Alcohol in Asia was never just about drinking.
From ancient rice wines brewed thousands of years ago to powerful distilled spirits shaped by empire, ritual, and community, Asian Alcohol explores how fermentation and distillation developed across East, Southeast, and South Asia.
This book takes the reader inside the worlds of sake, baijiu, makgeolli, soju, shochu, palm wines, arrack, feni, and more. It explains how climate, crops, religion, and social customs shaped what people drank and why they drank it. Communal jars, ceremonial toasts, household brewing, and women-led traditions reveal alcohol as a social tool rather than a simple beverage.
A dedicated recipe section brings these traditions into practice. Each recipe includes origin, brief history, a modern method adapted for home use, and insight into traditional techniques. The focus is understanding process, not shortcuts.
Written for readers interested in history, fermentation, anthropology, and traditional brewing, this book presents Asian alcohol as a living tradition rooted in place, labor, and culture.
