Microbrewery licence norms notified

Outlets will be allowed to brew different varieties of beer and sell it within the premises

The Union Territory will soon join a select group of cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Gurugram and Hyderabad in having micro breweries with the government making necessary amendments in Excise rules. The move is aimed at boosting tourism and the business sector.

The Puducherry government has amended the Puducherry Excise Rules, 1970 and published the amendment in the government gazette and has invited applications for grant of microbrewery licence, a senior official in the department told The Hindu.

According to the official, microbreweries would make it possible to brew different varieties of draught beer or craft beer catering to the tastes of customers. The draught beer will be manufactured and served to customers for consumption within the premises with an installed capacity not exceeding more than 1,000 litres a day.The fee for grant of microbrewery licence had been fixed at ₹2 lakh a year. The draught beer so produced would not be bottled and sold outside the premises and would be served in glasses or pitchers. The alcohol content of the beer produced and supplied to customers should not exceed 8%, he said.

The licence holder will make arrangements to check the quality of raw material used and the liquor produced in the microbrewery by a chemist holding a degree in science with chemistry as one of the subjects preferably organic chemistry or biochemistry or specialisation in alcohol technology.

Quality control

According to the draft rules, the beer produced in the microbrewery should be released for sale only after it has been certified by a chemist that it is fit for consumption. The applicable Excise Duty and Additional Excise Duty would be collected on 50% of the annual installed capacity of the microbrewery in advance to be paid along with the licence fee.

The applicant on payment of applicable licence fee for FL2 tourism category licence can serve other varieties of IMFL/alcoholic drinks on the premises.

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