Desi daru

Not to be confused with India-made foreign liquor.
Tango punch Desi daru
देसी दारु

Tango punch
Type Alcoholic beverage
Country of origin India
Alcohol by volume 36%-42.5%
Colour White and Brown

Desi daru also known as Desi Sharaab, Desi Liquor, Deshi Daru, Santraa or Country Liquor[1] is an indigenous alcoholic drink made in the Indian subcontinent. It is traditionally prepared from a procedure that has been passed down for centuries. It is the primary and most popular alcoholic beverage in India's village population, and for the poor in urban areas. It is fermented and distilled from any fruits that have a high sugar content, including orange, papaya, banana, and pineapple. It tends to have a bad reputation as a crude, low-quality alcohol with many impurities. Furthermore, this could induce an instant intoxication and possibly poisoning for a malnourished or dehydrated consumer, the market-segment targeted by the manufacturers.[2][3][4] Desi liquor is a broad term and it can include both legally and illegally made local alcohol. The term desi daru usually refers to legal alcohol while other types of desi liquor (arrack and palm toddy) may be categorised as Moonshine alcohol.[5][6]

Etymology

Main article: Desi

The term desi, which is generally an endonym for local is often applied to food or drink that is considered traditional or native. Daaru is an indigenous term used for any alcoholic beverage in India. Sharaab is the Persian-derived equivalent and is used in some areas with less frequency.[7]

Industry

Most of the desi liquor business in India is unrecorded. An article in the medical journal The Lancet estimated that nearly two-thirds of the alcohol consumed in India is illicit.[8] Globus spirits mentioned that India's desi liquor market is about 242 million cases (over 30% of the beverage industry in India) with a growth rate of about 7% per annum.[9] No data regarding Pakistan is available as drinking alcohol is officially prohibited for Muslims in Pakistan, although locally made liquor is sold on the black market.[10][11]

Social issues

Desi liquor, being the cheapest alcohol in India, is the mainstay alcoholic beverage for the village population and urban poor. Desi daru is less commonly consumed for "social" purposes, it is more commonly consumed for the purpose of quick intoxication.

In village areas, desi daru has been blamed for domestic violence and poverty in the family. There have been several protests against desi liquor shops/bars in villages. There are usually separate bars for desi daru, and it may not be available in mainstream bars.[12][13][14]

Adulterated/Premixed Indian liquors

There have been issues in many bars in India where Scotch/English whisky has been adulterated by mixing some quantity of desi liquor in it before serving it to customers.[15]

Health issues

Though health risks are associated with all kinds of alcohol, desi daru can be more hazardous than other kinds as it does not undergo a multiple distillation process, is often poorly regulated, and in many cases illicit.[16][17] If care is not taken in the distillation process and the proper equipment is not used, harmful impurities such as fusel alcohols, lead from plumbing solder, and methanol can be concentrated to toxic levels. Several deaths have been reported in India and Pakistan due to consumption of non-factory made toxic liquor.[18][19][18][10]

There are several references of desi daru in Bollywood films and songs.

See also

References

  1. Amita Trasi (24 June 2015). The Color of our Sky: a novel set in India. Bloomhill Books. pp. 277–. ISBN 978-0-9861556-1-1.
  2. Bhaichand Patel (19 October 2009). Happy Hours: The Penguin Book of Cocktails. Penguin Books Limited. pp. 206–. ISBN 978-81-8475-162-8.
  3. David Shaftel (2011-11-23). "Boom time for country liquor". Livemint. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  4. Ratna Bhushan & Boby Kurian (2008-01-22). "Manufacturing norms for country liquor on anvil". Times of India. Articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  5. "Desi daroo - definition of Desi daroo". The Free Dictionary. Thefreedictionary.com. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  6. "India`s deadly moonshine in the spotlight". Dawn. 13 July 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  7. Carlos E. Cortés (3 September 2013). Multicultural America: A Multimedia Encyclopedia. SAGE Publications. pp. 1162–. ISBN 978-1-4522-7626-7.
  8. "The alcohol economy | Business Line". Thehindubusinessline.com. 2013-12-08. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  9. "Country Liquor". Globus Spirits. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  10. 1 2 Craig, Tim (2014-10-08). "In dry Pakistan, deaths from toxic liquor continue". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-08-05.
  11. "Pakistan battles growing alcohol addiction". BBC News Bbc.com. Retrieved 2015-08-05.
  12. "Women vandalize country liquor shop". The Times of India. Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 2015-07-08. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  13. "Women protest against sale of illicit liquor - The Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 2015-02-10. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  14. "Women protest against liquor shop". The Hindu. 2015-03-09. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  15. "Pay for Scotch drink Desi daru - News". Mid-day.com. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  16. "How Nearly 100 People in Mumbai Died From Toxic Alcohol". NDTV Ndtv.com. 2015-06-22. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  17. Palash Ghosh. "Last Call: Poor Indians Continue To Die From Alcohol Poisoning From Liquor Laced With Industrial Chemicals". Ibtimes.com. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  18. 1 2 "86 Deaths Blamed on Toxic Indian Moonshine". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  19. "42 People In India Have Died After Drinking Toxic Alcohol". Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  20. BollywoodLife (2012-06-02). "COCKTAIL song: Daru Desi - Bollywood News & Gossip, Movie Reviews, Trailers & Videos at". Bollywoodlife.com. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  21. "Top 10 Drunken Numbers of Bollywood - Top 10 - Hindi - Entertainment - The Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 2012-01-11. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
  22. "Char Baj Gaye Song Lyrics of F.A.L.T.U". glamsham.com. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
  23. "Rahman and Ranbir rock it, but imtiaz disappoints". Telegraphindia.com. 2011-11-12. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
  24. Bollywood Hungama (2011-10-14). "Ranbir Kapoor talks about the music of Rockstar | Latest bollywood Hindi Movie Features". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
  25. "Main Aur Mr. Riight / A tad too cheesy!". The Indian Express. 2014-12-19. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
  26. 1 2 "Teaser for Desi Daru song from Main Aur Mr Riight is out now | Indiablooms - First Portal on Digital News Management". Indiablooms. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
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