Xang Hai Village (Whiskey Village)

The whiskey village (Sang Ha) is very close to Pak Ou caves - but on the opposite side of the river. Most boats visiting the caves will take you here also.

Pride of place goes to the bottles of rice wine with pickled snakes and scorpions inside. They are advertised as energy drinks and you are given a small sample as you enter the village.

Its a pleasant little village with lots of handicrafts to buy and strategic locals at looms, more than happy to pose for photographs.

How to Make Lao-Lao Whiskey.
At the entrance to the distillery, a poster tells how Lao-Lao whiskey is produced.

First one must boil a substantial amount of rice.
Next let the rice sit and ferment in open air for 5 days (preferably in a warm climate) this gives you your mash.
Now you will boil the mash in a tightly fastened copper kettle with a condenser as on a moonshine still so that no steam escapes at around 65 degrees Celsius (150 degrees Fahrenheit).
At the end of your condenser tube you will have a jug or some other liquid holding device with a filter atop it to catch any impurities.
You now have your Lao-Lao whiskey ready to drink.

Receiving instructions on the production process.

Containers for fermenting rice.

Tightly fastened copper kettle.

Earthenware jars with Lao-Lao whiskey.

Lao-Lao with snakes and scorpions.
Various flavoured Lao-Laos are made by macerating such additives as honey, snakes or scorpions.

Lao-Lao sold on retail is usually clear, but amber colored varieties exist too.
Quality, taste and alcohol concentration vary by source of the drink. However, all variations are strong.
It is traditional to serve two glasses of Lao-Lao on ceremonies, feasts and other comparable situations. The drink is customarily expected to be drunk with a single gulp.