Myanmar, despite the Buddha’s
encouragement to abstain from intoxicating
substances, is home to a dizzying array of
homemade alcohol. Apart from the ubiquitous
national staple, Myanmar Beer, many rural
communities are manufacturing their own
do-it-yourself rice wine brews using spare rice
and millet. The final product’s shelf life of just
a few days means there’s always a batch being
fermented and drunk somewhere. Whether
out of bottles, cups or a pot with bamboo
straws, this cultural beverage has been the
country’s drink of choice for years.
In Myitkyina, the state capital of Kachin –
Myanmar’s northernmost subdivision in
the Himalayan foothills – thriving micro-
distilleries hum with life behind almost every
home. Manned by women, huge cauldrons of
white rice are steamed over smouldering log
fires, then fed into a rickety system of sealed
metal pots and bamboo tubes, within which
the fermentation happens over four to five
hours. Recipes vary from house to house,
and are fiercely guarded; from them streams
a precious source of secondary income for
the family. Potential buyers are faced with
dozens of different brew-strengths on offer,
but Kachin rice wine, called sapee – a thick
pink liquid that looks and tastes like a fruit
smoothie – is always a popular pick.
To the locals, the drink is a cure-all elixir
that replenishes strength. Indeed, researchers
claim rice wine’s probiotic properties impart
amino acids, minerals and antioxidants to the
body, and lower the chances of cancer. The
grog is also known to aid digestion, improve
metabolism, and pair well with local river
snails cooked in garlic. agThere’s no drink more reflective of Myanmar’s rice-loving culture than its
namesake wine, a traditional tipple fermented in the humblest of abodes
Homemade Moonshine
A BACKYARD BREW
0 4
Cider VodkaTequila
Rice WineBeer Wine Whiskey8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 ...... 96 100
Text Alex Bescoby
revealed
above A Chin tribe man
drinks local wine during
the Kachin Manaw
Festival in Myanmar’s
Mrauk U district
alcohol percentage of common drinks: