Mohan Meakin

We trace our history back to the establishment of a Brewery at Kasauli by Edward Dyer in 1855. He was the India’s brewing pioneer who brought to this sun-drenched land of ours the bliss of a real thirst quencher – the modern beer, to refresh and pep up a people hanging over in sweltering clime that is so peculiar to this part of the World. He realized for the first time that there were a few spots on earth where a really good drink was more welcome. But, in his flush of enthusiasm he had set before himself such a big task of quenching the thirst of a nation as obviously could not be expected to reach fulfillment by his one, howsoever efficiently working brewery at Kasauli. Consequently, with ardourous zeal he scaled the whole width of this subcontinent and established breweries and distilleries at Simla, Solan, Lucknow and Mandalay (Burma). During the same century, another enterprising man, named H.G. Meakin, coming from a well known brewing family of Burton-on-Trent where he was trained, came forward with enviable enthusiasm and founded Meakin & Co. Ltd. He bought the old Simla and Kasauli Breweries and built others at Dalhousie, Ranikhet, Chakrarta, Darjeeling and Kirkee. Both these firms E. Dyer & Co., and Meakin & Co. Ltd., continued doing business separately up till after the second decade of the 20th century. During the first World War (1914-18), when it was a big job to import beer, the two firms quenched the hugely increased thirst of India with superb beer at a rock-bottom price. Vast quantities of Malted Barley were sent to Egypt, to help keep soldiers’ beer at a reasonable price. Following these successes, the two firms joined hands and started a new joint stock venture under the style of Dyer Meakin & Co.Ltd. Brewing was suspended at the Kasauli Brewery and a latest brewing and bottling plant was installed at conveniently placed Solan. Extensive malting at Kasauli were, however, continued in operation. There are few places on earth where the water is ideally suited to brewing. Solan is one. Those who fancy the hill-climb would like to see our famous springs high up on Karol Mountain, far from everything, a lovely lookout, with the source of crystal clear spring water that drew our pioneer to Solan. With the times, as modern scientific progress made it possible to augment production several times with the latest machinery, the unproductive centres were closed down one by one retaining distilleries at Kasauli and Lucknow and brewery at Solan (Simla Hills) ; all the three centres enormously expanded to meet any expected demand. The Challenges of the present are ably met by Padamshree Brig. (Dr.) Kapil Mohan, VSM (Retd.) Ph. D., under his stewardship, the group rechristened as Mohan Meakin Limited, undertook major diversification with 3 distilleries in India and 2 breweries and a host of franchises. A multi-faceted business house with a turnover exceeding INR 400 crores, Mohan Meakin stands for growth, innovation and care.