🥃 Mahua

Mahua is an Indian spirit distilled from the flowers of the mahua tree (Madhuca longifolia), which grows in the forests of central India. Dried, sugary flowers are soaked, fermented and distilled; trade press describes mahua as a rare strong drink made from flowers. For Adivasi communities, including the Gond, Santhal, Baiga and Munda, it has long been linked to birth, wedding and funeral rites.

Raw material. According to Drinks International, the tree grows in about 13 states, including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. The flowers bloom once a year, usually from late March to early April. They are collected only after they fall, because picking them is prohibited; they are then dried and sold to traders.

Production. At home, mahua is usually distilled once in a simple pot still. New brands double-distil in copper pot stills, and some age the spirit in barrels. The method is close to other South Asian distillates, such as feni from Goa or arrack from Sri Lanka, but the raw material differs: flowers rather than fruit or palm sap.

Law. In the colonial period, the Bombay Abkari Act of 1878 and the Mhowra Act of 1892 restricted flower collection and production of the drink. After 1947 mahua remained «country liquor». In November 2021 the government of Madhya Pradesh declared it «heritage liquor»; from May 2023 it has been sold in shops, and only self-help groups of Scheduled Tribe communities, at least half of whose members are women, may distil it.

Why it matters to you. Mahua is part of the culture of forest communities, but its sales rules differ from state to state, and home distillate is not controlled by anyone. Any mahua remains a strong alcoholic drink. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.