AMONG the key players in Myanmar’s alcohol manufacturing and distribution industry are the Peace Myanmar Group (PMG), the Ministry of Industry 1, AHK & Lucky Smooth Production Ltd., and International Beverages Trading Company (IBTC), which distributes the products of the Myanmar Winery and Distillery Co., Ltd.

IBTC’s Grand Royal Whisky has gained a big market share since it started business in 1997. The company’s Singaporean part-owners also own the Dai Thaung Long Trading and Service Company, the Vietnam-based producer of Royal London Dry Gin. This connection has helped IBTC gain access to the Vietnam market. In February 2000 IBTC also began exporting Grand Royal Whisky to Africa, and later to South Korea through a shipping company that buys the whisky from Myanmar.

In November 2003 PMG, which was established in 1993, became the first ISO-certified liquor company in the local market when it was awarded the 9001:2000 certificate for its quality management system. PMG produces a variety of brands, including Myanmar Whisky, Myanmar Rum, Myanmar Dry Gin, Myanmar Old Brandy and Galaxy Rum.

Mandalay Shwe Yi Distilleries Co., Ltd. Shweyi, although started as a small-scale business in 1992, has grown into one of Myanmar’s largest alcoholic beverage manufacturers with two distilleries, one in Yangon and one in Mandalay. Its full portfolio includes 15 products in five different groups.

As the quality of domestic products has risen, the drinking habits of locals have also begun to change. Some rum drinkers have switched to whisky, although there is still a strong rum market. The largest domestic producer of rum is the Ministry of Industry 1’s Myanmar Foodstuff Industries, which manufactures Mandalay Rum. The other well-known variety is PMG’s Myanmar Rum.

Daw Su Hlaing Myint, the director of Myat Hmwe Co., Ltd, which distributes soft drinks and alcoholic beverages at Yuzana Plaza, said, “Sales of whisky and rum are generally pretty equal but sometimes whisky outsells rum by a little bit.”

The best-selling whiskies in the Myanmar market are Grand Royal Whisky produced by IBTC, and Myanmar Whisky and Premier Scotch Whisky distributed by PMG. The most recent addition to the market is Scotch Black Sea Whisky, which is produced by AHK.

The best-selling gins are Mandalay Dry Gin – produced by Myanmar Foodstuff Industries – and Royal London Dry Gin, while the rum market is led by Mandalay Rum.

These domestic brands are outselling imports on the Myanmar market, due to the combination of lower prices and high quality.