Captain, Potti and more: Humour flows even as Kerala govt distances from brandy naming contest

A routine government announcement inviting suggestions for a name and logo for a new brandy from state-run Malabar Distilleries has quietly become one of Kerala’s most entertaining episodes of political humour.

Bevco’s (Kerala State Beverages Corporation) offer of a Rs 10,000 prize may have been modest, but the public imagination it sparked has been anything but.

Social media serves a master class in wit

Social media quickly transformed the contest into a showcase of layered humour, political subtext, and Kerala-style wit.

At first glance, the most popular suggestion, Captain, seemed innocuous. But to anyone familiar with Kerala politics, the reference is unmistakable.

In the state’s political lexicon, “Captain” is the widely used nickname of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Commenters argued, with straight-faced logic, that if a government-produced liquor can be called Jawan, why not Captain?

The irony lay less in the name itself and more in the collective nod and wink that accompanied it.

Creative variants keep the humour flowing

The playful suggestions continued with variants like Kappithan and Double Chankan, each carrying its own cultural and political resonance.

Next came the “K brigade” — K Brandy, K Kick, K Rasam, Kerala Lahari. To outsiders, these may have seemed like enthusiastic branding, but for Kerala audiences, the references poked fun at the Chief Minister’s habit of prefixing initiatives with a bold “K”—from K-Rail to K-FON—as if governance itself were a curated product line.

Pop culture and scandal enter the mix

The satire sharpened further with the arrival of Potti-themed suggestions. Borrowed from popular culture and inspired by the viral song “Pottiye Kettiye”, names such as Pottiye Ketti and Potti (S) quickly gained traction.

For many, Potti was an unmistakable allusion to Unnikrishnan Potti, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case—a controversy that continues to linger in public memory.

Other suggestions like Gold Theft Brandy and Sakhavu (Comrade) Brandy blended scandal with sarcasm. As the contest progressed, restraint faded altogether, producing entries such as Red Volunteers, Commi Brandy, and finally just Sakhavu, mixing ideology, symbolism, and spirits in equal measure.

Humour meets marketing advice

Some participants even offered marketing tips, tongue firmly in cheek, suggesting that placing the Chief Minister’s photograph on the label could boost sales and ensure brand recall.

What began as a simple contest quickly became a crowd-sourced comedy column, reflecting Kerala’s irreverent political culture. Bevco may have expected a few earnest branding ideas, but instead, it received a mirror of the state’s humour, distilled and ready to enjoy neat—with a generous dose of irony.

Kerala government distances

As the brandy naming contest went viral, the Kerala government moved to distance itself from the public initiative.

The announcement drew criticism from the Catholic Church-backed anti-liquor committee, highlighting concerns over promoting alcohol consumption.

Excise Minister M B Rajesh clarified that the government’s role was limited to reviving the Palakkad distillery, while BEVCO alone launched the contest.

The initiative, aimed at boosting local liquor production and state revenue, has been firmly opposed by the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council, which warned that it could encourage drinking among youth and urged the withdrawal of the contest.