raksi is a traditional Himalayan distilled spirit from Nepal and Tibet most commonly made from fermented kodo millet, rice, or other grains. It is distilled over a flame—which is continually fed with firewood for the two to three hours the process takes—in a slightly updated version of the ancient internal-condensation still, where the alcoholic vapors rise through the still, condense on the bottom of a metal bowl that seals the still and is kept full of cold water, and are captured in a smaller bowl placed beneath that. Commonly produced in the home or in small countryside operations, raksi is routinely imbibed during celebrations, meals, and social events. In Nepal, raksi’s popularity has inspired temperance movements, but as it is offered in a number of religious ceremonies as a gift to the gods, efforts to ban the drink remain largely unsuccessful.
See also still, pot.
Tamang, Jyoti Prakash. “Ethnic Starters and Alcoholic Beverages.” In Himalayan Fermented Foods: Microbiology, Nutrition, and Ethnic Values, by Jyoti Prakash Tamang, 212–215. N.p.: CRC, 2009.
By: Anna Archibald