This article was published in the Sunday Times on 7th April 2013, (thank you Sunday Times), but due to space restrictions they couldnt include all the drinks. Therefore below is the original article, with the image from the Times attached at the bottom.
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“I feel bad for people who don’t drink. When they wake up in the morning, that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day.” ~ Frank Sinatra
Of course Frank did it in his own way but I have to confess I also share a love of an evening tipple, a lunchtime glass of bubbly and an early morning chaser. Inparticular wines and spirits are very close to my heart and indeed liver. Its me that orders the weird cocktail from whichever bar I happen to be frequenting and then posts it to my facebook profile to see what reaction I can get from my more-sober friends. If you are like me you may have a small selection of what you call your favourite nightcaps, at least the ones you consume the most. But I'm willing to guess that, like me, this selection probably doesn't stretch much further than what is available at your local Saloon.
Most countries have their own idea of what consists a normal drink. In Malta for example they have prickly pair liqueur which to some could be considered rather strange indeed. Whereas in Canada they have the Caesar which is basically a Bloody Mary where the tomato juice is replaced with Clamato. This is a tinned soft drink made from tomato juice and clam broth. Can't imagine it? Just think of tomatoes with a hint of fresh fish. Not my favourite to say the least.
These drinks are fun but they don't really surprise me or further my knowledge of worldwide drinking habbits. To truly push the envelope of what is possible, acceptable and in some cases down right un-drinkable, we have to travel much further and deeper into the global culture of getting tipsy, than I have dared go before. Beware, what lies ahead is not for those with a weak stomach.
Moonshine - USA
If, like me, you have brewed your own private brand of liqueur or wine in the garden shed, you could be branded a moonshiner, but to really earn this title you would have to refine your fermenting and distiling technique until you had something known as white lightning, tennessee white whiskey, or simply moonshine, which is strictly illegal. This illicit liquor was made as a black market beverage during the USA's prohibition era. Traditionally it is made from cornmeal but today some moonshiners use commercial hog feed because it's mostly made of corn and is easy to buy without attracting a lot of attention. It is still distilled in the backwoods of Appalachia where shiners evade the law and, hence the name, brew their alcoholic concoctions by the light of the moon.
Pulque - Central Mexico
Pulque is a milk-colored, somewhat viscous alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the Maguey plant. The drink's history extends far back into the Mesoamerican period, when it was considered sacred, and its use was limited to certain classes of people. After the Spanish Conquest of Mexico however, the drink became secular and its consumption rose. You can still find a glass of Pulque if you look hard enough in the small street bars but its use has dropped hugely since the introduction of beer.
Agwa de Bolivia (Coca Leaf Liqueur) - Amsterdam
Coca leaves are best known as the source of the drug cocaine, but Bolivians chew the leaf in its natural state because of its apparent energy giving properties. The coca leaves used to make Agwa De Bolivia are shipped, under armed guard from Bolivia to Amsterdam where they are de-cocainised before being infused with alcohol and 36 other natural herbs and botanicals including guarana and ginseng. The result is a 60-proof electric-green liqueur renowned for its unique taste and legal buzz.
Mamajuana - Dominican Republic
Could brewers droop be a thing of the past? The locals in the dominion republic think so as they describe this drink as liquid Viagra. Mamajuana is made by steeping tree bark and herbs in a bottle with rum, red wine and honey. You can buy Mamajuana in two ways: Either in a bottle, or a bag of the key ingredients (leaves, twigs, shellfish and the private parts of a sea turtle). If you buy it this way you have to add your own rum and honey and take care of the curing and maceration process yourself. Or, you can buy Mamajuana as a ready-made drink, either from traders on the sides of the Dominican streets or since 2005 there has been a ready-to-drink mamajuana available to buy online that complies with international standards.
Arkhi - Mongolia
If all this talk of spirits and wine has left you feeling dizzy then maybe a good dairy product would return a winning smile to your face. Why not fill your half pint glass with Arkhi? Distilled from mare's milk, Arkhi is still a favourite drink among rural Mongolians and is around 12 percent alcohol. Traditionally the Mongolians were nomads and didn't settle in one spot long enough to grow vegetable products, instead they fermented the milk from their working horses in their temporary homes. Historians believe Arkhi has been enjoyed by nomadic tribes since at least fourth century BC.
Moutai - China
Moutai is practically unheard of in the west, but on the opposite side of the globe it is known as the national spirit of China, and at 144-proof it will certainly put hairs on your chest. Moutai is distilled from fermented sorghum (a cereal grain), and is classified as sauce flavoured because of its soy-sauce like fragrance and bold flavour that some say is comparable to lighter fluid, rotten cabbage and stinky tofu. Its alcohol content tops out at 53 percent. In 2010, a bottle of 1958 Moutai sold for a record price of 1.45 million yuan (€176,000) at auction. Legend has it that the White House officials warned President Richard Nixon to avoid the stuff during his 1972 visit to China.
Snake Wine - Asia
With a sense that shock value is more important than clever distillering, Snake Wine is typically produced by infusing entire snakes into a base rice wine that is similar to Japanese sake. Made mainly in Asia, the snake they use is said to add medicinal properties to the alcohol that can improve everything from hair loss to sexual virility. Although I'm sure most would argue that they are a bit of a gimmick. Disgusting, but still a gimmick.
Baby Mouse Wine - China
What would be the worst thing you could imagine adding to your wine in order to give it that certain j'ne sequa flavour? Well, I'm sure baby mice would not come too far off? Baby mice wine is a traditional Chinese health drink, which is brewed by drowning alive baby mice, maximum three days old, in rice moonshine and leaving them to ferment in the bottle for about a year. According to local Chinese belief, mouse wine is a cure to just about any illness imaginable, including asthma and can you believe it, liver problems.
Seagull Wine - Arctic Circle
We finish with a drink that tops all the rest in terms of shear nastiness and desperation. This drink stands as a testament to the pursuit of getting drunk at whatever lengths.
Limited somewhat by their chilled environment, the Inuit didn’t have much to work with when they wanted to create a fine vintage. So the recipe for this wine is simple; stuff a dead seagull into a bottle of water then leave in the sun to ferment for a good while and bingo, you've got yourself some seagull wine. Now all you have to do is travel to the very depths of despair in order to drink it.
These drinks are fun but they don't really surprise me or further my knowledge of worldwide drinking habbits. To truly push the envelope of what is possible, acceptable and in some cases down right un-drinkable, we have to travel much further and deeper into the global culture of getting tipsy, than I have dared go before. Beware, what lies ahead is not for those with a weak stomach.
Moonshine - USA
If, like me, you have brewed your own private brand of liqueur or wine in the garden shed, you could be branded a moonshiner, but to really earn this title you would have to refine your fermenting and distiling technique until you had something known as white lightning, tennessee white whiskey, or simply moonshine, which is strictly illegal. This illicit liquor was made as a black market beverage during the USA's prohibition era. Traditionally it is made from cornmeal but today some moonshiners use commercial hog feed because it's mostly made of corn and is easy to buy without attracting a lot of attention. It is still distilled in the backwoods of Appalachia where shiners evade the law and, hence the name, brew their alcoholic concoctions by the light of the moon.
Pulque is a milk-colored, somewhat viscous alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the Maguey plant. The drink's history extends far back into the Mesoamerican period, when it was considered sacred, and its use was limited to certain classes of people. After the Spanish Conquest of Mexico however, the drink became secular and its consumption rose. You can still find a glass of Pulque if you look hard enough in the small street bars but its use has dropped hugely since the introduction of beer.
Coca leaves are best known as the source of the drug cocaine, but Bolivians chew the leaf in its natural state because of its apparent energy giving properties. The coca leaves used to make Agwa De Bolivia are shipped, under armed guard from Bolivia to Amsterdam where they are de-cocainised before being infused with alcohol and 36 other natural herbs and botanicals including guarana and ginseng. The result is a 60-proof electric-green liqueur renowned for its unique taste and legal buzz.
Could brewers droop be a thing of the past? The locals in the dominion republic think so as they describe this drink as liquid Viagra. Mamajuana is made by steeping tree bark and herbs in a bottle with rum, red wine and honey. You can buy Mamajuana in two ways: Either in a bottle, or a bag of the key ingredients (leaves, twigs, shellfish and the private parts of a sea turtle). If you buy it this way you have to add your own rum and honey and take care of the curing and maceration process yourself. Or, you can buy Mamajuana as a ready-made drink, either from traders on the sides of the Dominican streets or since 2005 there has been a ready-to-drink mamajuana available to buy online that complies with international standards.
If all this talk of spirits and wine has left you feeling dizzy then maybe a good dairy product would return a winning smile to your face. Why not fill your half pint glass with Arkhi? Distilled from mare's milk, Arkhi is still a favourite drink among rural Mongolians and is around 12 percent alcohol. Traditionally the Mongolians were nomads and didn't settle in one spot long enough to grow vegetable products, instead they fermented the milk from their working horses in their temporary homes. Historians believe Arkhi has been enjoyed by nomadic tribes since at least fourth century BC.
Moutai is practically unheard of in the west, but on the opposite side of the globe it is known as the national spirit of China, and at 144-proof it will certainly put hairs on your chest. Moutai is distilled from fermented sorghum (a cereal grain), and is classified as sauce flavoured because of its soy-sauce like fragrance and bold flavour that some say is comparable to lighter fluid, rotten cabbage and stinky tofu. Its alcohol content tops out at 53 percent. In 2010, a bottle of 1958 Moutai sold for a record price of 1.45 million yuan (€176,000) at auction. Legend has it that the White House officials warned President Richard Nixon to avoid the stuff during his 1972 visit to China.
With a sense that shock value is more important than clever distillering, Snake Wine is typically produced by infusing entire snakes into a base rice wine that is similar to Japanese sake. Made mainly in Asia, the snake they use is said to add medicinal properties to the alcohol that can improve everything from hair loss to sexual virility. Although I'm sure most would argue that they are a bit of a gimmick. Disgusting, but still a gimmick.
What would be the worst thing you could imagine adding to your wine in order to give it that certain j'ne sequa flavour? Well, I'm sure baby mice would not come too far off? Baby mice wine is a traditional Chinese health drink, which is brewed by drowning alive baby mice, maximum three days old, in rice moonshine and leaving them to ferment in the bottle for about a year. According to local Chinese belief, mouse wine is a cure to just about any illness imaginable, including asthma and can you believe it, liver problems.
We finish with a drink that tops all the rest in terms of shear nastiness and desperation. This drink stands as a testament to the pursuit of getting drunk at whatever lengths.
Limited somewhat by their chilled environment, the Inuit didn’t have much to work with when they wanted to create a fine vintage. So the recipe for this wine is simple; stuff a dead seagull into a bottle of water then leave in the sun to ferment for a good while and bingo, you've got yourself some seagull wine. Now all you have to do is travel to the very depths of despair in order to drink it.
Below is an image of the published article in the Sunday Times.
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