🥃 Arak Bali

Arak Bali is a traditional strong drink from the Indonesian island of Bali, a distillate of fermented palm sap that locals call nira. The sap is collected from the flower clusters of lontar, coconut or sugar palms, then fermented and distilled in simple village stills. Its strength is not standardised and depends on the distillation. Since 2020 production has been regulated by Bali Governor's Decree No. 1/2020.

Law and status. Governor's Decree No. 1 of 2020 on traditional Balinese fermented and distilled drinks covers arak, tuak and brem, including for religious ceremonies. It provides for labels, producer cooperatives and supervision but, according to provincial authorities, does not allow free trade. Governor Wayan Koster declared 29 January Arak Bali Day.

Production. According to a 2023 report from the village of Merita in Karangasem district, a collector climbs 30–40 lontar palms every day and cuts the flower clusters with a special knife, and the sap drips into a vessel. 'Lau', the root or bark of local trees, is added to the sap, which then ferments and goes to distillation. One cycle takes 3–5 hours and yields about 3 litres of arak.

Counterfeits. In 2022 the governor demanded the closure in Karangasem of the production of 'sugar arak', a distillate of sugar and synthetic yeast which, in his words, harms farmers, taste and health. Karangasem is the main arak region, with about 1,800 farmers in six districts. Some of the output already has BPOM approval and excise stamps.

Why this matters to you. A more reliable arak comes in a labelled bottle with an excise stamp and BPOM approval; spirit without a label may be counterfeit and dangerous. Palm sap makes the drink traditional, not healthy. Do not confuse it with Levantine arak, an anise drink made from grapes. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe amount of alcohol.