1.6.11

(New) Nipa Moonshine ver. Wild Civet Cats

It is an understatement to say that our "moonshine"-- nipa vodka, distilled from the nectar of the brackish palm Nypa fruticans-- has a rabid following. We have been asked "Aren't you the ones who have that moonshine?" in the strangest places indeed.

Over the months, we've made various incarnations: plain, infused with various plants (pepper, star anise leaves, local oranges), mixed with mascobado sugar and honey. The latest, very limited variation is an excellent infusion of wild civet coffee beans (from a sprawling mountain estate in Batangas) together with pure vanilla bean.

Not that we are alcoholics, but when a night of free-flowing conversation and libations is in order, we prefer this local spirit: sustainably grown, harvested (by cutting off the fruit, pictured above, and installing a bamboo collector, below), and wood-fired distillation (allowing for a carbon emission equal to only the amount captured by the fuelwood). It is an open base, with slight sweetness, and a poweful punch (80 proof). Not jarring like coconut lambanog, it has received raves from our friends all over the world (yes, we do pack our own alcohol).

Our expriences around the moonshine have been some of our best. Riding small boats down several marshes, past wild crab hunters and those collecting nipa leaves for thatched roofing, drinking our booty in a log cabin at night, preparing our mix for the ride back home (coconut milk and pineapple). It is an honor to throw our own little wrench into the huge machinery of global alcohol production. We are perfectly happy to sip our local organic spirit, with excellent quality, sans preservatives, not from concentrate, not shipped from halfway around the globe.

Locals, get brewing, get distilling. Small-batch alcohol production, thine time has come.
















































































4 comments:

  1. Love it! I just bought this book called "Wild Fermentation". You can brew your own honey wine. Why not, right?

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  2. Where did you buy Wild Fermentation? Is it available locally? Sandor Katz is amazing. Just amazing!!!!

    We attempted last year to form a "fermentation club" of 3 people, who I rarely see now. We were making kombucha, Kalinga fermented rice with yeast, etc.

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  3. Got the book off Amazon. Don't think it's available locally.

    I want to ferment too! And I was such a fan of kombucha back in NY. I even got a scoby from the raw vegan restaurant I used to work at... which died in my fridge because of negligence.

    Ok next time you ferment something can you invite me? :)

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  4. Sure! I still have some scoby. Just bought some red yeast... I'm also going to attempt to may "soy sauce" but use mongo instead of soy beans so it's local.

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