The brewer in the land of prohibition

For Pakistan that has only one functioning brewery, and strict prohibition laws, there is a whole lot of moonshine making its way into homes.

A series of secret moves that reflect sub-continental ingenuity and a strong business acumen have helped to a large extent.

The only functioning brewery, the Murree brewery in Murree near Lahore, is owned by M P Bhandara, a Parsi. He is allowed to sell liquor to non-Muslims only; Muslims being prohibited from consuming alcohol.

However, according to Bhandara himself, 99 per cent of his produce finds its way into Muslim homes.

There are a total of only 66 licensed alcohol outlets in Pakistan. Licences are disbursed among non-Muslims on the basis of 'beer quotas'. Non-Muslims on their part offer to resell these licences to those without quotas, making a good profit in the process.

"A pint of liquor bought for Rs 300 (Pakistani rupees) is resold for between Rs 400 and 600," according to Naeem Khan, a resident of Lahore. There is never a dearth of liquor, although the same cannot be said about the quality.

"Because of the surreptitious way in which liquor is sold, we find that it is sometimes diluted. However, once you find a trustworthy supplier, you get the right stuff," says 27 year-old Khan.

The popularity of 'spirited entertainment' can be gauged from the fact that the brewery registered a 12 per cent increase in sales of its brand Classic Beer, this year alone.

This, despite the fact that Chinese vodka is smuggled across north Pakistan. House parties are a big hit among the citizens of Lahore as they are the only places that friends can sit together and drink without fear of being prosecuted by the law.

Bhandara has ambitious plans for the future. He wants to market his beer to homesick Pakistanis in the United Kingdom with the catchline 'Murree with your curry'.

According to Naeem Khan, "Pakistanis get their first taste of beer from a smuggled bottle of Classic."