lao lao is a Laotian whisky distilled from sticky rice and bottled clear and unaged. It is widely regarded as the world’s least expensive distilled spirit; full-size bottles can be purchased in Laos for the equivalent of well under a dollar (US). The name “lao lao” is actually two different Laotian words (the language is tonal, so the difference cannot be captured using English spelling) that mean “alcohol” and “Laotian.” Most lao lao is produced in small, home-based operations using clay jars for fermentation and distilling in metal drums over an open flame. See home distilling.
Lao lao is typically made during the dry season, January through May, after the year’s rice planting and harvest are complete. Steamed rice is mixed with patties of a dough made from pounded dried rice and water called peng lao and allowed to ferment for about two weeks before distillation.
Though the spirit can be found in bars throughout the country, many tourists to Laos encounter lao lao production in the village of Ban Xang Hai, also known as “whisky village,” near the popular backpacker destination of Luang Prabang. The village is noted for lao lao distillation and sells a variety of bottles, including ones containing snakes, scorpions, and even bear paws.
See also whisky, rice.
Delang, Claudio O. “Keeping the Spirit Alive: Rice Whiskey Production in Northern Lao P.D.R.” Ethnobotany Research and Applications 6 (2008): 459–470.
Fan, Cindy “Ban Xang Hai.” Travelfish.org. http://www.travelfish.org/sightprofile/laos/northernlaos/luangprabang/luangprabang/259 (accessed February 18, 2021).
By: Jason Horn