Horlicks is a historic British malted-milk beverage brand best known for its powdered drink mix, traditionally prepared with hot milk or water. Developed by British-born brothers James Horlick (1844–1921) and William Horlick (1846–1936), the product originated in the United States in 1873 and was initially developed as a nutritious food for infants and people with poor health. Over time, Horlicks evolved into a mainstream family beverage and became particularly associated with bedtime, nourishment, sports, travel, and British popular culture.2

Today, Horlicks is an international brand with particularly strong recognition in markets such as India and other parts of Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, and Bangladesh. The UK business is separately associated with Aimia Foods. Horlicks products outside the UK have been associated with Unilever since its acquisition of GSK’s Horlicks business in 2019.12

Origins: 1873

The story of Horlicks begins with two brothers from Ruardean, Gloucestershire, England: James and William Horlick.

William emigrated to the United States in 1869, eventually settling around Racine, Wisconsin. James was trained as a pharmacist and had an interest in developing a dried nutritional food. In 1873, he joined William in the United States, and the brothers established J & W Horlicks in Chicago. Their original objective was to create a shelf-stable, nutritious food that could be mixed with liquid.12

The product combined ingredients including malted grain and dried milk. It was initially promoted as “Horlick’s Infant and Invalids Food”, reflecting the original target market.2

Development of Malted Milk

In 1875, the company moved from Chicago to Racine, Wisconsin, where William continued developing the product. In 1883, the brothers received U.S. Patent No. 278,967 for their malted-milk preparation. The product was originally associated with the name Diastoid, before the term “malted milk” became established.3

This was an important technological development because the powder could be stored and subsequently mixed with liquid, making it convenient for households, travelers and institutions.

By the late nineteenth century, Horlicks had developed from a specialized nutritional product into a commercially successful food and beverage product.3

Expansion into Britain

James Horlick returned to Britain in 1890, establishing a London operation to develop the British market. Demand eventually led to the construction of a dedicated British factory.

In 1906, a site was selected at Slough, Berkshire, and the factory was completed in 1908. The Slough factory subsequently became one of the most recognizable symbols of the Horlicks brand and an important part of the town’s industrial history.14

The British factory helped transform Horlicks from an American-developed product into a brand strongly associated with British food and drink culture.

One of the most interesting parts of Horlicks’ history is its connection with polar exploration.

During the early twentieth century, Horlicks was used as a convenient source of nourishment by explorers and travelers. The drink was taken on expeditions associated with figures such as Robert Peary, Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott.2

This association became an important part of the brand’s identity. Advertising could portray Horlicks as a practical, nutritious product capable of accompanying people in extremely demanding environments.

The connection continued beyond the polar expeditions. In 1935, the Horlick Mountains in Antarctica were named in honor of William Horlick, reflecting his support for exploration.2

Horlicks also became associated with military and wartime nutrition.

During World War I, the product was consumed both in Britain and by military personnel overseas. Its long shelf life and ease of preparation made powdered malted milk particularly useful in circumstances where transporting and storing fresh food was difficult.2

The brand continued to have a wartime presence during World War II, including Horlicks products being incorporated into various military and emergency provisions.2

These experiences helped reinforce Horlicks’ historical image as more than simply a beverage: it was marketed as a source of nourishment and energy.

Perhaps the most famous association with Horlicks in Britain is the bedtime drink.

Historically, Horlicks was promoted as a warm drink that could be consumed before going to bed. Advertising in the early twentieth century even popularized the fictional concept of “night starvation” as a marketing device for encouraging people to drink Horlicks at night.2

This helped establish a powerful cultural association:

Horlicks → warm drink → evening → relaxation → bedtime

The association became sufficiently strong that Horlicks eventually became part of British popular culture and language.

Importantly, the historical advertising claims should not be confused with modern medical evidence. “Night starvation” was an advertising concept rather than a recognized medical condition.2

Horlicks also developed a relationship with athletics and sporting events.

The brand promoted itself as a nourishing product suitable for active people, and it was associated with athletes and major sporting occasions. The official Horlicks history notes that Horlicks was provided during the 1948 London Olympics, where it was served to competitors both as a bedtime drink and at sporting venues.6

This created another important dimension of the brand’s identity:

Horlicks was not only for children or people at home; it was also presented as a drink for explorers, soldiers and athletes.

Horlicks became particularly important in South Asia and Southeast Asia, where the brand developed a cultural identity somewhat different from its traditional British image.

India became one of Horlicks’ most important markets. A factory was established in Punjab in 1960, producing Horlicks using buffalo milk. Later manufacturing expanded elsewhere in India.4

In India and neighboring markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Horlicks became closely associated with children’s nutrition, family health and growth, although its precise formulations and marketing claims have varied by market and over time.

Traditional Horlicks is based around malted barley, wheat and milk. The malt is particularly important because it produces the characteristic sweet, toasted and creamy flavour for which the drink is known.1

Modern formulations can vary considerably between countries. Depending on the market and product, Horlicks may contain combinations of:

• Malted barley
• Wheat
• Milk or milk-derived ingredients
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Dietary fibre
• Sugar or other sweetening ingredients
• Flavouring ingredients

For example, the Canadian Horlicks site describes the traditional malt character as coming from malted wheat and barley, while the Malaysian brand site describes Horlicks as containing milk, malted barley and wheat.5

Therefore, there is no single universal Horlicks formula. Ingredients and nutritional composition can differ by country and product variant.

Horlicks went through several major corporate changes during the twentieth century.

The original Horlicks businesses eventually became connected with the British pharmaceutical and consumer-health industry. In 1969, Horlicks was acquired by the Beecham Group. Beecham subsequently became part of SmithKline Beecham, which later merged with Glaxo Wellcome to form GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in 2000.2

For many years, Horlicks was therefore strongly associated with GSK’s consumer-health business.

A major change came in the 2010s:

• 1969: Acquired by Beecham.
• 1989: Beecham became part of SmithKline Beecham.
• 2000: SmithKline Beecham became part of GlaxoSmithKline.
• 2017: The UK Horlicks business was acquired by Aimia Foods.
• 2019: Horlicks outside the UK became part of Unilever following its acquisition of GSK’s Indian Horlicks business and related consumer products.2

Consequently, the statement “Horlicks is owned by X” needs a market qualification. The UK business and Horlicks businesses in other countries do not necessarily have the same corporate owner.

Horlicks has historically occupied an unusual position between several categories:

Food → beverage → nutritional supplement → family product

Its positioning has changed over time.

Original Positioning

The earliest Horlicks product was essentially a nutritional food intended for infants and people with poor health.

Early Twentieth Century

It expanded toward:

• Travelers
• Soldiers
• Explorers
• Athletes
• Families

Mid-to-Late Twentieth Century

The brand became strongly associated with:

• Children’s nutrition
• Family health
• Bedtime
• Warmth and comfort

Modern Positioning

Modern Horlicks marketing varies by country but generally emphasizes some combination of:

• Nutrition
• Vitamins and minerals
• Growth and development
• Family wellbeing
• Comfort
• Taste
• Everyday nourishment

Although the original product was a simple malted-milk powder, the Horlicks range has expanded over time.

Depending on the country, products can include:

• Original Horlicks
• Chocolate-flavoured Horlicks
• Instant Horlicks
• Children’s nutritional variants
• Malted beverages
• Ready-to-drink or other convenience formats
• Specialty nutritional formulations

The exact product portfolio is market-specific. For example, the current UK Horlicks range includes Original, Chocolate and Instant products.6

Horlicks is often compared with other malted or nutritional beverage brands, particularly Ovaltine and Milo.

The distinction is broadly:

• Horlicks — strongly associated with malted milk, nutrition and bedtime/family consumption.
• Ovaltine — another historic malted beverage, with a particularly strong heritage in Europe and North America.
• Milo — a malted chocolate beverage strongly associated with sports, energy and Southeast Asia/Australia.

These brands overlap substantially, but their flavour profiles, marketing histories and cultural associations differ.

Horlicks’ greatest significance is arguably its longevity. A product invented in the 1870s has remained commercially recognizable into the twenty-first century.

Its history also illustrates how food brands can evolve. What began as a nineteenth-century attempt to create a convenient nutritional food eventually became:

a malted milk drink → a nutritional product → an expedition and wartime provision → a bedtime beverage → a children’s nutrition brand → a global consumer brand.

That unusually broad history is what makes Horlicks more than simply a powdered drink.

1. About Us
2. Horlicks
3. Wisconsin 101
4. HORLICKS – Slough Museum
5. Why Horlicks – Horlicks Canada
6. Why Horlicks?