The history of distilled spirit goes back into antiquity. Science have unearthed pottery in Mesopotamia depicting fermentation scenes dating back to 4200 B.C. a small wooden model of a brewery from about 2000 B.C. is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Newyork city & Aristotle mentions a wine which produces a spirit. The first real distiller was probably a green Egyptian alchemist who in the first second century AD, in an attempt to transmute base metal into gold, boiled some wine in a crude still. The discovery of ardent spirits which remelted from this effort was looked upon with awe. It was kept a secret for centuries. The technique of distillation probably came from the Egyptians who had been interested in alchemy since the Precbristian ere. At a later time the Arabians gained this knowledge from the Egyptians. Distillation was introduced into Western Europe either through spain about 1150 AD, or by the crusaders who learned about it from the Moolems in the 12th & 13th centuries. Distilled spirits were probably known in Ireland & scotland before 12th Century, but actually it was not until then that there is a recorded history of distilled history in Europe. In India production of alcohol apart from molasses & sugarcane route the non molasses route like maize, starch, corn grain, sweet sorghum, tapioca, sugar beet are also equally getting importance as the climatic conditions for such type of agricultural crops suits in India. It is a right time for the central government through ministry of agriculture to encourage and assist state governments to introduce a policy of using only grain based alcohol for potable purpose. Molasses based alcohol may be used for industrial use as well as fuel blending. Uses & Applications Extra neutral alcohol is mainly used to make a very high quality potable alcohol used by liquor industries for the production of branded alcoholic drinks. (eg. canes, vodkas, gins, rums, liqueurs and aperitifs). Ethanol (Ethyl Alcohol or Grain Alcohol) is commonly used in alcohol. Market Survey The IMFL and beer sector is the most visible part of the alcohol industry, boasting a few large companies with multiple production units and nationwide marketing networks. These companies control much of the market, have been present in India for several decades, and have established several brand names regionally or nationally. These companies aggressively advertise and promote their brands and their corporate identities, and constantly monitor and protect their products market shares. They are also cash rich, since profit margins are high in this industry. India ranks as one of largest alcoholic beverage markets across the globe, considering that almost 70 per cent of alcohol in South East Asia is produced in India. Indias share of total alcohol beverage imports in the region is nearly 10 per cent. India's alcoholic beverages market, comprising beer, wine and spirits, will cross the Rs 1.4 lakh crore mark in 2015, compared to the current size of about Rs 50,700 crore, says an industry specific analysis of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham). China is the largest global spirits market.China and India are the two fastest growing markets for spirits. India is expected to overtake Russia as the second largest spirits market by 2013. The United States is predicted to be the third fastest growing spirits market through 2015. The US market has shown a gradual recovery in 2010 and 2011, with spirits volume up 2% in 2010 and a steady return to premium spirits. Vodka showed a strong and production methods dictated by the country of origin. Strong vodka growth in the US and emerging countries such as India are expected to keep vodka in the number one position in the coming years. Few Indian Major Players are as Under: Allied Blenders & Distillers Pvt. Ltd. Amber Distilleries Ltd. Amrut Distilleries Ltd. Arlem Breweries Ltd. [Merged] Arthos Breweries Ltd. Associated Breweries & Distilleries Ltd. [Merged] Aurangabad Breweries Ltd. B D A Breweries & Distilleries Ltd. B D A Pvt. Ltd. Bacardi India Pvt. Ltd. Balaji Distilleries Ltd. [Merged] Balbir Distilleries Ltd. [Merged] Baramati Grape Inds. Ltd. [Merged] Beam Global Spirits & Wine (India) Pvt. Ltd. Blossom Industries Ltd. Buckingham Distilleries & Breweries Ltd. [Merged] Castle Breweries Ltd. Central Distillery & Breweries Ltd. [Merged] Charminar Breweries Ltd. [Merged] Charosa Wineries Ltd. Cobra Indian Beer Pvt. Ltd. Devans Modern Breweries Ltd. Doburg Lager Breweries Ltd. [Erstwhile] East Coast Breweries & Distilleries Ltd. [Merged] Empee Distilleries Ltd. Foster'S India Ltd. Four Seasons Wines Ltd. Glasgow Distilleries Ltd. Grover Vineyards Ltd. Haryana Breweries Ltd. [Merged] High Range Breweries Ltd. [Merged] Hindustan Breweries & Bottling Ltd. Hyderabad Distilleries & Wineries Ltd. Impala Distillery & Brewery Ltd. Indage Vintners Ltd. Indo Lowenbrau Breweries Ltd. [Merged] Interlink Exports Ltd. Jagatjit Industries Ltd. John Distilleries Ltd. Jubilee Beverages Ltd. Kalyani Breweries Ltd. [Merged] Kedia Distilleries Ltd. Kerala Alcoholic Products Ltd. Kerala Distilleries & Allied Products Ltd. [Merged] Kesarval Beverages Ltd. [Merged] Khemani Distilleries Pvt. Ltd. Kool Breweries Ltd. Lilasons Breweries Ltd. Lilasons Industries Ltd. Malabar Breweries Ltd. [Merged] Mangalore Breweries & Distilleries Ltd. [Merged] Mcdowell & Co. Ltd. [Merged] Mehra Beverages Ltd. [Merged] Millennium Beer Inds. Ltd. [Merged] Mohan Breweries & Distilleries Ltd. Mohan Meakin Ltd. Mohan Rocky Springwater Breweries Ltd. Mount Shivalik Breweries Ltd. Mount Shivalik Inds. Ltd. Mysore Breweries Ltd. [Merged] Mysore Wine Products Ltd. [Merged] Pals Distilleries Ltd. Pernod Ricard India Pvt. Ltd. Piccadily Sugar & Allied Inds. Ltd. Pincon Spirit Ltd. Prag Distillery Pvt. Ltd. Premier Breweries Ltd. [Merged] Punjab Breweries Ltd. [Merged] Radico Khaitan Ltd. Rainbow Breweries Ltd. Rairu Distilleries Ltd. Raj Breweries Ltd. [Merged] Rajasthan Breweries Ltd. Ravikumar Distilleries Ltd. Rochees Breweries Ltd. [Merged] Salamander Distillers Ltd. [Merged] Seagram Distilleries Pvt. Ltd. Shaw Wallace & Co. Ltd. [Merged] Shaw Wallace Distilleries Limited [Merged] Shaw Wallace Distilleries Ltd. [Merged] Shiva Distilleries Ltd. Sica Breweries Ltd. [Merged] Silver Oak (India) Ltd. Skol Breweries Ltd. Skol Breweries Ltd. [Merged] Som Distilleries & Breweries Ltd. Southern Agrifurane Inds. Ltd. Southern Agrifurane Inds. Ltd. [Merged] Tilaknagar Distilleries & Inds. Ltd. [Merged] Tilaknagar Industries Ltd. Travancore Sugars & Chemicals Ltd. Tripti Alcobrew Ltd. United Breweries Ltd. Utkal Distilleries Ltd. V R V Breweries & Bottling Inds. Ltd. [Merged] Vinayak Distilleries Ltd. Vinedale Distilleries Ltd. Vitari Distilleries Ltd. [Merged] Winsome Breweries Ltd. Xylon Loquitur Distillers & Vintners Ltd.