kwete, enguli, or waragi (Uganda), ngbako (Central African Republic), and lotoko or lutuku (Democratic Republic of the Congo) is a family of spirits distilled from the cloudy, sweet-sour beer (also called kwete) made from maize, dried cassava, or both, along with yeast, water, and sometimes malted millet. Reclaimed oil drums are commonly used for fermentation and for constructing the pot stills used, although these can also be made of clay. Production, which is often illicit, is usually in the hands of women. It is not standardized, and distribution is strictly local, but in some locations it is quite extensive. Proofs vary; some lotoko is triple-distilled and quite strong. See moonshine.
Huetz de Lemps, Alain. Boissons et civilizations en Afrique. Pessac, France: Presses Universitaires de Bordeaux, 2001.
Muyanja, Charles, and Brenda Shenute. “Traditional Processing, Microbiological, Physiochemical and Sensory Characteristics of Kwete, a Ugandan Fermented Maize Based Beverage.” African Journal of Food Agriculture Nutrition and Development 9, no. 4 (2009): 1046–1059.
Anna Archibald and David Wondrich