The Man Behind Old Monk Rum, Kapil Mohan, Passes Away at 88

Mohan, himslef a teetotaller, was also behind brands like Sola No 1 and Golden Eagle.

A bottle of Old Monk. 

(Photo: Mohan Meakin)

Brigadier (retd) Kapil Mohan, the man behind one of the world’s best selling dark rum, Old Monk, passed away at the age of 88, on Saturday, 6 January.

The former Chairman and MD of Mohan Meakin Ltd, which makes Old Monk, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest at Mohan Nagar, near Ghaziabad, Business Standard reported.

Mohan, himself a teetotaller, was also behind brands like Solan No. 1 and Golden Eagle.

According to the report, he was also the president of the municipal committee in Solan, Himachal Pradesh. Mohan was averse to change, and therefore even after 150 years, the water for the breweries is still sourced from the same natural spring in Solan, from where it was sourced when the facility was set up, the report carried by Business Standard stated.

A Padma Shri award winner, Mohan launched Old Monk rum on 19 December 1954, after his father took over the company from Dyer Meakin Breweries.

Founded in 1855 by Edward Dyer, Mohan Meakin was Asia’s first brewery. It started operations in the sleepy hill-town of Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh), where the water is suitable for brewing, and its first product was Lion Beer.

In 1949, NN Mohan, an Indian businessman and patriarch of the Mohan family, acquired the company. In 1966, the company was renamed Mohan Meakin Breweries, and as the company diversified, the term ‘breweries’ was dropped from the name.

At one point, Mohan Meakin Limited was one of India’s largest companies.

Twitterati Mourns Mohan’s Death

Many admirers of Mohan took to Twitter to express their grief.

Paying tribute to Mohan, many posted pictures of the Old Monk bottle.

(With inputs from Business Standard, Scroll and Money Control.)

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