Murree Brewery facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Murree Brewery

Murree Brewery's logo
Location	National Park Road, Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan
Opened	1860; 165 years ago (1860)
Revenue	₨8.86 billion (US$55 million) - 2017
Operating income	₨2.87 billion (US$18 million) - 2017
Net income	₨1.30 billion (US$8.1 million) - 2017
Total assets	₨10.90 billion (US$68 million) - 2017
Owned by	Isphanyar M. Bhandara (present Chief Executive)
Active beers
Name Type Murree beers Murree Beer Beer Murree's Classic Lager Lager Murree's Millennium Beer Lite Export Pils Pilsner Murree's Strong Brew Beer Murree's Special Strong Brew Beer Strauss Beer Beer Murree's Stout Beer Stout Murree's Wheat Beer Witbier Liquors beers Rarest Malt Whisky Whisky Malt Whisky Classic Whisky Vintage Whisky Whisky Bolskaya Vodka Murree's Vodka Vodka Gin beers Silver Top Gin Gin London Dry Gin Dry Gin Citrus Gin Gin Lemo' Lime Gin Gin Non Alcoholic beers Cindy NAB Malt-79 Stout

Murree Brewery (مری برُوری; PSX: MUREB) is a large company in Pakistan. It makes many kinds of drinks, including special beverages for adults and non-alcoholic options. It is the oldest and biggest producer of these drinks in Pakistan. In 2015, the company made 10 million litres of its special adult beverages.

The British founded Murree Brewery in 1860. It is a company whose shares are traded on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Its products are sold in other countries like India and Bangladesh. In 2014, the company opened a main store in Manhattan, New York City. Forbes magazine named it one of Asia's 200 best companies in 2013.

The brewery has two main factories. One is in Rawalpindi, Punjab, and the other is in Hattar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Murree Brewery is one of the fastest-growing companies in Pakistan.

Murree Brewery: A Look Back at Its History

Ruins of one of the earliest buildings used by Murree Brewery

The Murree Brewery Company Ltd. started in 1860. It was built to provide drinks for British soldiers and people living in Ghora Gali, near the town of Murree. The family of Edward Dyer, father of Colonel Reginald Dyer, managed the brewery. In the 1880s, the company opened another brewery in Rawalpindi. They also opened a place to make spirits in Quetta.

In the 1920s, there wasn't enough water in Murree. So, most of the brewing moved to Rawalpindi. But the process of malting (preparing grains) continued at Ghora Gali until the 1940s. The company then sold this property. The brewery building in Murree, which had a Gothic revival style, was burned during the time Pakistan became independent in 1947. Also, the brewery in Quetta was destroyed by an earthquake in 1935.

In the 1940s, a Parsi businessman named Peshton Bandhara bought most of the company. He used to run a drink business in Lahore. His son, M.P. Bandhara, later took over the business. Now, his grandson, Isphanyar M. Bandhara, runs it.

In the 1960s, the brewery brought in oak barrels from North America, Australia, and Spain. These barrels are used to age their special malt whisky. The underground cellars can hold over half a million litres of this whisky. It ages for different times, up to 12 years. Murree Brewery makes a special single malt whisky.

A can of Peach Malt, one of Murree Brewery's non-alcoholic products.

In the 1990s, new machines for canning beer and filling bottles were installed. These machines came from Germany. In 2001, the brewery had to close for a short time. This was because it was producing too much waste that could harm the environment. Authorities placed an environmental protection order on the Murree Brewery in Rawalpindi.

Murree's "Rarest Malt Whisky"

In 2007, Murree Brewery became the first company in the Muslim world to make a 20-year-old malt whisky. This special drink is called "Rarest Malt Whisky". However, by law, it cannot be exported to other countries. Also, most people in Pakistan are not allowed to buy or consume it. The CEO of Murree Brewery has said that most of his customers in Pakistan are not Muslim.

How Murree Brewery Grew Over Time

In 1977, Murree Brewery faced a big challenge. The government, led by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, introduced strict rules about special adult beverages in Pakistan. Later, the government of General Zia-ul-Haq changed these rules. People who wanted to buy these beverages had to show they were not Muslim. There were not enough people from the Christian, Hindu, and Parsi communities to support the company. So, production had to be reduced.

However, the rules about these beverages have slowly become less strict. This has allowed Murree to make different kinds of Murree beer, vodka, gin, and whisky. Today, you can find Murree products in legal shops in places like Karachi. They are also available in other parts of Sindh.

Murree Beer was once made in Austria for markets in Europe. It was sold in Pakistani and Indian restaurants there, but this stopped in 2004. The current CEO, Isphanyar Bhandara, has talked about working with Foster's to make beer together. This plan is still being developed.

Murree Brewery is one of the oldest public companies in South Asia. Its shares were traded on the Calcutta Stock Exchange as early as 1902. It is now the oldest company that is still running in Pakistan. It is also among the top 25 best-performing public companies on the Karachi Stock Exchange.

Murree's main competitor is the Quetta Distillery. Its products also compete with brands brought in illegally from Western countries and India.

In 2013, Murree Brewery allowed a business in Bangalore, India, to make, bottle, and sell its beer in India.

Images for kids

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  A can of Peach Malt, one of Murree Brewery's non-alcoholic products.