If the Yeti was going to step out of seclusion and make a little coin endorsing some hooch, it’d likely be chhaang. It’s a mountain-man good times and ceremonies kind of beverage from the Himalayas and one of the mighty drinks to claim the title Nectar of the Gods. Even the recipe is kind of mystical, yet casual, basically amounting to showing off some rice and then letting it hang out and think deep thoughts in a bottle. Via Momo Tours:
1. Cook 5 kgs. Rice
2. Spread cooked rice on large sheet
3. Take off clothing and roll around on it
4. Wait till rice becomes room temp
5. Take 3 pieces of tibbo yeast and crush
6. Spread evenly on the rice
7. Close up cloth, make into bundle, and keep covered with blanket, to keep warm
8. 24 hrs. Later wake up and smell the godly whiff
9. Put fermenting rice into plastic bucket by hand (not the cloth too you drunk.)
10. Leave if possible,for one month
11. Open lid of tightly sealed bucket
12. Take out as much mix as required
13. Mix with cold water
14. Strain
15. Mix brown sugar according to taste
16. Drink and proceed to hold conversation with tibetan gods.
Alternate recipe here: Chhang
Back in my Osaka days, I hung around with some righteous Nepalese guys in a foreigner tachinomiya where every now and again someone might produce an unmarked bottle and pour a few sharp ones for those assembled. It had that raw taste of fiercer liquors like rustic tequila or your lower grades of arrack. Definitely the sort of thing that leads to excited talk and nights that go far later than originally planned.
Plans are maturing around the ol’ TITLE HQ to see about expanding our brewing operations to chhaang. We’ll keep you posted.