FSSAI bans multiple liquor brands in India, including Old Monk and McDowell's No 1: Check full list

Published 4 August 2026 · india

The FSSAI has banned three Old Monk variants across India. This includes The Legend, Gold Reserve and XXX Matured Rum. Manufacturer Mohan Rocky Springwater's Khopoli

The FSSAI has banned three Old Monk variants across India. This includes The Legend, Gold Reserve and XXX Matured Rum. Manufacturer Mohan Rocky Springwater's Khopoli unit produces these specific products. The regulator cited artificial flavours as a replacement for proper ageing methods. Other affected brands include McDowell's No 1 Rum. United Spirits manufactures this at its Baramati facility. Bagpiper Deluxe Whisky and Old Cask Deluxe XXX Rum are also banned. INBREW Beverages produces these in Madhya Pradesh. Quick answers to key questions • 5 QUESTIONS 1 What liquor brands has the FSSAI banned in India? ⌵ The FSSAI has banned several liquor brands including Old Monk, McDowell's No 1 Rum, Bagpiper Deluxe Whisky, Antiquity Blue Whisky, and Royal Challenge Whisky for violations related to the use of artificial flavors. 2 Why did the FSSAI ban Old Monk's XXX Rum variants? ⌵ The FSSAI banned Old Monk's XXX Rum variants because they contain artificial flavors instead of proper aging methods, which misrepresents the product's composition and violates regulations.

3 How does the FSSAI determine if a liquor product is substandard? ⌵ The FSSAI uses laboratory tests to check for the presence of artificial or nature-identical flavors in liquor products, which can mask natural flavors and lead to a classification of substandard. 4 What regulations did Old Monk violate according to the FSSAI? ⌵ Old Monk violated the FSSAI's Alcoholic Beverages guidelines by misleadingly labeling its XXX Rum as '7 years' blended' when over 95% of its content is neutral spirit rather than aged rum. 5 Should consumers be concerned about misleading labeling in alcohol products? ⌵ Yes, consumers should be cautious as misleading labeling can indicate poor product quality, and brands may not adhere to standards regarding flavors and age claims, as seen in recent FSSAI bans. Central Province Whisky and McDowell's Celebration Rum are similarly banned. Associated Alcohol & Breweries manufactures these products in Madhya Pradesh. Antiquity Blue Whisky and Royal Challenge Whisky complete the list.

United Spirits produces both from its Madhya Pradesh facility. Inspections also occurred at Goa's Mandexi Distilleries & Breweries. Notices have been sent separately to six more Maharashtra-based manufacturers. Further regulatory action is expected to follow shortly. Regarding Old Monk, the FSSAI flagged deceptive labelling practices. The brand claims its XXX Rum is "7 years' blended". However, neutral, unmatured spirit forms the product's major ingredient. Matured rum spirit constitutes less than 5%. This violates existing regulations under FSS Alcoholic Beverages guidelines. Age claims must reflect the youngest spirit within any blend. According to the FSSAI, natural flavouring remains generally permissible, though. Adding coffee or vanilla flavours to alcohol is an acceptable practice. However, adding rum flavour to products sold as rum differs. The regulator compared this to adding tea flavour to tea. This misrepresents the product's actual composition and ageing process. Diageo India has separately challenged a related FSSAI order. It approached the Bombay High Court regarding a 29 June order.