🥃 Raksi (Nepali home distillate)
Raksi is a general Nepali name for home-distilled spirits from fermented grain and other starchy or sugary raw materials; a national survey found 3–40% ABV.
Raksi is a general Nepali name for home-distilled spirits made from fermented grain and other starchy or sugary raw materials. A nationwide survey published in the Journal of the Nepal Health Research Council (Thapa et al., 2015) divided Nepali home-brewed alcohol into distilled drinks, called local raksi, and non-distilled ones such as jand, chhyang and tumba. Rice, wheat, barley, millet, maize, fruit and sugar were the commonly used ingredients.
Strength. The survey tested 284 home-brewed samples collected in 16 districts in 2013. Distilled samples had a median strength of 14% ABV, ranging from 3% to 40%, while non-distilled drinks had a median of 5.2% ABV. Strength differed by region, type of drink and ingredients, and the median was higher than in factory-made beer.
Aila. A 2026 article in International Health describes aila and raksi as traditional distilled homebrews, and says that unrecorded alcohol, mainly such homebrews, was drunk by about 3% of the drinkers in the data it cites.
Law. According to the same article, Nepal's Liquor Act permits individuals to produce up to 5 litres of raksi and 10 litres of jaad a year for personal and cultural use; production above that must be reported to the tax authorities. Check the current rules separately.
Why it matters to you. A home distillate has no standard control of composition or strength: the survey found anything from 3% to 40% ABV. The WHO points out that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| Raw material | rice, wheat, barley, millet, maize, fruit, sugar (survey) |
|---|---|
| Alcohol (% vol.) | median 14%, range 3–40% (survey, 2015) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Raksi (Nepali home distillate) → kind of → 🍶 Asian spirit traditions → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- What it affects
- 🥃 Methanol poisoning, 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🍶 Asian spirit traditions
- Related to
- 🌍 South Asia
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Lao Khao, 🥃 Awamori, 🥃 Shochu
Frequently asked questions
Is raksi a Nepali vodka?
No. Raksi is a traditional home distillate, not a standardised product; a national survey found strengths from 3% to 40% ABV.
What is raksi made from?
Surveyed home brewers used rice, wheat, barley, millet, maize, fruit and sugar.
How strong is raksi?
In the 2015 survey the median was 14% ABV for distilled samples, with a range from 3% to 40%.
Is home production of raksi legal in Nepal?
According to a 2026 article in International Health, the Liquor Act permits up to 5 litres of raksi a year per person for personal and cultural use; check current rules.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🌍 South Asia — The Indian subcontinent between the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean: a third of the world's milk, buffaloes and zebu, ghee, dahi, chhena.
- 🥃 Shochu — Japanese distillate: continuous-distillation under 36% ABV, single-distillation (honkaku) up to 45% ABV; GIs Iki, Kuma, Satsuma.
- 🥃 Awamori — Okinawan distillate from rice koji of black mold; GI Ryukyu since 1995; kusu is aged 3 years or more in jars and bottles.
- 🥃 Methanol poisoning — Serious poisoning by methyl alcohol from counterfeit or home-made alcohol: early signs resemble intoxication, after 6–30 hours come abdominal pain and visual disturbance; urgent medical care is needed.
Similar
🥃 Lao-Lao · 🥃 Lambanog · 🥃 Lao Khao · 🥃 Arak Bali · 🥃 Munbae-ju · 🥃 Soju
⚠️ 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
- Thapa N. et al., 'Nepalese Homebrewed Alcoholic Beverages: Types, Ingredients, and Ethanol Concentration from a Nation Wide Survey', Journal of the Nepal Health Research Council 13(29), 2015, 59–65 (PMID 26411715): 284 samples from 16 districts; distilled local raksi vs non-distilled jand, chhyang, tumba; rice, wheat, barley, millet, maize, fruits, sugar; distilled median 14 %, range 3–40 %
- 'The quagmire of alcohol normalization in Nepal: urgent call for a unified alcohol control act', International Health, 2026 (PMC13728657): aila/raksi traditional distilled homebrews; Liquor Act allows up to 5 l of raksi and 10 l of jaad a year for personal and cultural use
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)