kachasu , the native spirit of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is primarily made from malted maize and sugar (occasionally other raw materials are used, such as bananas). The resulting beer is usually single-distilled in pot stills of local design (some are earthenware and wood, while others are made from old oil drums), yielding a spirit that is about 20–30 percent ABV. If double-distilled, as is sometimes done, that figure can reach as high as 70 percent. While kachasu is legal to drink, it is generally illegal to make it or sell it, although its production, generally in the hands of women, is widespread, and enforcement is spotty.
See moonshine.
Mukala, Chola. “In Defence of the Kachasu Industry.” Zambian Economist, June 10, 2008. http://www.zambian-economist.com/2008/06/in-defence-of-kachasu-industry.html (accessed March 23, 2021).
By: David Wondrich