Old Brewery (Mussoorie)

The Old Brewery was a commercial brewery established in 1832 in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India.^[1][2] It was founded by Henry Bohle during the British colonial period.^[3][4] The brewery later changed ownership and was reopened in 1850 by John Mackinnon under the name Mackinnon & Co.^[5][6][7] It supplied alcoholic beverages to various establishments in northern India. The site of the former brewery is located near the Haathipaon area of Mussoorie.^[8]

View of The Old Brewery in Mussoorie, India

History

The Old Brewery was established in 1830 by Bohle, who relocated from Meerut to Mussoorie due to its cooler climate, which was more suitable for brewing.^[9] He obtained a license to produce beer and began operations in Mussoorie. In 1832, he was accused by Colonel Frederick Young, then Superintendent of the Dun and Commandant of Landour, of distilling spirits without a license and selling alcohol to soldiers using forged passes.^[10][11] Following these events, Bohle closed the brewery and sold the estate to Mr. Parsons.^[12]

In 1834, John Mackinnon acquired the estate. Around 1838, Bohle returned and established a separate brewing facility, known as Bohle’s Brewery, on a spur located to the north of the original site.^[3][13] In 1850, Mackinnon resumed brewing at the original location. The brewery produced various types of beer, including Pale Ale, Strong Ale (XXXX), and XXX Porter. By 1903, Mackinnon’s Brewery employed 131 workers and had an annual production volume of approximately 500,000 gallons.^[14] After Mackinnon's death in 1870, the brewery was managed by his sons, Philip W. Mackinnon and V. A. Mackinnon.^[1][10]