The Government of Maharashtra on February 15, 2024, issued the Maharashtra Manufacture of Beer and Wine (Amendment) Rules, 2024 to further amend the Maharashtra Manufacture of Beer and Wine Rules, 1966.
The following amendments have been stated:
• In Rule 2 which states Definitions
(a) after clause (ix-a) the following clause shall be inserted, namely: -
"(ix-b) 'Craft Beer' means Beer manufactured in a micro-brewery or a restaurant- brewery and maybe aromatised with suitable food ingredients, but, without addition of sugar or synthetic flavours. It may or may not be pasteurised, and may be sold in casks, kegs, bottles, cans or growlers and having alcoholic strength not exceeding 14 proof spirits or 8 per cent. v/v";
(b) clause (xxi-a) relating to microbrewery shall be deleted.
c) after clause (xxi-a) relating to mead wine, the following clause shall be inserted, namely: -
"(xxi-b) 'Micro-brewery' means a building or place where Craft Beer is manufactured, having capacity of fifteen lakh litres per annum and includes every place therein where craft beer is stored and when it is issued for sell also to the person holding retail licences appended to the Bombay Foreign Liquor Rules, 1953 or Special Permits and Licences Rules, 1952 wherein Beer is allowed to be sold either for 'on' or 'off consumption directly.";
(d) for clause (xxii-a) the following clause shall be substituted as under, namely: -
"(xxii-a) 'Restaurant-brewery' means a place adjacent to or a portion of premises of a licence appended to the Bombay Foreign Liquor Rules, 1953 or Special Permits and Licences Rules, 1952 wherein Craft Beer is allowed to be sold 'on' consumption, which is set apart for the manufacture of such beer, having capacity of fifteen lakh litres per annum and includes every place therein where Craft Beer is stored and when it is issued for sell either on-site in un-bottled and unpacked form or also to the persons holding retail licences appended to the Bombay Foreign Liquor Rules, 1953 or Special Permits and Licences Rules, 1952 wherein Beer is allowed to be sold either for 'on' or 'off consumption directly."
These rules will be brought into force at once.
[Notification No. No. BRL-0523/C.R.123(1)/Excise-3]
