Old Alcoholic Drinks in Indonesia

Old Alcoholic Drinks in Indonesia – Nowadays more and more people are trying to drink alcoholic beverages which can make many people get drunk and even become very uncontrollable. Indonesia does not only have a variety of delicious food. Unique drinks are also spread in various regions. Each region has at least a traditional drink. Generally, the authentic ones are alcoholic beverages, which are produced from various fermented fruits or plants.

1. Sopi

Sopi, a typical drink of Flores and other eastern Indonesia. Sopi is produced from the fermentation of palm or palm sugar, which in scientific language is called arenga pinnata. The manufacturing process takes quite a long time.

Palm tree water or sageru, put in a container, mixed with husor root powder. The point is, so that the water does not thicken into brown sugar. After that, the sageru water is cooked until steam comes out.

The steam that turns into water is put into the bamboo. The water was allowed to stand for several days until the alcohol content was high. After it was enough, the water that had become sopi was transferred into a bottle.

Sopi for the people of Flores is like a symbol of togetherness. Usually sopi is served in special moments, rituals, or regional ceremonies. Some families also serve soup for their guests. In their culture, sopi is considered a prestigious drink.

2. Tuak

Almost every region in Indonesia has palm wine. One of them is Lombok. Tuak Lombok is produced from palm flowers.

The work is done in the middle of the forest, near the trees. Palm trees are indeed widely planted in forest areas. It took overnight to process it. Starting from waiting for the flower essences to come out, until the water flows to fill the container or bucket.

The water that comes out is called palm flower essence. Then, palm flower juice mixed with oblong tree roots that have been cut into pieces. The oblong roots give the effect a pink tint. Also plays a role in increasing alcohol levels. The alcohol content of freshly finished palm wine is around 8 percent.

Every day, early in the morning, the peddlers came with empty jerry cans. The wine in the bucket is moved to jerry cans. When you get home, the palm wine will be distilled. This means that the alcohol reacts to increase.

Also Read : Risks and How to Stop Drinking Alcohol

3. Balinese Wine

If palm wine has an alcohol content of no more than a dozen percent, Balinese arak is said to have a higher content, reaching 30-50 percent. In the wrong dose, wine will be intoxicating. However, the main function of wine is not to make people drunk.

This drink is used for traditional ceremonies with certain rituals. Just like other areas, the goal is for familiarity. Arak is made by fermenting coconut juice and fruit. Generally, arak is drunk with a mixture, such as juice or syrup to make it taste more delicious.

4. Ballo

Ballo is the wine or wine of the South Sulawesi people. Ballo made of nipa tree. It can also be made from rice or palm trees (ballo tala). Each has a different name.

Ancient people believed, ballo was used to drink banquets of royal guests. However, getting here, the audience is getting wider, not limited to circles. From ordinary people to royalty, they like to enjoy ballo. The alcohol content is similar to palm wine and arak.

5. Swansrai

This drink made from fermented coconut tree water is a typical Papuan drink. Like wine and wine, swansrai has a fairly high alcohol content, which is around 20-30 percent.

Swansrai are often found in the Biak area. Swansrai is drunk for intimacy. For example, served to guests or close relatives who come to the house.…

Types of Alcoholic Drinks That Have Safe Limits

Types of Alcoholic Drinks That Have Safe Limits – You may be familiar with the notion that drinking alcohol is harmful to health, especially when consumed in excess. However, did you know that this drink consists of various types with different alcohol levels?

Basically, alcoholic drinks are all types of drinks that contain alcohol or ethanol compounds. especially the part that regulates memory and emotional reactions. However, the ethanol content contained in each alcoholic drink is not the same. Therefore, it is important for you to know the alcohol content in these drinks and the safe levels in consuming them so as not to damage your health.

Types of alcoholic drinks

The level of ethanol or alcohol contained in an alcoholic drink depends on the process of making the drink itself. Types of alcoholic drinks produced by fermented plants using yeast, for example, usually contain an alcohol content that is not too high. Some types of fermented alcoholic drinks are wine or wine (red wine, white wine, and champagne) with an average alcohol content of 14%, beer (2 -8%), and sake (16%). There is also a type of mead drink (10-14%) made from fermented honey and hard ciders (5%) made from fermentation.

Well, when the fermented drink is refined again at high temperature. As a result, water also evaporates, making the alcohol content in the drink higher. This drink is what became known as liqueur or spirit. There are many types of alcoholic drinks that are sold in the market, some of which are:

1. Gin

Made from a mixture of citrus fruits and has an alcohol content of 35-55%, gin is usually the main ingredient in martini mixes.

2. Tequilla

Derived from the central distillation of the blue agave plant, tequilla is naturally sweet due to its high sugar content. The average tequilla contains 40% alcohol.

3. Brand

This fermented and distilled wine usually has 40% alcohol. One of the well-known types of brandy is Cognac.

4. Whiske

Made by distilling a dough made from pre-fermented grains at high temperature, the whiskey is then stored as long as possible in oak barrels. The ethanol content in this alcoholic drink usually reaches 40-50%.

5. Vodka

This alcoholic drink is also made by distilling fermented dough, but the main ingredient is potatoes, sometimes also mixed with fruit and milk. The average vodka contains 40% alcohol.

6. Rum

It is made by distillation of pure sugarcane, sugarcane juice, or molasses and is usually stored in wooden barrels and has an alcohol content of about 40-75.5%.

7. Absinthe

It is distilled by fermented herbs and leaves, and usually contains 90% alcohol.

Also Read: Some of The Most Expensive Alcoholic Drinks

How much alcohol is safe to drink?

Ideally, you shouldn’t drink alcohol for health reasons. However, if you still want to consume this alcoholic drink, you should not overdo it and know the safe levels according to the type, for example:

  • Beer containing 5% alcohol, maximum 355 ml
  • Wine containing 12% alcohol, about 148 ml
  • Liquor aka liquor (gin, rum, whiskey, tequila, or vodka), a maximum of 45 ml

Broadly speaking, the safe amount of alcohol consumption will vary widely, depending on individual conditions. Some things that affect it include age, genetic factors, and personal health problems. Women are encouraged to consume alcohol drinks with amounts less than the recommendations above, compared to men.

However, women who are pregnant and breastfeeding should not drink alcohol at all because they are feared to harm themselves and the fetus in the womb.

Bad effects of drinking alcohol for health

Excessive alcohol consumption is at risk of developing depression
The bad effects of drinking alcohol for pregnant women range from causing miscarriage to babies born with congenital defects. Meanwhile, for people in general, excessive alcohol consumption can have an impact on physical and mental health, for example:

  • Depression
  • Dementia
  • Alcoholic hepatitis
  • Anemia
  • Heart disease, such as arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) and cardiomyopathy(heart muscle problems)
  • Fatty liver to cirrhosis
  • Uric acid
  • Nerve damage
  • Stroke
  • Several types of cancer, such as breast, colon, liver, esophageal, mouth, and pancreatic cancer