Vintage Pune

During the Peshwa regime wine shops were a rare sight. Only one single example of such a structure was near the Sangam.It was believed th...

During the Peshwa regime wine shops were a rare sight. Only one single example of such a structure was near the Sangam.It was believed that some people came here surreptitiously to drink liquor which was not allowed in the city.

As there was no octroi, liquor was available at relatively cheap rates. The total revenue was meagre Rs. 20.per year before 1817 In the British regime however in 1888 it shot up to Rs. 2 lakhs. A Parsi gentleman, Dadabhai started a liquor brewery in 1874 at Mundhwa. It manufactured wine from moha Madhuca Indica. Sitaram Gaikwad when describing this brewery says, 8220;moha is dipped in the water that remains as residue after wine has been prepared in a can of 2.5 palla 1 palla is equal to 120 seer. Moha is kept thus for a week. Only in summer or winter the moha may be kept soaked in water for one or two days more.

The moistened moha is poured in one barrel which has a hole at the bottom. Through the hole, steam is introduced inside the barrel, through a tap which circles snake-like near the bottom of the barrel. The tap is extremely hot and could burn your hand instantly. Moha when inside boils with a noise, being heated on steam. This further creates steam. There is another barrel near the first one, where the steam is transmitted with the help of a tap. This barrel is filled with cool water and the tap in it is also cool. The steam condenses inside and the residual liquid is let out through one more tap outside the barrel. This condensed liquid is genuine wine ready for drinking.

The Deccan Brewery pioneered by M/S Meakins and Co. was situated at Dapodi and used to manufacture English wine. The building used for the brewery was earlier being used as a Government House at Dapodi. Residential quarters for the manager and staff of the brewery are also on the premises. The surrounding building was used for filling the bottles of wine and storing them. A cellar was used to store beer and concentrated wine. English wine was sold on behalf of M/S Meakins and Co. in their authorised centre at 92 Main street.