA / Rectified Spirit

5. Maharashtra Excise Manual (Volumes I & II)

Issued by the department; contains technical definitions, inspection norms, and production guidelines.