Several municipalities in Gorkha have initiated the branding of local alcohol. Gandaki Rural Municipality has already started producing and distributing local liquor under the name “Gandaki Kodo Ko Raksi” (Gandaki Millet Liquor), while Ajirkot Rural Municipality is in the final stages of preparation.
The responsibility for production and branding has been assigned to women’s groups by the municipalities. Currently, the Jalakanya Devi Farmers’ Group of Ward No 2 and the Women’s Group of Chisapani in Ward No 6 are involved in the production and branding of local liquor.
The municipality has provided the groups with necessary training and equipment for alcohol production. “As part of the Millet and Indigenous Crop Promotion Program, we trained them in millet production and supplied tools, bottles, and stickers for branding,” said a municipal official.
Farmers supplying millet to the groups receive a subsidy of Rs 5 per kilogram from the municipality. The women’s groups produce the liquor themselves, blending pure millet with herbs. The alcohol content is measured with machines, and once it meets quality standards, it is branded, bottled, and labeled with the “Gandaki Brand” sticker before entering the market.
“The liquor is made using only pure millet and herbs,” said Ward No 2 Chairperson Yam Bahadur Thapa. “While the women’s groups mostly produce it themselves, they also procure from others, but only if it meets the standard of pure millet and herbs—no adulterated products are accepted.”
The branded liquor is sold in local markets, including the Patiswara Manmohan Homestay and other areas within the municipality. However, there is a shortage of locally produced millet, necessitating procurement from Shahid Lakhan Rural Municipality.
The liquor is also sold in places like Benighat and along highways. However, legal challenges have prevented transportation to other districts, said Thapa.
Similarly, the Ajirkot Rural Municipality is finalising its plan to brand local liquor under the name “Ajirkot Brand.” The municipality has developed guidelines and standards to ensure compliance with legal requirements. “We plan to assign the responsibility to homestays,” said Rural Municipality Chairperson Dipak Devkota. “Some teams have already conducted field studies, and production will begin soon.”
Homestays will be provided with bottles and stickers for branding, with locally branded alcohol expected to hit the market by mid-February, Devkota added.
The branding initiative aims to curb the consumption of adulterated alcohol by promoting locally produced and quality-assured liquor.
