Beyond Godfather Beer: How DeVANS Became One of India's Oldest Premium Malt Spirits Producers!

At a time when not many Swadeshi companies, especially in the west-dominated segments like alcohol, were thriving in India, a modern brewery was set up by a man in Jammu. Dewan Gian Chand, the visionary behind DeVANS, one of India’s most respected names in premium spirits and craft brewing, established a liquor depot in Jammu and Srinagar. Remember, this was 1942, when India was still under British rule, when no Indian brand was allowed to thrive. Still, after almost 8 decades, DeVANS is one of the oldest standing players in the country's premium spirits landscape.

"Our founder Dewan Gian Chand was a firm believer in honesty, compliance and hard work and stood firmly for the quality of the products manufactured by DeVANS," reflects Prem Dewan, Chairman and Managing Director of DeVANS Modern Breweries Ltd., who inherited the business in 1982. "He had set up the foundations of the company in Jammu at a time when there was hardly any industry in the area and expanded beyond the state boundaries by dint of his hard work, innovation and foresight."

The Early Years

The transition from wholesale to manufacturing marked a pivotal moment in the company's history. In 1961, DeVANS commenced production of bottled liquor and malt spirits at their flagship Jammu unit, starting on what Dewan describes as "a very small scale." The challenges were immense, particularly when the company ventured into brewing.

"There were huge challenges in setting up breweries in India during the sixties when our first brewery was set up, as the technical knowledge was very limited during those times," the MD explains. The breakthrough came when Satish Kohli, a brewer from Dyer Meakin Breweries in Solan, joined the company and demonstrated his expertise by successfully brewing beer in the laboratory.

The brewery, commissioned in 1967 within the same premises as the distillery, began production using what might seem primitive by today's standards—a soda water semi-automatic filler. Yet this humble beginning would lay the foundation for what would become one of India's most respected brewing operations.

The Godfather Legacy

Among DeVANS' most celebrated achievements is the creation of Godfather beer, launched in 1984. This iconic brand has become synonymous with premium strong beer in India, with the Godfather Super 8 holding the distinction of being the only beer in India with 8% alcohol by volume, significantly higher than the 6-7% typical of other strong beer brands. The company's commitment to innovation continued with the introduction of Six Fields, a premium beer line that includes variants like Six Fields Blanche, a Belgian-style wheat beer, and Six Fields Cult, which recently won a gold medal at the Brussels Beer Challenge in Belgium. The latest additions to the portfolio include Six Fields Pilsner and Six Fields Brute, marking the company's foray into the premium lager segment.

Mastering the Art of Malt Spirits

While beer brought DeVANS recognition, it's their mastery of malt spirits that has truly set them apart. “Today, DeVANS stands as probably the biggest producer of premium quality malt spirits in India, having served as a source of matured malt spirit for almost all major liquor companies in the country at various points,” says Prem. 

The pinnacle of this expertise is embodied in GianChand Single Malt whisky, named after the company's founder. The whisky gained international acclaim when global whisky expert Jim Murray described it as the "most delicate Indian malt" in his Whisky Bible. This recognition was further validated when GianChand won honours at the prestigious International Spirits and Wine Competition (ISWC) in London.

"It is the legacy combined with the quality of our malts that led to the outstanding reception of our first single malt, GianChand," notes Dewan, who reveals that two new expressions of GianChand are set to launch in duty-free shops by June 2025.

Scaling Challenges and Strategic Expansion

The journey hasn't been without its hurdles. Dewan candidly acknowledges that "the real challenge is not in setting up a brewery but making it viable. Selling beer is not easy. Beer is a very competitive, low-margin, high-volume product." To address growing demand and market expansion, DeVANS has evolved from a single-location operation to a pan-India network. In 2014, the company shut down its original Jammu brewery to commission a state-of-the-art facility in Samba, about 45 kilometres away. They've also established strategic co-packing partnerships with breweries across Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Tamil Nadu, in addition to their own facilities in Jammu & Kashmir and Rajasthan.

Looking Ahead

As the Indian alcoholic beverage market continues to evolve, DeVANS is positioning itself to capitalise on emerging trends. "Premiumization will undoubtedly continue to be the predominant trend in 2025," Prem observes. "With the consumer base widening and evolving drastically and with more disposable income in the hands of the consumers, we will witness brands aiming for the premium space."

The numbers support this optimism. DeVANS achieved approximately 50% volume growth in the beer segment last year, and Dewan is confident about maintaining this momentum. International expansion is also on the horizon, with plans to make their single malts available in domestic duty-free outlets by June and in some international duty-free outlets by year-end. 

In an industry where heritage and innovation must coexist, DeVANS Modern Breweries has mastered both, ensuring that Dewan Gian Chand's legacy continues to flourish more than eight decades after it began.