# Most Obscure Distilled Liquors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 10, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309 "2012-09-10T17:49:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/21 "2012-09-10T23:51:25Z")
I used to live by the bootlegging quarter as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon. The bootlegger houses had these great homemade wood fired stills for producing liquor from sorghum. They claimed it cures malaria, but when I actually go malaria, they wouldn’t let me have any. It’s not obscure at all, but in China the go-to liquor is _beijiu_, which is hands down the most disgusting liquid substance on Earth. Picture a thick syrupy ouzo mixed with kerosene. Good brands go fro hundreds of dollars a bottle. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/22 "2012-09-11T00:18:09Z")
I’ve had [poitín](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poit%C3%ADn) several times, aka moonshine. It varies a lot in quality. Sometimes it just tastes like a bad vodka, other times its got a smoother flavour, sometimes with added flavour of cloves or sloe berries. I see from the wiki there’s a legal variety of it but plenty of illegal production still goes on. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/23 "2012-09-11T00:37:41Z")
I have a bottle of Slivovitz at home, I’ll check if it tastes like plum when I get home. I think it’s Croatian and [upper right in this pic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Various_Bottles_of_Slivovitz.jpg). > [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I’ve had [poitín](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poit%C3%ADn) several times, aka moonshine. It varies a lot in quality. Sometimes it just tastes like a bad vodka, other times its got a smoother flavour, sometimes with added flavour of cloves or sloe berries. I see from the wiki there’s a legal variety of it but plenty of illegal production still goes on. BevMo, a liquor store mostly in California, sells poitín and moonshine. I have no idea how authentic they are. Probably not as rough as 90% of it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/24 "2012-09-11T01:03:44Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > I have a bottle of Slivovitz at home, I’ll check if it tastes like plum when I get home. I think it’s Croatian and [upper right in this pic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Various_Bottles_of_Slivovitz.jpg). > > BevMo, a liquor store mostly in California, sells poitín and moonshine. I have no idea how authentic they are. Probably not as rough as 90% of it. Given that moonshine is, by definition, illegally produced liquor, I’m guessing not really authentic. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/25 "2012-09-11T01:23:05Z")
Right, but regarding proof, ingredients, etc. I am guessing production is more sophisticated though, and store bought stuff lacks the potent kick of methanol. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/26 "2012-09-11T01:28:12Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Right, but regarding proof, ingredients, etc. I am guessing production is more sophisticated though, and store bought stuff lacks the potent kick of methanol. There’s really not that much methanol in moonshine, and good distillers discard the heads and tails, anyway. All that does is give you a bad hangover, but moonshine distilled from corn shouldn’t have too much methanol anyway, even if you don’t dump the heads and tails. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/27 "2012-09-11T01:33:29Z")
I’ve been drinking moonshine for 20 years or more and I have never had a hangover from it. Nor have I lost any of my optical acuity that I can see. But, I am very careful from whom I buy my white lightning and I don’t drink it to excess. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/28 "2012-09-11T02:29:19Z")
There’s feni, which is a “country liquor” (as my parents disdainfully refer to it) made out of cashew apples or coconuts that is produced solely in Goa. I was dying to give everyone mini feni bottles as our wedding favors (wedding’s in Goa where my family is from) but my fiance says our relatives will faint away in shock and awe. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/29 "2012-09-11T02:48:46Z")
Kumiz… which wins the thread by being the only liquor from animal products, not even being a proper plant-based alchohol. Yes, this stuff is made of _fermented mare’s milk_. > **[Kumis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumis)** > > Kumis (also spelled kumiss or koumiss or kumys, see other transliterations and cognate words below under terminology and etymology – Old Turkic: airag Kazakh: қымыз, qymyz) Mongolian: айраг, ääryg) is a fermented dairy product traditionally made from mare milk or donkey milk. The drink remains important to the peoples of the Central Asian steppes, of Turkic and Mongol origin: Kazakhs, Bashkirs, Kalmyks, Kyrgyz, Mongols, and Yakuts. Kumis was historically consumed by the Khitans, Jurchens, Hung It’s supposed to be an… _acquired_ taste. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/30 "2012-09-11T03:14:20Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > I have a bottle of Slivovitz at home, I’ll check if it tastes like plum when I get home. I think it’s Croatian and [upper right in this pic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Various_Bottles_of_Slivovitz.jpg). Alright, tried it. I’ve had it before but needed to refresh my memory. Scent is sickly sweet, and if you told me beforehand I might agree it was plum. Taste is semi-rough, still the same taste of fruit that’s slightly off. _Pálinka_ is the Hungarian equivalent. I just learned that they sometimes make it with peaches, and that is called Barackpálinka. That’s right, the President is a peach. (Good thing he’s not a Princess?). ---
**Author:** ![Kylede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@Kylede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kylede)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/31 "2012-09-11T03:39:17Z")
Just about ever country that borders the Mediteraenean Sea has some sort of clear anise/herbal liquor, be it Sambuca (Italy, with a high sugar content) Pastis (France), Ouzo (Greece) Raki/Arrack (Turkey/Lebanon/Israel). Whereas Rakia, or racia, as it is known in the balkan is simply a pommace distillate, also know as Grappa (in Italy) or Marc Brandy (france) Now by Far the most interesting and unique liquor I have tried in my 10 years selling retail alcohol I tried last week It is called Mastiha. It is distilled from the resinious sap of the Mastiha trees on one island of Greece, called Chios. I was expecting something with a Retsina or anise flavor, but I was happily surprised. It was a light clean taste with hints of exotic spices and herd, with a pronounced citrus quaility, almost like an American dry style Gin, with absolutely no juniper (and since that is the part I like the least about gin)I loved it. Check out the web site for the spirit [www.myskinos.com](http://www.myskinos.com) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/32 "2012-09-11T03:44:25Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > _Pálinka_ is the Hungarian equivalent. I just learned that they sometimes make it with peaches, and that is called Barackpálinka. That’s right, the President is a peach. (Good thing he’s not a Princess?). Yes, _pálinka_ is the Hungarian word for rakia/brandy. There are many types. Slivovitz is _szilvapálinka_, for instance. Apricot, not peach, is _barackpálinka_. _Barack_ is a general word that can mean apricot or peach, but in the case of palinka, it’s apricots they use. _Körtepálinka_ is pear. _Cseresznyepálinka_ is cherry, _törkölypálinka_ is grape stems (essentially, grappa), etc. In Hungary, the most famous pálinka is probably the _Vilmos körte_, or William pear, but plum, apricot, and cherry varieties are very popular. There are also mixed palinkas made with a variety of fruit. Most bars will have something called _házi pálinka_, or “house/homemade palinka,” available, and that is usually made from a mix of fruits. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/33 "2012-09-11T06:24:42Z")
Japanese distilled liquors are know as _shochu_. Shochu is typically made from Japanese sweet potatoes, barley, rice or sugar cane. There are hundreds of brands and each has its own subtleties. It’s not typically very strong stuff, between 25% and 45% alcohol, but it can be very good. I’m a big fan of the stuff, and once went to a big tasting. I thought I’d use the opportunity to sample some of the more exotic flavours, including tomato and milk shochu. I wasn’t very impressed. Both tasted like not very good watered-down vodka. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/34 "2012-09-11T10:14:24Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > > [@ralph124c](#): > > > > - the Finns are supposed to make a liquor from wild cranberries-never seen it > > No idea if this is what you’re thinking of, maybe not, but similar is [Lakka](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakka), made from cloudberry. I can’t say I have ever tried cranberry liqueur, but there is a brand manufactured by the same company as Lakka and they also produce one made from Arctic raspberries, [Rubus arcticus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubus_arcticus). In Tunisia you can get [Boukha](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boukha), a fig liquor. It’s not, in my opinion, very good in itself, but it tastes excellent mixed with orange Fanta. ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/35 "2012-09-11T11:22:38Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > Kumiz… which wins the thread by being the only liquor from animal products, not even being a proper plant-based alchohol. Yes, this stuff is made of _fermented mare’s milk_. > > [Kumis - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumis) > > It’s supposed to be an… _acquired_ taste. It’s not that bad, like lumpy buttermilk, and it certainly isn’t distilled. Kumis is very mild, with an alcohol content of 1-2 %. Until I read the wiki linked here I had no idea that it even contained alcohol at all. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/36 "2012-09-11T12:41:13Z")
> [@Panurge](#): > > It’s not that bad, like lumpy buttermilk, and it certainly isn’t distilled. Kumis is very mild, with an alcohol content of 1-2 %. Until I read the wiki linked here I had no idea that it even contained alcohol at all. Yeah, and kefir is slightly alcoholic, too, (around 1% I believe.) That said, it does appear that kumis is drunk for its intoxicating properties, at least according to that Wikipedia article. I shudder to think how much of it I would need to drink to get a buzz. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/37 "2012-09-11T16:54:52Z")
> [@Kylede](#): > > Just about ever country that borders the Mediteraenean Sea has some sort of clear anise/herbal liquor, be it Sambuca (Italy, with a high sugar content) Pastis (France), Ouzo (Greece) Raki/Arrack (Turkey/Lebanon/Israel). The clear ones are _anís_ in Spain; it can be sweet or dry. Blueberry anise (made by macerating blueberries in anise) is called _pacharán_ or _patxaran_, the Basque name for blueberries: until c. 1990 it was very difficult to find outside Euskal Herria but now it can be found abroad (as it often seems to happen, the brand that’s easiest to find outside EH doesn’t have a very good reputation locally). ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/38 "2012-09-12T04:26:50Z")
Rookies. Fermented mares (as in female horse) milk from Mongolia. The commercial stuff isn’t very good but the homemade can be really nice. A bit like milky champagne. Tibetan’s make a barley based distilled spirit around 20 proof called ‘Chang’ that is nice. Even Sven, I think you had a spelling error and it should be “bai jiu”. Very rarely “baijiu”, which is basically white lightning, can be tasty and almost always is gnarly. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/39 "2012-09-12T04:51:58Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > Rookies. Fermented mares (as in female horse) milk from Mongolia. The commercial stuff isn’t very good but the homemade can be really nice. A bit like milky champagne. Mentioned and discussed above as “kumis.” > [@](#): > > Tibetan’s make a barley based distilled spirit around 20 proof called ‘Chang’ that is nice. Are you sure that’s distilled? 10% ABV seems rather low for a distilled product, unless it’s aggressively cut with water or something else non-alcoholic. The [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chhaang) article suggests that it’s brewed and not distilled. It looks like _raksi_ is the distilled drink of Tibet, if that article is to be believed. Raksi looks to be about 40-50 proof, from what info I could find. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2012, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309/40 "2012-09-12T04:56:42Z")
I once got nearly legless (really, that stuff creeps up on you) with the Chargé d’affaires of Bosnia and Herzegovina on pear brandy from his home-town. That was an intersting way to start a work day. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-obscure-distilled-liquors/634309.md?page=3)