🥃 Lao-Lao
Laotian rice whiskey made at home from sticky rice and peng lao starter; about 40% ABV according to visitors, with strength varying; mostly made in the dry months.
Lao-Lao is a rice whiskey made by many rural farmers in Laos from their surplus of glutinous (sticky) rice. The name is not a simple repetition: the first "lao" is pronounced with a low-falling tone and means "alcohol", the second is pronounced with a high-rising tone and means "Lao" or the land of the Laotians. Together they mean "Lao alcohol". According to the research cited below, it is a must at parties, weddings, celebrations and religious ceremonies, and it is offered to guests.
How it is made. A photo essay by Claudio Delang in Ethnobotany Research & Applications (2008) describes a village in Luang Namtha province in northern Laos. About 16 kg of sticky rice is soaked overnight, steamed, washed and mixed with crumbled peng lao, a "rice cookie" fermenting agent made from dried, pounded rice dough. The mixture ferments for 8 to 10 days, then water is added and it stands for 5 more days. It is distilled in a tall metal cylinder over a fire, with cold water in the upper part to condense the vapour, and the colourless spirit drips into bottles. In that village a kilo of rice is used for each litre of spirit.
Season and strength. Lao-lao is most often made in the dry months from January to May, after planting and harvest. Foreign visitors agree that it is about 40% ABV, but strength, taste and quality vary, and nobody checks.
Why this matters to you. Home-made spirit has no quality control. In the village described, the first bottle from each distillation was estimated at no less than 70% alcohol. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Raw material | sticky rice, peng lao (fermenting cookie of rice dough) |
|---|---|
| Distillation method | tall metal still over a fire with a cold-water condenser |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | around 40% ABV, varies |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Lao-Lao → kind of → 🍶 Asian spirit traditions → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🍶 Asian spirit traditions
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Lao Khao, 🥃 Baijiu, 🥃 Awamori, 🥃 Lambanog, 🥃 Lambanog
Frequently asked questions
What does the name lao-lao mean?
The first word, with a low-falling tone, means "alcohol"; the second, with a high-rising tone, means "Lao". Together: Laotian alcohol.
What is lao-lao made from?
From sticky rice fermented with peng lao, a rice-dough cookie. The mash ferments for 8 to 10 days, then stands 5 more days with water before distillation.
How strong is lao-lao?
Foreign visitors agree on about 40% ABV, but the strength fluctuates and nobody checks it.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Baijiu — Chinese grain distillate made with qu starter: solid-state fermentation, over 12 aroma types; strong-aroma is about 70% of output.
- 🥃 Awamori — Okinawan distillate from rice koji of black mold; GI Ryukyu since 1995; kusu is aged 3 years or more in jars and bottles.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
- 🥃 Lao Khao — Thai clear distillate from glutinous rice on dry starter cakes; no ageing, usually about 30–35% ABV; private production licensed since 2003.
Similar
🥃 Raksi (Nepali home distillate) · 🥃 Lao Khao · 🥃 Lambanog · 🥃 Munbae-ju · 🥃 Arak Bali · 🥃 Mahua
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- C. O. Delang (2008): Keeping the Spirit Alive: Rice whiskey production in Northern Lao P.D.R. Ethnobotany Research & Applications 6: 459–470
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)