{"id":42374,"date":"2026-05-03T07:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T14:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=42374"},"modified":"2026-05-01T08:24:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T15:24:25","slug":"cheers-welcome-to-the-nepalese-village-where-everybody-knows-how-to-distill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/cheers-welcome-to-the-nepalese-village-where-everybody-knows-how-to-distill\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheers! Welcome to the Nepalese village where everybody knows how to&nbsp;distill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/geoff-childs-2541055\">Geoff Childs<\/a>, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/washington-university-in-st-louis-732\">Washington University in St. Louis<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine a place where every home has paraphernalia for distilling spirits, where there is a toast for nearly any occasion, and where your taxes \u2013 paid in grain, not cash \u2013 are deposited straight into a communal still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Welcome to Nubri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A valley in northern Nepal, Nubri is home to roughly 3,000 Tibetan Buddhist highlanders. Over the course of three decades, I have spent a lot of time in Nubri <a href=\"https:\/\/anthropology.wustl.edu\/people\/geoff-childs\">studying the interplay of demographic trends<\/a> and social change. Often that has been in the company of an ethnomusicologist colleague, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colorado.edu\/tibethimalayainitiative\/mason-brown\">Mason Brown<\/a>, who studies local musical traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While conducting research, we both became aficionados of the local intoxicants chang and arak, and we were taught how to brew and distill them by Nubri resident and research collaborator Jhangchuk Sangmo Thakuri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-datawrapper wp-block-embed-datawrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" title=\"Nubri: A village with a toast for every occasion\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/4GTei\/2\/#?secret=NLqCKR6jkP\" data-secret=\"NLqCKR6jkP\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"519\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Other scholars of Tibetan and Himalayan societies have commented on the importance of chang for ritual purposes and as a social lubricant. In Nubri, which is predominantly ethnic Tibetan, we <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.ed.ac.uk\/himalaya\/article\/view\/9440\/12783\">learned firsthand the integral role<\/a> both drinks had in maintaining local rituals, the economy and developing social relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>The basics of brewing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s start with the basics. Chang is a fermented, noncarbonated beverage made from corn, barley or rice. A starter culture, partially derived from a previous fermentation, is added to warm, boiled grain, which is then stuffed into a container with water and sealed. The fermentation process takes a few days to two weeks, depending on variables such as temperature and one\u2019s preference for the brew\u2019s strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To make arak, the mash of fermented grain is transferred to a still that is placed over an open fire. The evaporated liquid \u2013 essentially concentrated alcohol \u2013 condenses and drops into a catch basin when it contacts a vessel at the top filled with cool water. The distillation process takes roughly an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chang is unfiltered and often contains a fair amount of sediments. It is low in alcohol \u2013 roughly 3% to 6% ABV, or equivalent to a European lager \u2013 and is considered a refreshing drink, especially while working in hot weather. Although it varies by brew, chang is generally slightly sweet, with a tinge or sourness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Arak, by contrast, is clear and dry, similar in flavor and mouthfeel to Japanese sake. Based on taste and effect, we estimate that most batches clock in at 15% to 25% ABV \u2013 stronger than a glass of wine, but less potent than, say, whiskey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All but the poorest households in Nubri own a still; those who don\u2019t borrow one from neighbors when they have surplus grain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>To hell \u2026 or glory?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Evidence suggests that chang has been consumed by Tibetans for centuries. A story <a href=\"https:\/\/ora.ox.ac.uk\/objects\/uuid:7b9a8728-595f-43f7-af32-dd41a8541a1a\">purportedly from the seventh century<\/a> describes how court officials were dispatched by an emperor to find a boy with magical powers. When they encountered a child and asked where his parents were, he responded, \u201cFather has gone to search for words. Mother has gone to search for eyes.\u201d The father showed up carrying chang and the mother bearing fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite chang\u2019s antiquity, Tibetans have their share of teetotalers and prohibitionists. For example, 15th-century <a href=\"https:\/\/treasuryoflives.org\/biographies\/view\/Ngorchen-Kunga-Zangpo\/2387\">Buddhist lama Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo<\/a> argued, \u201cSince one (who drinks) created and accumulated the karma of a mad person, one\u2019s body will come to ruin, and after one has died, one will be born among the hell-beings of the lower realms of existence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The message is elegant in its simplicity \u2013 drink and you\u2019ll go to hell!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/732828\/original\/file-20260428-57-mchnap.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"A woman pokes a fiew under a big pot.\" \/><figcaption>Nubri resident Tsewang Buti stokes a fire beneath a still. Geoff Childs, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Kunga Zangpo\u2019s warning aside, intoxicating beverages have long been valued in Nubri society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Writing in the mid-18th century, Pema Wangdu, a Nubri lama famous for composing songs of spiritual realization, recounts how when seeking guidance from a local lama, he needed to present an offering, so he filched chang from home while his family members were working in the fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pema Wangdu\u2019s main teacher, Pema D\u00f6ndrub, also from Nubri, describes a visit to a neighboring valley in which an official asks local villagers to bring the lama and his entourage some chang. Apparently they brought more than enough, because Pema D\u00f6ndrub retorted, \u201cWe kept the tasty chang and sent the unappealing stuff away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/732825\/original\/file-20260428-57-xs8x7x.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"\" \/><figcaption>Pema D\u00f6ndrup, local lama and chang connoisseur. Geoff Childs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Chang is also commonly mentioned in Nubri\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colorado.edu\/tibethimalayainitiative\/2018\/01\/21\/folk-songs-nubri\">folk songs<\/a>, which have been passed down for generations. In one, the singer rejoices that he has had multiple windfalls of good luck: He lives in a civilized country, inhabits a golden chamber and has an elegant foal and many sheep. Proclaiming that his prosperity is deserved, the singer commands his wife, \u201cDon\u2019t even think of giving me less chang!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>A drink for all occasions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Nowadays, people in Nubri prefer the more potent arak over chang. This is evident during Buddhist rituals where arak provides some participants with stamina and a bit of levity. Others, especially monks, abstain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The drinks are procured through the local temple\u2019s tax system. When a couple form a new household, they accept a mandatory loan of roughly 100 kilos of grain from the village temple. Every subsequent year they are required to repay one-third of the loan as interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each ritual has an associated \u201cLoan Document\u201d that specifies what percentage of a household\u2019s annual repayment is used to support that event. The system ensures that a tremendous amount of the harvest is acquired so that it can be fermented and then processed in the temple\u2019s stills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An associated document titled \u201cRules (Made By) the Monasteries\u201d specifies when, how much and to whom arak should be distributed throughout the ritual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each serving event has a name. There is \u201cconnection chang\u201d honoring the auspicious first gathering of ritual participants, \u201ccommencement chang\u201d to mark the beginning of each day, and \u201cbedtime chang\u201d for the end of each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During an offering to the deities, participants are served \u201cvictory chang,\u201d signaling a wish that their entreaties are successful, and \u201cgood fortune chang\u201d in anticipation of positive outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/732826\/original\/file-20260428-101-bbu08.JPG?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"Three people use wooden spatulas to stir rice.\" \/><figcaption>Mason Brown, Jhangchuk Sangmo (right) and her mother, Tsewang Buti, mix a starter culture with boiled rice. Geoff Childs, <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>One more for the road<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A final vignette helps illustrate how chang and arak are woven into Nubri\u2019s social and religious fabric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In May 2023, we departed Nubri after completing a long research stint. Dorje Dundul, <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/what-a-bear-attack-in-a-remote-valley-in-nepal-tells-us-about-the-problem-of-aging-rural-communities-271377\">an old friend<\/a>, accompanied us to a religious structure marking the outer boundary of his village. From the depths of his tunic, he extracted a flask filled with arak, inserted the stem of a medicinal herb into the liquid while chanting prayers, then sprinkled droplets into the four directions as an offering to ensure our safe passage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Afterward, he handed us the flask and urged, \u201cCh\u00f6, ch\u00f6\u201d (\u201cDrink, drink\u201d). We each took a long draft of the warming liquid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He then capped the flask, placed it into the side pocket of our backpack and said, \u201cThis is lamchang (road beer). Travel safely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the grueling descent to the lowlands, the parting gift fortified us while providing a constant reminder of Dorje\u2019s concern for our well-being. \u201cOne for the road\u201d never felt so good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colorado.edu\/tibethimalayainitiative\/mason-brown\">Ethnomusicologist Mason Brown<\/a> and Nubri researcher Jhangchuk Sangmo Thakuri contributed to this article.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/geoff-childs-2541055\">Geoff Childs<\/a>, Professor of Sociocultural Anthropology, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/washington-university-in-st-louis-732\">Washington University in St. Louis<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article is republished from <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/cheers-welcome-to-the-nepalese-village-where-everybody-knows-how-to-distill-271372\">original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Geoff Childs, Washington University in St. Louis Imagine a place where every home has paraphernalia for distilling spirits, where there is a toast for nearly any occasion, and where your taxes \u2013 paid in grain, not cash \u2013 are deposited straight into a communal still. Welcome to Nubri. A valley in northern Nepal, Nubri is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":42375,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8025,292,15306,42,10,36,828,38,9],"tags":[165,5166,518,16637,15481,885,891,886,860,9815,8257],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42374"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/56"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42374"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42374\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42376,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42374\/revisions\/42376"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}